McLeod emulates father with first career Super2 pole

Cameron McLeod has claimed the first Boost Mobile Pole Award of the 2025 Dunlop Super2 Series at the Thrifty Sydney 500 - Opening Round.

Having from PremiAir Racing to Kelly Racing in the off-season, McLeod leapt from last to first on his final qualifying lap to claim his maiden Super2 pole position.

In the 25th anniversary season of the Dunlop Super2 Series, McLeod created a unique piece of family history, emulating the feat of his father Ryan McLeod who claimed the first ever development series pole at Eastern Creek in 2000.

McLeod will start alongside Kiwi rookie Ayrton Hodson, who continues his impressive start to life in the Super2 Series, missing out on Anderson Motorsport's first pole since 2023 by just 0.0395s.

Both drivers on the second row of the grid were also within a tenth of the Queenslander's pole lap, with Rylan Gray and Jobe Stewart only 0.0671s, and 0.0878s off McLeod respectively.

Reigning Super2 champion Zach Bates is set to kick off title defence from fifth on the grid, alongside Triple Eight rookie Jackson Walls.

The top 10 was rounded out by Nash Morris, Ben Gomserall, Jordyn Sinni, and Cody Burcher.

Matt Hillyer and Stewart were quick out of the gate in the first runs for Walkinshaw Andretti United and Erebus Academy respectively, before reigning Super3 champion Burcher went to the top on a 1:32.2080s

Eggleston teammate Bates went second on a 1:32.1860s, whilst it was Bates' Supercars wildcard team Triple Eight who impressed in the first run.

Gomersall briefly went to the top on a 1:32.1902s. before local driver Walls went to the top by 0.033s on a 1:32.1564s, however Bates reduced that margin to just 0.029s.

Nash Morris in the Scott Taylor Motorsport-backed Tickford entry had a loose moment in the grass at the exit of Turn 3, and was 14th after the opening runs, with the likes of Hodson, Brad Vaughan, Jarrod Hughes, and McLeod all outside the top 10 after the first run.

Whilst McLeod and Hodson would recover, Hughes was a disappointing 13th for Image Racing, whilst Vaughan is mired down in 20th for his first drive with Brad Jones Racing.

Race 1 of the 2025 Dunlop Super2 Series will commence at 5:55pm local time for a 40-minute timed race.