Dalton weighs in on Super2 title chances

After a career weekend, Lochie Dalton has launched himself into the pointy end of the Dunlop Super2 Series standings, but isn't quite ready to announce that he's a championship favourite.

The 23-year-old entered the weekend just 11th in the standings after a disappointing home round in Tasmania, hampered largely after being hit out of contention in Race 3 by Cameron McLeod.

However, the driver of the #6 Mustang was in a class of his own at the NTI Townsville, claiming both pole positions and race wins to complete a perfect weekend and launch into fourth.

The Tasmanian's gap to teammate and series leader Rylan Gray decreased from 168 points before Townsville to now sit at 126 points entering the second half of the season, however Dalton isn't quite thinking about mounting a title challenge.

"Yeah I hope so, I mean we all know what Super2 is like, it's pretty bipolar, you never know what is going to happen," said Dalton in Townsville.

"I'll just try my best, it's such a hard championship because it's only six rounds, so I had a pretty rough start to the year.

"We've always had good car pace, but just a few things didn't go our way, so I'll just take it as it comes, and I know I've got a good team behind me, a good family and support behind, so we'll just see how it goes."

Dalton, who made his Super2 debut with Brad Jones Racing in the 2022 finale on the streets of Adelaide, had only claimed one round podium before Townsville, with a third at Perth in 2023 driving for BJR.

A move to Tickford brought a maiden Supercars start at Sydney last year, and a finish of eighth in last year's Super2 Series, but Townsville was the breakout weekend for the protégé of two-time Supercars champion Marcos Ambrose.

"It feels good obviously, just relief. To finally get it, it's been a long time now in Super2 coming into my third year," said Dalton.

"A bit of relief to finally get it done, and just can't thank these two boys and the team, Frosty, my family, and the Walter family enough."

Dalton, who will make his Repco Bathurst 1000 debut later this year alongside Gray in Tickford's wildcard Mustang, pointed to his two pole positions in Townsville as a key turning point.

With the likes of Gray and former Tickford Autosport teammate Brad Vaughan securing poles during Dalton's tenure, the 23-year-old admitted he has learned plenty from his younger teammates past and present.

"Qualifying has always been my weakness, I've always been there or thereabouts and just ruin a lap or just do something silly," he said.

"It's great to have Rylan, Rylan's smoked me the last two years, even Brad Vaughan, they are such good qualifiers, so I learned a lot from those two.

"Frosty have me a bit of a kick up the arse to tell me I'm good enough and just trust that it will happen."

Round 4 of the 2025 Dunlop Super2 Series will be held at the Century Batteries Ipswich Super 440 from August 8-10. Tickets for the event are on sale now.