Randle found out Waters stole victory on big screens
Thomas Randle found out Cam Waters stole victory on big screens
Feeney out-dragged Broc Feeney to win Race 2 in Sydney by 0.03s
Randle finished sixth, catching dramatic final moments on big screens
Thomas Randle has revealed he following the dramatic final moments of Tickford Racing teammate Cam Waters’ wild charge to victory in Sydney on big screens.
Waters first survived a collision with Triple Eight Race Engineering rival Broc Feeney, then staved off a redress attempt and challenge from Will Brown, before winning a drag race to the line.
The dramatic battle brought the top three into close proximity, with Waters, Feeney and Brown covered by less than 0.2s at the finish.
Such was the intensity and nature of the battle, that Chaz Mostert, Matt Payne and Randle — in fourth, fifth and sixth — closed up and finished just behind.
Randle, who was just five seconds from victory, said on the latest Drivers Only podcast that he finished his race by keeping tabs on the battle thanks to Sydney’s big screens, which were located exiting the final corner, and at Turn 1 after the finish line.
The Castrol Ford driver caught the drag race on the big screen as he rounded the final corner, and was left guessing until he saw Tickford crew members celebrating at the subsequent big screen.
Ironically, Brown himself used big screens to follow the controversial battle and collision between Feeney and Mostert at last year's Adelaide 500, also revealed on the Drivers Only podcast.
"The biggest talking point, the Saturday finish with Cam, Feeney and Will,” Randle said.
"I was back in sixth just literally watching everything, and I was looking up for the superscreens. I came out of the last corner, and there was that superscreen on the left.
"I saw they were drag racing, and Cam was… it looked close, I was like, ‘Oh, that's going to be tough’.
"And then as I crossed the line, I looked at the right screen and I could all the Tickford boys were going nuts, so I figured he got it.”
On the drag race itself, Randle admitted the contact between Waters and Feeney was line-ball, adding a tap from Brown helped the Monster Ford pull off the side draft.
"I think that that that one out of the last corner was so close,” Randle said.
“The bump from Will helped Cam side draft. If Will didn't hit him well, then I don't think he would have got the move.
“That side draft, he obviously did an amazing job with that. Feeney never tried to go across on the straight. He just stayed to the right and then Cam was able to obviously get that sort of slingshot.
“Right where he gets that momentum, that's where Cam darts away. Cam actually said, that's something that he learnt from NASCAR.
“He sort of snookered Feeney there and then obviously got the job done."
Randle is sixth in the drivers' standings heading to Melbourne.
Track action will commence at Albert Park on March 13, with drivers to complete two practice sessions and two Boost Mobile Qualifying sessions before Race 4.
Thomas Randle is an ambassador for the Australian Government’s ‘Safer driving starts with you’ road safety campaign. The campaign reminds all drivers that how we behave in a car can sometimes differ from our values outside of a car and encourages all road users, to reflect on their actions behind the wheel. Road safety is important for everyone. More information can be found at saferdrivingstartswithyou.gov.au.
