Gray returns to Super2 glory
By Thomas Miles
Date posted: 9 August 2025
Super2 championship leader Rylan Gray returned to victory lane in style by winning a condensed opener at Queensland Raceway.
Gray controlled the 23-lapper from start to finish and drove away from Brad Vaughan and Bailey Sweeny.
Whilst the Tickford driver has retained his championship lead with a run of third places, a first win in four races extends his lead to 143 points.
The race was heavily impacted by a lengthy Safety Car caused by a sickening impact between Mason Kelly and Jarrod Hughes at Turn 3.
“Pretty cool to get my second race win,” Gray said.
“Starts have been a weakness all year, and luckily, Vaughan got a worse one.
“Had a long safety car and my arms were getting sore from all the weaving, but super pumped to win.
“I was watching the clouds the whole race, hoping it was going to rain, but just kept my head down.”
However, a spotlight surrounds Gray with a post-race investigation taking place on how he managed his speed prior to the Safety Car restart.
It was an even start between Gray and Vaughan before the Mustangs flew past the pole sitter in the run down to Turn 1.
Gray hit the lead, but could not stop Sweeney from having a crack at swooping around the outside.
The two Mustangs went door to door for the lead through the first two corners before the Tickford driver prevailed on the inside.
This left Sweeny vulnerable to Vaughan and he pounced at Turn 3 to reclaim second.
Only one lap was possible before Hughes and Kelly collided at Turn 3, and the safety car was needed.
Kelly locked up with a suspected brake drama and speared head-on into an innocent Hughes, who was making his way through Turn 3.
The Mustang hit the right-hand passenger door of Hughes with furious force and the pair were wiped out on the spot.
Both drivers walked away but Hughes appeared slightly shaken.
After a long stoppage, a flat-out 11-minute sprint to the finish was set up.
Gray controlled the restart as teammate Dalton also put the foot down, snaring fourth from Walls at Turn 4.
But outside of the threat there were not no other moves at the front of the field.
But the intensity was as high as ever, with the leaders punching out personal bests lap after lap.
Gray struggled to break more than a second clear of Vaughan until the final minutes, when he started posting fastest laps.
Vaughan struggled to stay in touch not just because of Gray’s unrelenting speed, but also because he was under significant pressure from Sweeny.
But the BRT driver pushed too hard at the end of the penultimate lap, with a slide in the final corner releasing Vaughan and forcing him on the defence to Dalton.
After a close call, chopping Dalton down the pit straight Sweeny was able to retain the podium finish.
These skirmishes allowed Gray to pull 3s clear and return to victory lane in style.
Super2 will go qualifying and racing again on Sunday at 9.45 and 12.25 AEST, respectively.
1: Rylan Gray 23 laps
2: Brad Vaughan +2.9164
3: Bailey Sweeny 3.6882
4: Lochie Dalton +4.2175
5: Jackson Walls +5.5644
Image: DMAC Photography
2025 Ipswich Super440 (All Times AEST)
Friday 8 August
Practice 1 – 1: Broc Feeney 1:09.2078 2: Anton De Pasquale +0.1965 3: Cameron Hill +0.2271
Practice 2 – 1: Will Brown 1:08.4927 2: Broc Feeney +0.1419 3: Ryan Wood +0.2088
Saturday 9 August
Qualifying Race 23: 1 Broc Feeney 1:08.1301 2 Will Brown +0.1119 3 Ryan Wood +0.1866
Qualifying Race 24: 1 Broc Feeney 1:19.8014 2 Ryan Wood +0.4782 3 Will Brown +0.9097
Race 23 – 39 laps 1 Broc Feeney 2 Kai Allen +0.4739 3 Ryan Wood +1.12304:10pm, Race 24 – 39 laps (120 km)
Sunday 10 August
10:20am, Qualifying Part 1 – Race 25 (10 mins)
10:40am, Qualifying Part 2 – Race 25 (10 mins)
11:40am, Qualifying Part 3 – Race 25 Top Ten Shootout (30 mins)
3:15pm, Race 25 – 63 laps (200 km)
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