PRESS RELEASE – Gold Coast streets prove unforgiving
The Gold Coast Castrol 600 is some of the most challenging driving for the young Formula 4 drivers so far this year. The track is proving unforgiving with no room for error.
IQ Option Racing driver Tom Grech was the first of the AGI Sport drivers to luck out after a huge hit into a wall left his car unsalvageable. Luckily the carbon fibre monocoque protected Grech and he managed to walk away uninjured.
Grech was pragmatic after the accident. “I just lost control of the car, not so surprising in a place like this, unfortunately we hit the wall. It’s been a massive effort from the team and CAMS to get me into this spare car for the rest of the weekend.”
The AGI Sport team worked hard to the Jayco Dealership ‘spare’ car up to scratch for qualifying. Tom then jumped into the unfamiliar car and pushed out some blistering laps to start front row of the grid in Race One.
“Its probably one of the best circuits I’ve ever been to, having a lot of fun racing around the streets of the Gold Coast.”
Championship front-runners Jordan Lloyd and Thomas Randle soon claimed the top two spots after Race 1 with AGI Sport driver Jimmy Vernon finishing well in the Toolforce Racing car.
“Race one was a really good one for us. I came home in P3, I was in P2 for a little while there but it just wasn’t meant to be.
‘We had some strong pace and I just had a ball out there it was a lot of fun and bagged a lot of points for the championship.
Jimmy was in his element around the Gold Coast streets,
“The street racing is heaps of fun, we did Townsville earlier in the year and we were fast there and we seem to have come out of the box in the top 3 or top 4 this weekend.”
Race 2 proved even more fun for the young Sydney-based driver.
“We led in Race 2 for a few laps there. I pushed really hard and I made a little bit of a gap to start with and it just wasn’t meant to be.
‘The guys behind me had a lot if pace and they caught me and there were a few little things.
‘I got passed by Luis Leeds who then cut the chicane so I think they are looking into it now but I’m not really sure on the outcome of that.”
Penalties will be applied to the final race of the weekend shaking things up into Sunday.
Car Galore driver Will Brown didn’t manage to set a qualifying lap which had a huge impact on his weekend.
“I hit a pretty hard bump down the main straight which turned the ignition off. By the time the truck got there and we worked everything out I was already getting towed in.
‘I probably could have kept going. It was sort of my fault so I let the team down a bit but we looked forward and started off ninth for Race one and got up to seventh.
‘ I didn’t get the best of starts which was a bit disappointing. In that last one we got up to fifth from ninth. Tomorrow we start of ninth and hopefully we can just push forward and get in the top five again.”
Will also had high praise for the gritty racing the street circuit provides.
“I love Surfers Paradise, it’s awesome, the kerbs – you can just smash them. Went great in practice, I think we got fourth in one session and first in the next one, a bit disappointing in qualifying. The racing is so close, its just hard to move through.”
The three AGI Sport drivers will start on track at 11.35am EDST on Sunday with all the action live on Foxsports.
