Still suffering the after effects of a cool suit failure on Saturday, the Tickford Racing driver was put on a drip and ruled out by medical staff just hours before the start.
Tickford Racing boss Simon Brookhouse said Randle’s condition in the wake of Sunday morning’s qualifying session meant the team would have intervened anyway.
Randle stayed on site to support the team during the race, watching on as Mark Winterbottom made an unexpected cameo in the Castrol Mustang.
“Obviously pretty gutted I couldn’t do that race,” Randle said in the aftermath.
“I tried to push through qualifying, got out of the car and just wasn’t feeling good, so I went to the medical centre and they ended up putting me on a drip.
“Feeling definitely better now, but it was a pretty tough call to make to sit out the race. I’ve never not raced, so as you can imagine, that was pretty emotional.
Secure your spot today.
“It’s great that Frosty got to drive, he did a great job, brought the car home and got some [teams] points and some more miles for him.
“But I just wish I could have been out there and supported all our awesome partners.
“Like I said, I just tried to push through but the human body can only do so much. I’m looking forward to recovering and bring on Townsville.”
The failure to start was costly for Randle, who is now 14th in the championship and 230 points adrift of the Finals Series cut line.
Randle’s withdrawal followed that of Dick Johnson Racing star Brodie Kostecki, who entered the weekend suffering from an unspecified virus.
Kostecki was put on a drip in the medical centre after Saturday’s race but did receive medical clearance on Sunday morning to return to action.
The driver, though, made the decision to withdraw ahead of qualifying, handing over his seat to co-driver Todd Hazelwood.
“It was a difficult decision, but the right one and I’m following doctor’s orders,” wrote Kosteck in a social media post on Sunday.
Engineer George Commins, who took Kostecki’s place on the Saturday podium, said Kostecki underwent further medical evaluation while Sunday’s action unfolded.
“He’s feeling better, I would say,” Commins told the Cool Down Lap on Sunday evening.
“He’s been checked out in Darwin, definitely the right call not to be in the car today, so he’ll head home now and start getting some treatment.”
Hazelwood, who also filled in for Kostecki during Thursday’s Track to Town, revealed on Sunday morning that the star has been battling his bug for at least a week.
Co-driver Hazelwood managed to finish a strong 12th despite clutch issues, while Winterbottom greeted the flag last after losing time with a pit lane stall.
Discussion about this post