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The trio drove the Gomersall Motorsport-run Holden ZB Commodore typically piloted by Reuben Goodall at the most recent Supercars test day as part of an evaluation.
Todd Hazelwood was on-hand to guide the three young guns while Wes McDougall engineered the car. Both provided feedback for the trio.
“Essentially it was an evaluation day assessing up and coming talent coming through the junior motorsport ranks and seeing if they’re gonna be more than capable of getting behind the wheel of a Supercar,” Hazelwood told Speedcafe.
“It’s a great opportunity for Gomersall Motorsport looking at options potentially for next year and getting new drivers for the program but also providing a great opportunity for kids that are desperate to see if they can have what it takes to have a crack at Supercars.
“It’s a cool day for those kids because they’re obviously aspiring Supercars drivers for the future and to get your first taste is a pretty special moment.
“They had their parents there on the day taking videos and taking photos and obviously the nitty gritty of it as well trying to help support those kids with the first initiation of driving a Supercar.”
Hazelwood and McDougall created a “unique program” to evaluate the drivers. Both experienced heads provided tuition throughout the day.
The Toyota drivers all completed roughly 45 laps and were each given a new set of tyres.
Hazelwood said the day wasn’t being treated like a shootout. Instead, it was seen as an opportunity for the drivers to understand their own capabilities.
“There’s no pressure to perform, it’s all about them learning and experiencing the uniqueness of the Supercars,” said Hazelwood.
“All three of those drivers at the moment are in the Toyota 86 program. Obviously, Bradi Owen is currently leading the series and doing a really good job.
“Both Hayden and Ben have also got plenty of experience in those [Toyota 86] cars, so for them it was the perfect opportunity just to make that step up and see what it’s all about.
“It all went really well. All three drivers actually really did an impressive job, they all transitioned really well. Ticked all the boxes, so it was a cool day for sure.”
Graduating from the GR Cup to the Super2 Series obviously comes with heightened costs.
That could ultimately be the determining factor for the aforementioned trio.
In any case, Hazelwood said the test day gave them a chance to validate their own thoughts and feelings.
“It’s validation for themselves that they’ve got what it takes to drive a Supercar,” Hazelwood explained.
“We provided feedback on where they can improve and what to look forward to if they make the next step into a Supercar.
“For them, they’ve driven a Supercar now, they’ve got a taste, now they’ve got a few more months before the end of the year and they start planning what next season looks like.
“When you’re young, you’re hungry and you want to make that next step and all three of those drivers are currently looking to further progress their motorsport endeavours.”
