Ryan Tomsett has taken his first pole position at Round 3 of the 2023 Toyota Gazoo Racing Australia Series at The Bend Motorsport Park.
Fifteen-year-old Tomsett was the only driver in the 2:14s to set the fastest 86 Series lap in securing pole for today’s Race 1.
In overcast conditions at the South Australian circuit – the first time the 86 Series has been at The Bend since 2018 – the 25-car field had few chances for a clean lap in the 20-minute session, given the length of the lap.
At the 15 min mark, Lachlan Bloxsom had a wild moment after running wide on the exit of the final corner as Hillyer posted a 2:15.1171 for P1, before Ryan Tomsett set the fastest lap ever around The Bend to top the timesheets with a 2:14.8220.
Behind them was Wanzek, Burcher and Stinson, with points leader Ryan Casha sixth fastest with a 2:15.3535.
Logan, who starts the weekend second in the points standings, showed pace in the first sector – but could only manage eighth-best (2:15.4975) as the Dunlop control tyre seemed to drop away later in the lap.
Tomsett set faster early sectors on his second hot-lap to post a 2:15.0351 – still enough for pole but couldn’t quite replicated the pace of his earlier lap in the #27 entry.
Guest driver Fabian Coulthard – who also took part in the series at Sandown in 2022 – moved into eighth after his first run with a 2:15.4912.
At the mid-session lull, Tomsett’s 2:14.8220 was still the fastest from Wanzek (2:15.1014), Hillyer, Burcher, Stinson, Casha, Hughes, Coulthard, Logan and Goodall in tenth.
Tomsett did not come back out as the session wound down – given each competitor in the 86 Series runs a single set of tyres for the weekend – but remained unbeaten, with the Top 10 also remaining in the same order.
Alice Buckley, who scored a clean sweep in the 86 Scholarship Series at Queensland Raceway last weekend, ended the session in P16 with a 2:15.7099.
Race 1 starts at 14:50 local time/15:20 AEST this afternoon.
2023 Toyota GAZOO Racing Australia 86 Series – Qualifying
Saturday August 19
| 1 | 27 | Ryan Tomsett Racing | Ryan Tomsett (NSW) | Toyota 86 | 2:14.8220* | |
| 2 | 90 | Team CARMA | Jayden Wanzek (SA) | Toyota 86 | 2:15.1014 | 0:00.2794 |
| 3 | 2 | Morris / Walkinshaw | Matthew Hillyer (Vic) | Toyota 86 | 2:15.1171 | 0:00.2951 |
| 4 | 36 | Awcon Racing | Cody Burcher (NSW) | Toyota 86 | 2:15.1826 | 0:00.3606 |
| 5 | 31 | Stinson Family Racing | Brock Stinson (NSW) | Toyota 86 | 2:15.2788 | 0:00.4568 |
| 6 | 79 | Attachment Warehouse Racing | Ryan Casha (Qld) | Toyota 86 | 2:15.3535 | 0:00.5315 |
| 7 | 118 | Jarrod Hughes Motorsport / ACD | Jarrod Hughes (Qld) | Toyota 86 | 2:15.3643 | 0:00.5423 |
| 8 | 100 | TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Australia | Fabian Coulthard (Qld) | Toyota 86 | 2:15.4912 | 0:00.6692 |
| 9 | 37 | AWC / Logan Group | Campbell Logan (Tas) | Toyota 86 | 2:15.4975 | 0:00.6755 |
| 10 | 20 | Gtechniq / Sieders Racing Team | Reuben Goodall (SA) | Toyota 86 | 2:15.4985 | 0:00.6765 |
| 11 | 99 | 99motorsport | Marcus LaDelle (NSW) | Toyota 86 | 2:15.5217 | 0:00.6997 |
| 12 | 35 | UNIT Racing | Ben Gomersall (Qld) | Toyota 86 | 2:15.6359 | 0:00.8139 |
| 13 | 10 | Holdsworth Motorsport | James Holdsworth (Tas) | Toyota 86 | 2:15.6410 | 0:00.8190 |
| 14 | 23 | Bloxsom Team Navy | Lachlan Bloxsom (Qld) | Toyota 86 | 2:15.6586 | 0:00.8366 |
| 15 | 25 | Mineco / Bradi Owen Racing | Bradi Owen (Qld) | Toyota 86 | 2:15.7075 | 0:00.8855 |
| 16 | 50 | Alice Buckley Motorsport / ASP | Alice Buckley (Qld) | Toyota 86 | 2:15.7098 | 0:00.8878 |
| 17 | 15 | Kaizen Racing / Flowtek Hydrau | James Wilkins (Qld) | Toyota 86 | 2:15.7866 | 0:00.9646 |
| 18 | 53 | Just Bathroomware / Tumbi Tyre | Max Geoghegan (NSW) | Toyota 86 | 2:15.7964 | 0:00.9744 |
| 19 | 4 | Jack Westbury Racing | Jack Westbury (Qld) | Toyota 86 | 2:15.8433 | 0:01.0213 |
| 20 | 22 | Grove Racing | Oscar Targett (Qld) | Toyota 86 | 2:15.8805 | 0:01.0585 |
| 21 | 86 | TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Australia | Harry Bates (ACT) | Toyota 86 | 2:15.8865 | 0:01.0645 |
| 22 | 42 | BF Racing / Liquor Legends | Tom Davies (Qld) | Toyota 86 | 2:16.0853 | 0:01.2633 |
| 23 | 21 | JMG Racing / On The Pace | Rylan Gray (NSW) | Toyota 86 | 2:16.1900 | 0:01.3680 |
| 24 | 57 | Zuce Tech / Alientech / Simply | Ryan Hadden (Qld) | Toyota 86 | 2:16.1922 | 0:01.3702 |
| 25 | 45 | Total Parts Plus | Hayden Hume (Qld) | Toyota 86 | 2:16.4120 | 0:01.5900 |
| 26 | 8 | Jordan Freestone Racing | Jordan Freestone (Qld) | Toyota 86 | 2:16.5035 | 0:01.6815 |
| 27 | 17 | Mitchell McGarry Racing / Prof | Mitchell McGarry (SA) | Toyota 86 | 2:16.5331 | 0:01.7111 |
| 28 | 97 | Designer Living Kitchens | Cooper Barnes (NSW) | Toyota 86 | 2:16.6411 | 0:01.8191 |
| 29 | 55 | Nova Air & Electrical | Michael Sherwell (NSW) | Toyota 86 | 2:17.1903 | 0:02.3683 |
| 30 | 210 | TekworkX Motorsport | Zoe Woods (NSW) | Toyota 86 | 02:17.3 | 0:03.4611 |
| 31 | 14 | Shannons Insurance/Penrite | Clay Richards (VIC) | Toyota 86 | 02:18.8 | 0:03.9556 |
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