Gray puts GR Supra GT4 EVO on third row

Australian young gun and top rookie in the New Zealand Toyota 86 Championship, Rylan Gray, drove a strong qualifying session to take sixth on the grid for Race 2 at the ADAC GT4 Germany round at a wet Nürburgring earlier today.

It was another outstanding performance from the KCMG-run duo of Gray and Toyota 86 Champion Brock Gilchrist, who had qualified the car in the same position on Saturday.

In a tight 29 car field the young pairing have quickly established themselves within the top ten and have top five race pace on par with the top runners in the championship, no mean feat in their first appearance in the car and at the track.

“First qualification done in a wet and drying session,” said Gray afterwards. “It was a bit of a challenge but I did enjoy the Supra.

“We knew we had good speed in the wet from yesterday and I went into qualifying confident. I made a mistake on my best lap which probably cost us a couple of places but overall it was a pretty good session.”

Despite that minor error Gray was less than one and a half tenths away from the third fastest qualifier and believes that’s more representative of the pace he and Gilchrist have on their prize weekend in Europe.

“I definitely think we have the pace to be in the top three, it’s good to be in the top six but I think we can aim to move forward in the race now we have experience in the dry and the wet.”

Gray will start the race, when more rain is forecast. “I think for the second one hour it’s best just to treat it as another race and not get caught up in the moment with nerves. My mindset is it’s just another race so I’ll be keeping it simple.”

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing New Zealand Motorsport Manager Nico Caillol says the drivers have quickly established themselves within a very tight and competitive field.

“After the first session learning the track and the car, the boys have not been outside of the top seven on outright pace. That’s very impressive especially as they have had to cope with the Nürburgring’s notorious changeable weather on top of all of the other learning processes.

"They’ve done very well and have one more chance to get a result that reflects their pace and professionalism.”

The final one hour race takes place overnight NZ time.

Schedule of the weekend (all times GMT+2)

Sunday 6 August

15.30 – 16.30 Race 2