Emergency substitution at Hidden Valley
Former Supercars champion Mark Winterbottom has been drafted into the #55 Castrol Mustang for the 2026 Darwin Triple Crown finale. The 2015 series champion replaces Thomas Randle, who was ruled out of the 70-lap race following medical assessment by the Supercars medical team.
The decision came after a challenging weekend for Randle, who suffered a cool suit failure during Saturday’s race. Despite the extreme heat at Hidden Valley Raceway, Randle completed the full race distance on Saturday but reported health concerns after Sunday morning’s qualifying session, where he had initially secured 15th position.
Health and safety protocols
Tickford Racing confirmed that Randle was treated at the on-site medical center following his Saturday drive and sought further assessment after Sunday’s qualifying. Randle, who has never previously missed a race start in his professional career, expressed his disappointment but acknowledged that the medical advice was necessary for his recovery ahead of the upcoming Townsville event.
“After a cool suit failure on the warm-up lap yesterday, I battled all the way until the end in 32-degree heat,” Randle stated. “As much as it kills me to sit out a race, I know this is the best for my recovery.”
Mark Winterbottom, who was already on-site in Darwin performing broadcast duties and mentoring Tickford’s Super2 drivers, will start the race from the pit lane. The move shifts the grid order for drivers 16th through 24th forward by one position.
Broader impact on the grid
This substitution marks Winterbottom’s first solo Supercars race start since the 2024 Adelaide 500. He is the second high-profile replacement for the Sunday race, following the withdrawal of Brodie Kostecki, who has been replaced by Todd Hazelwood due to an ongoing illness. Both Randle and Kostecki are expected to return for the Townsville round scheduled for July 10-12.