Brad Harris is continuing to impress in his rookie season after becoming the newest Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series race winner at Queensland Raceway.
Not only did Harris claim a maiden win at QR, but he also found himself on the outright podium in what was only his third race weekend behind the wheel of the Exclusive Switchboards and Wall Racing backed Honda Civic FK7 TCR.
The weekend’s opening encounter set the foundations for a maiden win in race two, ensuring he would start on pole position for the weekend’s reverse grid format.
Not only that, but the rookie driver would also spend the majority of the race holding off Repco Supercars Championship star, Tim Slade in what was truly an impressive performance.
While there was plenty to be happy about on Saturday, Sunday is where Harris would go on to make his biggest impression, converting his pole position into a race win while finishing ahead of fellow outright podium runners, Aaron Cameron and Will Brown.
After losing the place on the line to Carl Cox Motorsport’s Michael Clemente, Harris would take the position back before holding off a determined Cameron to take the chequered flag in a veteran-like performance.
Harris was thrilled to take his first series win, taking valuable lessons away from his previous front row start at Phillip Island to get the job done.
“It feels great getting the win, it’s not something I was expecting coming into the weekend, but I am glad I was able to get it done,” Harris said.
“After finishing 10th in the opening race, I thought maybe something could happen, I had to think about last time I was in pole position at Phillip Island where I was able to learn a lot.
“You have plenty of cars behind, you need to make sure you don’t stall, and I just wanted to stay out of trouble.
“When Clemente got in front of me, I knew I only had two or so laps to get past him again to be in for a chance, and I knew I had to do it cleanly.
“I also knew I just had to manage the gap and not burn out the tyres so I could have a dig later if I needed to, but not making any mistakes was the main thing.
“It took a bit to sink in after I had crossed the line, I was excited, but it wasn’t until I drove down pit lane where I realised I had actually done it.”
August 11th – 13th 2023.
World Copyright: Daniel Kalisz Photographer
After picking up the win, Harris made another statement later in the afternoon when he worked his way through the grid to take third place.
Whilst he didn’t repeat his efforts in race two, the New South Welshman felt a greater sense of achievement on the podium and will look to continue his form into future rounds.
“The result in the third race was actually more rewarding than the win in the reverse grid,” Harris explained.
“I feel like I was able to prove I belong in the series after making up the positions, so it was more reassuring for myself.
“Moving forward, I can’t wait to go out and try and back it up, the expectations are still the same, but you just have got to go out and do your best.
“I am definitely getting more confident as the season goes on, the car is a very different beast to anything I have driven before so the more time in the car the better.
“It is all about getting used to what the car wants, what you can get away with and adjusting my driving style to suit what the car needs.
The Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series will return to the track at Sandown International Raceway for the fifth round of the 2023 season on 8-10 September.