Rylan Gray on track. Image: InSyde Media
Gray followed up his maiden Top 10 Shootout appearance in Townsville last month with a pair of top 10 qualifying runs on Saturday at Wanneroo.
The first of those was converted into Gray’s third top 10 finish of the season, before tougher runs across the second Saturday leg and a difficult Sunday.
DJR team manager Tom Moore was left pleased with the performance of the 19-year-old, who is mired down in 20th in the championship.
“The qualifying performance is a real yardstick in this category because it’s such a hard thing to do at the moment,” Moore told Speedcafe.
“To have two top 10 qualifyings… he’s showing all the right signs. I think it’s all trending in the right direction for him.
“We employed him on his potential, not to expect him to win races in the first few months, and I think his potential is really starting to show through.
“He’s working really hard, he’s very self aware, self critical, and we haven’t put any pressure on him from our side.
“He’s very driven to be the best that he can be and learn everything he can off Brodie at the same time.”
While being teammates with Kostecki appears an imposing task and has set up some harsh results comparisons, Moore said the rookie is benefiting greatly from the pairing.
“His eyes have been opened a little bit to how precise and calculated and thoughtful you need to be driving these cars to get the most out of them, and to compete with the guys you’re competing against,” he said.
“Learning off someone like Brodie has been really, really good for that. Brodie is thinking three corners ahead, or five car lengths ahead as he approaches every corner.
“I think in Super2, you get away with being a bit more reactive rather than proactive in the way you drive a car, so that’s something he’s developing a lot.
“Unless you have someone like Brodie on the other side of the garage, it’s kind of hard to teach that in a lower category.
“It’s not necessarily a huge shift in his driving style, it’s just improving by finessing it and adding tools to his driving style.”
Rylan Gray. Image: Supplied
Gray’s struggles during the early part of the season put a spotlight on his rapid-fire path to the main game.
He began his car racing journey little over five years ago, stepping through Hyundai Excels and Toyota 86s before making the leap into Super2.
Gray did, though, combine his last two Super2 seasons with GT4 Australia campaigns, narrowing missing out on a title double in 2025.
“Everyone has a slightly different journey to get here and I think we’ve seen success out of different approaches of time,” said Moore of the pathway.
“I have no doubt that he’ll be a phenomenal driver.”
Gray is one of four rookies set to test today at The Bend in South Australia, where he’ll be joined by Enduro Cup co-driver Tony D’Alberto.