The Thomas Randle/Mark Rosser Audi R8 during GT World Challenge Australia practice at The Bend. Image: InSyde Media
Having sat second inside the final 10 minutes, Randle shot to the top of the timesheets with a little over a minute to go with a 1:45.8578s in the #268 Team BRM Audi R8.
He then bettered that benchmark with just a few seconds left in the session, clocking a 1:45.5919s.
Randle and co-driver Mark Rosser wound up 0.2750s clear of the #1 Melbourne Performance Centre Audi R8 of Broc Feeney and Brad Schumacher.
They bounced back from engine issues earlier in the day, completing 25 laps of The Bend – the most of anyone in the third session.
Ryan Wood was third-fastest for an all-Audi top three in another Team BRM entry with Kiwi compatriot Steve Brooks in the #88 car.
Having locked out the top three in Practice 1, Tigani Motorsport slid slightly down the order with Jayden Ojeda the best of the Mercedes-AMG trio in fourth.
Ojeda and co-driver Paul Lucchitti set a session-best 1:46.2214s to end up 0.6295s off the pace in the #66 Mercedes-AMG.
Brendon Leitch’s best time in the #44 Mercedes-AMG came early on in the session, a meagre 0.0316s away from Ojeda.
The top 10 was completed by Oscar Targett/Shane Smollen (#56 Mercedes), Will Davison/Renee Gracie (#181 Ferrari), Jaxon Evans/Elliott Schutte (#26 Ferrari), and Josh Hunt/Geoff Emery (#15 McLaren).
The day’s final 60-minute session featured one red flag on the stroke of halfway when the Hunt/Emery Volante Rosso Motorsport McLaren 720S GT3 went off at Turn 1.
GT World Challenge Australia continues on Saturday, May 9 with Qualifying 1 at 10:15am ACST followed by Qualifying 2 at 10:40 ACST. Race 1 is scheduled for 4:20pm ACST.
Results: GT World Challenge Australia The Bend, Practice 3
Pos
Num
Drivers
Team
Vehicle
Class
Laps
Lap
Diff
Gap
1
268
T.Randle/M.Rosser
Castrol Team BRM
Audi R8 LMS EVO ll
PA
22
21
1:45.5919*
2
1
B.Feeney/B.Schumacher
Kelso Electrical /Team MPC
Audi R8 LMS EVO ll
PA
25
21
1:45.8669
0:00.2750
3
88
R.Wood/S.Brooks
Team BRM /Wolfbrook Motorsport
Audi R8 LMS EVO 11
PA
16
4
1:45.9003
0:00.3084
4
66
J.Ojeda/P.Lucchitti
Move My Wheels by Tigani
Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO
PA
24
24
1:46.2214
0:00.6295
5
44
B.Leitch/S.Pires
Geyer Valmont Racing by Tigani
Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO
PA
22
4
1:46.2530
0:00.6611
6
666
G.Patterson/J.Drake
Team BRM
Audi R8 LMS EVO ll
PA
18
15
1:46.3794
0:00.7875
7
56
O.Targett/S.Smollen
Kollosche AMG by Tigani
Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO
PA
22
9
1:46.4910
0:00.8991
8
181
W.Davison/R.Gracie
OnlyFans Racing
Ferrari 296 GT3
PA
22
20
1:46.9577
0:01.3658
9
26
J.Evans/E.Schutte
ARGT
Ferrari 296 GT3
PA
23
21
1:47.0499
0:01.4580
10
15
J.Hunt/G.Emery
Volante Rosso Motorsport
McLaren 720s GT3 EVO
PA
20
17
1:47.1028
0:01.5109
11
23
J.Buchan/C.Campbell
Zagame Autosport
Ferrari 296 GT3
PA
20
5
1:47.1355
0:01.5436
12
2
V.Astuti/D.Currie
Trading Garage /Team MPC
Audi R8 LMS EVO ll
PA
24
12
1:47.3845
0:01.7926
13
14
A.Gardner/W.Porter
Volante Rosso Motorsport
Aston Martin Vantage
T
20
6
1:47.7143
0:02.1224
14
93
T.D’Alberto/A.Deitz
Wall Racing
Lamborghini Huracan
PA
19
4
1:47.8388
0:02.2469
15
71
L.Youlden/N.Halstead
AED Consulting by Tigani
Porsche 911 GT3R
T
22
5
1:47.9077
0:02.3158
16
24
P.Stokell/M.Stoupas
KFC /Team MPC
Audi R8 LMS EVO 11
T
17
17
1:49.3694
0:03.7775
