SWEENY STUNS WITH SECOND PLACE ON DEBUT IN PRACTICE - SYDNEY SUPERCARS THRIFTY 500 EVENT
Blanchard Racing Team’s Bailey Sweeny has stunned the category, finishing the day in second place behind reigning champion, Zach Bates by just 0.0919s, on Day 1 of the Thrifty Sydney 500, which acts as Round 1 of the 2025 Dunlop Super 2 Championship, at Sydney Motorsport Park.
Sweeny in second - leads all rookies
First Boost Mobile Qualifying of the year begins at 2:00pm tomorrow afternoon
Bailey Sweeny is seen in the Dunlop Series
In his first outing with the team and in the category, by doing so, Sweeny has outshone the likes of reigning Super3 champion Cody Burcher, reigning Toyota GR Cup champion Max Geoghegan and 2023 Australian Formula Ford champion Matt Hillyer.
Zach Bates topped the timesheets in Practice 2 with Sweeny having earlier finished Practice 1 in 5th place overall from the field of 23 cars.
Bates led Blanchard Racing Team rookie Bailey Sweeny, who impressed in BRT's return to full-time development series competition to set a 1:32.0445s, just 0.0919s behind Bates.
Bailey Sweeny is seen in the Dunlop Series
The session ran green for the entirety of it's 40-minute duration, though several drivers pushed the limits with locked wheels, and Reuben Goodall was lucky to escape a trip through the grass at the exit of Turn 3.
Mason Kelly was an encouraging sixth in the second of the Kelly Racing Mustangs, only 0.03s behind his highly-rated teammate McLeod, as the team aims to go one better than Aaron Cameron's runner-up finish in last year's championship.
Cody Gillis, Lochie Dalton, Rylan Gray, and Cody Burcher rounded out the top 10, though the latter featured towards the top of the timesheets for the majority of the session.
Another feature of the session was the continuing trend of drivers being able to set two push laps in a row, which could be a consideration for the first Boost Mobile Qualifying of the season tomorrow afternoon.
The 2025 Dunlop Super2 Series kicks into gear tomorrow with Boost Mobile Qualifying at 2:00pm local time, before the Race 1 of the 25th anniversary season begins at 5:55pm.
Bailey Sweeny is seen in the Dunlop Series