Ben Stewart has wrapped up Round 2 of GR Cup at Queensland Raceway with an impressive fightback, securing a top-five finish in Sunday’s final race after a challenging start to the weekend.
Friday’s practice and qualifying brought mixed fortunes for the Wellington-based driver. Stewart showed strong pace in wet conditions, finishing P4 in the first practice session. However as the track dried for qualifying, a bold gamble on car setup with the team anticipating rain that never came, didn’t pay off, leaving him to start Race 1 from 16th on the grid.
Saturday’s racing saw steady improvement. In Race 1, Stewart moved forward three positions to finish P13 after a clean and composed drive. Race 2 was run in extreme wet conditions following a sudden downpour just before lights out. Despite the challenging track, Stewart held his position to cross the line in P13 once again.
Determined to end the weekend on a high, Stewart and the 99 Motorsport team made further setup changes overnight. The improvements paid off, as Stewart charged from P12 on the grid in Sunday morning’s final race to finish P6 on track, being promoted P5 after post-race penalties, showcasing both pace and racecraft in a fiercely competitive field of 32 cars.
Reflecting on the weekend, Stewart acknowledged the difficulties but remains optimistic that he can showcase his true pace in the coming rounds.
“It was awesome to finally bag a decent result and find some real pace today after a tough start. I’m confident we can carry this momentum into the next few rounds and start climbing the championship standings.”
Round 3 of the TGRA GR Cup takes place at Mount Panorama in support of the Bathurst 1000, on 8–10 August. With renewed confidence and clear progress, Stewart and the 99 Motorsport team are ready to push forward in the 2025 campaign.
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