Vaughan defies health battle in Bathurst breakthrough

Brad Vaughan’s run to a maiden Super2 round podium was far from easy, with the Tickford Racing rising star staving off a health battle.

Vaughan, the 2022 Super3 champion, finished third overall for the round behind reigning Super2 champion Kai Allen and Aaron Cameron.

The Barossa Valley native’s first overall Super2 podium, built off the back of finishes of sixth and third, came amid a weekend of ill health.

Vaughan, who is also a mechanic, managed to survive the weekend, and now heads to the next round in Perth just 69 points behind leader Allen.

“After first practice, I got out to go to the scales and almost threw up,” Vaughan said after Race 2.

“I had to sit on the ground for a bit. I’ve been a bit under the weather this weekend, but I had a 10-hour sleep again [on Saturday] night, so just looking after myself.

Vaughan's current points situation is a far cry to the 2023 season-opener, when a second-race DNF — after being caught up in a multi-car pile-up — left him 177 points off the pace.

However, crashes in Perth, Townsville and Adelaide — where he didn’t race at all after an early-weekend prang — ultimately consigned Vaughan to 12th overall.

However, despite retaining an aggressive mindset, Vaughan was pleased to start 2024 on the front foot.

"The mindset was similar last year. We just had a few DNFs at the start of the year that really put us on the back foot,” he said.

“[Allen] was down to seventh and won the championship last year, so you really don't know until the last race, as I found out the year before in Super3.

“Starting a new year, it's everyone starting from zero points… just had some bad luck last year, so happy to put that behind me."