Rylan Gray Bio
Rylan Thomas Gray, born on 21 November 2006, is a racing driver from Muswellbrook, New South Wales, Australia. He currently competes in the Super2 Series and drives car number 55 for Tickford Racing. Gray is widely regarded as one of the most promising young Australian talents to emerge from the Supercars development ladder in recent years.
Early Life and Background
Rylan Thomas Gray was born on 21 November 2006 in Muswellbrook, New South Wales. He grew up in the nearby community of Denman, a small town in the Hunter Region of New South Wales long associated with motorsports and outdoor recreation. From a very early age, Gray was surrounded by machines and competition through his family’s deep involvement in racing.
Gray first experienced competitive motorsport as a toddler through motocross, riding dirt bikes well before most children learn to ride a bicycle. This early exposure to speed, balance, and machine control shaped his reflexes and confidence. As he grew older, his father’s racing connections and his own passion for competition pointed him toward four-wheeled motorsport.
Path to NASCAR
Gray does not compete in NASCAR and is not associated with the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series, or NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. His career is firmly rooted in Australian and international touring car and GT racing. As a result, no section covering a transition to NASCAR is included, since verifiable facts on that pathway do not exist in available sources.
Rylan Gray Career
Early Career (2018–2023)
Gray began his car racing career at the age of 14, initially competing in Hyundai Excels, a popular entry-level category for young Australian drivers. These small, rear-wheel-drive cars provided him with essential experience in car control, racecraft, and circuit awareness. His progress was rapid, and he soon graduated to the Toyota 86 platform, a more powerful and technically demanding vehicle used across Oceania.
Competing in the New Zealand Toyota 86 series, Gray impressed by finishing fifth overall in the standings. That result caught the attention of several teams and academies. Through his Toyota 86 performances, he also secured a cameo appearance in the 2023 ADAC GT4 Germany series at the Nürburgring, where he raced a KCMG-entered car alongside co-driver Brock Gilchrist, finishing 20th and 10th across the two races.
Super3 and Super2 Breakthrough (2023–2024)
Following his New Zealand Toyota 86 results, Tickford Racing signed Gray to its academy program. This partnership led to his V8 Supercar debut in the Super3 category at the prestigious Adelaide 500, where he immediately scored a class podium. The result confirmed Gray’s potential in Supercars machinery and marked the beginning of his professional touring car career.
Promoted to the Super2 Series in 2024, Gray delivered a standout rookie season. He finished on the podium in both races at the iconic Mount Panorama circuit in Bathurst and went on to claim the round win. He also won a race during the 2024 Super2 Series campaign. Across the full season, he finished seventh in the championship standings, establishing himself as a rising force within the Supercars development pathway.
Tickford Racing Era (2024–Present)
Gray’s move into the Tickford Racing academy represented a significant step in his professional development. Tickford, one of the most respected teams in Australian touring car racing, provided him with engineering support, coaching, and opportunities in multiple categories. Beyond his Super2 commitments, Gray was also entered in the 2024 GT4 Australia series with Miedecke Motorsport.
Teaming with George Miedecke, Gray helped deliver the Ford Mustang GT4 its first race victory outside North America at the opening round at Phillip Island. The pairing narrowly missed the GT4 Australia championship that year, finishing as runners-up to Method Motorsport. These results across both Super2 and GT4 Australia demonstrated Gray’s versatility and race-winning potential.
Driving Style and Strengths
Gray has shown particular strength on circuits that demand precise car placement and confident braking, highlighted by his dominant Bathurst round in Super2. His motocross background is often cited as a foundation for his excellent car control and mechanical sympathy. Within the Tickford environment, he continues to refine his racecraft, tire management, and race strategy with the support of experienced engineers.
Notable Races and Milestones
Gray’s maiden class podium at the Adelaide 500 marked his arrival in Supercars machinery, while his Bathurst round win in 2024 stood as the defining moment of his rookie Super2 season. The Ford Mustang GT4 victory at Phillip Island further underlined his ability to adapt to new vehicles. Each milestone has reinforced his reputation as a versatile and fast competitor.
Rylan Gray Career Wins
During the 2024 season, Gray secured at least one race win in the Super2 Series and contributed to a race victory in GT4 Australia with Miedecke Motorsport. His Bathurst round win and Ford Mustang GT4 victory at Phillip Island rank among the most significant results of his career to date.
Super2 Series Highlights
Gray’s 2024 Super2 campaign included a round win at Bathurst, where he claimed two podium finishes across the weekend. These results helped him secure seventh place in the overall championship standings as a rookie. A confirmed race win during the season added to his growing list of achievements in Australian touring car racing.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond Super2, Gray partnered with George Miedecke at Miedecke Motorsport to win the opening round of the 2024 GT4 Australia Championship at Phillip Island. The team narrowly missed the overall title that season. Earlier, his fifth-place finish in the New Zealand Toyota 86 series had established him as one of the region’s top young talents.
Rylan Gray Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Rylan Thomas Gray is the son of Jeremy Gray, a former competitor in the V8 Utes category and the Touring Car Masters series in Australia. Jeremy’s career in national-level touring car competition provided Rylan with direct exposure to professional motorsport from a young age. This family background played a significant role in shaping Gray’s early path into racing.
Personal Life
Gray resides in Denman, New South Wales, the small community where he grew up. As a young professional driver in the early stages of his career, much of his life currently revolves around training, testing, and competition with Tickford Racing and its partner teams.
2025 Season Performance
Entering the 2025 Super2 Series, Gray continues his development within the Tickford Racing academy program. Building on his 2024 rookie campaign, which included a Bathurst round win and a top-ten championship finish, he is expected to push for race wins and a higher overall placing. His prior experience in GT4 Australia with Miedecke Motorsport also leaves the door open for additional endurance or GT opportunities during the year.
Gray’s dual-track exposure to Super2 and GT racing in 2024 has broadened his technical skill set, particularly his ability to adapt to cars with different aerodynamic and mechanical characteristics. This versatility is a key asset as he works toward a potential graduation to the main Supercars Championship. Tickford’s continued investment in his career suggests a clear long-term pathway at the highest level of Australian touring car racing.
Heading deeper into the 2025 season, Gray’s priorities are securing multiple race wins in Super2 and contending for the series championship. Strong results could position him as a leading candidate for a main-game Supercars seat in the near future, following the path of several Tickford academy graduates before him.