Young Tickford Racing junior development driver Brad Vaughan who won the Super 3 series in 2022, notched up another title by taking out the Rightway Industrial Australian Saloon Car Nationals at Sandown.
In a highly competitive final, the South Australian came from fifth on the grid in the 15-lap final to win by 0.8s over fellow Ford Falcon AU driver West Australian Mason Harvey with Victorian Daniel Johnson, also in a Ford, third.
The Nationals is a once-a-year event that moves from state to state and different circuits. Last year it was held at Sydney Motorsport Park, attracted only a small field of mainly West Australians and was won by Grant Johnson for the third time.
This year there were over 30 vying for the title in a class that has something of revival in the last six months or so. There would be three heats that, based on a points allocation, would determine the starting order for the final.
The first heat was won narrowly by Travis Lindorff in his Holden Commodore VX over Scott Dornan (Commodore VY) with Vaughan third. However Vaughan was given a post-race 5s penalty for being too far forward of the grid box. He was relegated behind Harvey and Daniel Johnson to fifth.
The top five were close in the second where Dornan was the winner over Harvey, Lindorff and Grant Johnson. Vaughan was fifth but another 5s penalty (for a start infringement) dropped him to seventh behind Adam Lowndes (VY) and Daniel Johnson.
Grant Johnson had a clear-cut victory in Heat 3 where Vaughan was second ahead of Lindorff, Harvey and Dornan. The latter had pole for the final with Lindorff alongside and Johnson and Harvey on the second row. On the next row it was Vaughan and Daniel Johnson with Lowndes, Jacob Prestipiono (Commodore), Rick Gill (Falcon), Luke O’Callaghan (Commodore), Chris Kneafsey (Falcon) and Robert Morcom (Falcon) next.
Lindorff won the start and led while Vaughan systematically picked off those in front of him and was second ahead of Harvey and Grant Johnson as the four were clear of the rest. Vaughan took the lead off Lindorff, and Harvey tried a move on second which didn’t quite work, just as the Safety Car came out. Jackson Leitch had bunkered his Falcon at Dandenong Road corner.
When the race went green again, Daniel Johnson passed his namesake and Harvey overtook Lindorff who appeared to have an issue and shortly after leaked further places to ultimatey finish 11th.
Vaughan weathered a late challenge from Harvey while Grant Johnson regained third before the race finished. It was to no avail as Johnson was penalised for overlapping on the restart and relegated to fifth behind Daniel Johnson and Dornan. The latter did well to recover from wall contact at Turn 1 when he lost his place to Vaughan and dropped to ninth.
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