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Grove Racing’s Oscar Targett carried his qualifying pole position to lead all the way in Race 1 of the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia fifth round, and then did the same in Race 2.
In both races, he came in ahead of Team Porsche NZ/Earl Bamber Motorsport’s Marco Giltrap, Sonic Racing’s Marcos Flack, McElrea Racing’s Lachlan Bloxsom and Aron Shields from TekworkX Motorsport.
While Targett won the start of Race 1 to take the lead from pole, an incident behind would necessitate a Safety Car. Ronan Murphy, Zac Stichbury and Bloxsom were three abreast on the run to Turn 1 when contact between the former two, jettisoned Stichbury into the outside wall.
At the resumption, the top six of Targett, Giltrap, Flack, TekworkX’s Hamish Fitzsimmons, Bloxsom and Shields, who had made a storming start from 10th initially, drew clear and finished in that order.
Murphy headed the next group until he was passed by NZ World Karting Champion Clay Osborne midway through. Post-race, Murphy was issued a 5s penalty that relegated him to eighth behind Fitzsimmons.
Unwell throughout Friday, Nash Morris started 17th and was 13th after the Safety Car. He proceeded to pass Boulton, Caleb Sumich and Sam Shahin in subsequent laps. On the last lap, he nabbed Tom McLennan to place ninth behind Murphy.
Shahin took out Pro-Am where he was 2.3s in front of Boulton who had a second on Matt Slavin. Behind the trio was the Class B winner Lachlan Harburg while Brad Carr was the class second from Jacque Jarjo.
It was a straightforward second race, no Safety Cars, and again with the same top five with Osborne again sixth as Fitzsimmons, Murphy, Morris and McLennan completed the top 10. Harrison Goodman started from last position having missed Race 1 due to illness. He charged through from 28th to 12 behind Sumich.
In Pro-Am, Shahin won after Boulton spun on the opening lap and finished fourth behind Matt Slavin and Pan Boyaci. Carr turned the tables on rival Harburg in Class B with Jarjo third.
Round 5 concludes on Sunday at The Bend with the 40-minute Jim Richards Endurance Trophy race.
