The Hyundai i20N pilot started from pole position after he topped the second qualifier and led the 16 lap from start to finish.
Also on the Shannons SpeedSeries program at ColorSpec Race Sydney were Production Cars, Radical Cup and Formula Open.
The margin Buchan had, was 2s over Brad Harris in the Wall Racing Honda Civic Type R FL5 with Dylan O’Keeffe, less than a second behind in the Ash Seward Motorsport Lynk & Co CO.
The win for the 2023 winner Buchan means he has reduced the points margin to nine with five races remaining.
“I led the championship for [the final] 24 hours last year and don’t mind if I do it again,” Buchan said.
Fourth went to Buchan’s teammate Tom Oliphant ahead of Tony D’Alberto (Honda), series leader Zac Soutar (Audi SR3 LMS), Will Harris (Honda) and the new Peugeot P51 308s in the hands of Jordan Cox and Ben Bargwanna.
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The older Peugeots both had dramas. Aaron Cameron failed to make the start when the engine had no oil pressure, and Ryan Casha was rev limited during the race and limped home 11th.
Meguiar’s Australian Production Cars
The first 30min race was won by Cameron Crick (Class X BMW M2) who had the field’s measure, even when there was a safety car and a two-lap dash to the flag. Class X’s Simon Hodges held out fellow BMW M4 driver Grant Sherrin until the interruption, after which the latter was able to get by for second.
Hadrian Morrall (Ford Mustang) was fourth and the winner of Class A2 while Chris Sutton (Mitsubishi Evo X) was next and the winner of A1. He just edged out second in A2, Chris Lillis (Chev Camaro) who started last.
Paul Buccini (BMW M140i) and Tom Shaw (BMW 1M) followed in front of Trent Whyte (Toyota Yaris) as they completed the A1 lineup. Mick Rowell (Mustang) was the sole race casualty with a crash at Turn 11.
Dean Campbell took over the M2 for the next race and won narrowly over Sherrin. In Hodges’ BMW, Leigh Burges held off Tyler Mecklem (Mustang) until the final lap where Burges was turned around from contact which cost Mecklem 30s.
That elevated Nathan Callaghan (Camaro) to third ahead of Sutton and Burges. Mecklem was classified ninth with Courtney Prince (B1 BMW 135i) next in front of Buccini and Zaki Wazir (1M).
First Focus Radical Cup Australia
The first of four sprint races was led throughout by Peter Paddon. He was able to hold off his nearest series rival Cooper Cutts while Justin Tigani kept third place, despite a 5s penalty added after the race.
Mark Brame placed fourth in front of Jamie Day, Bryce Moore, Jon Collins, Nick Kelly, Ash Samadi and Stephen Champion.
A spin and a stall by the latter in the second race brought out a quick first lap safety car. Josh Hunt continued in the lead he had at the start, from Bart Mawer, Paddon and Cutts.
Towards the end there was a second safety car, this time for Hunt who had the engine die out of Turn 2 and stopped a corner later. There was a two-lap dash to the flag where Mawer took the victory ahead of Paddon, Cutts, Tigani, Braem, Day and Collins.
Giti Australian Formula Open
Rain made the first and only race of the day tricky. The lead battle was between the later model Dallara drivers where Kyle Evans (F308/11) was the early leader ahead of Thomas Gallager (F308/11) and pole sitter Ryan MacMillan (F308/12).
MacMillan was able to work through to the lead and onto victory while Gallager edged out Evans for second. In the early model Dallaras, Rod Baker was fourth after a brilliant start had him among the leaders at the start. He finished ahead of George Kantzios. As the race concluded both the Dallaras of Ron Bennet and Shane Morrow speared off at Turn 1.
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