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Cody Burcher chased down and passed pole-sitter Matt Hillyer to win Race 1 of the Toyota Gazoo Racing Australia 86 in Sydney.
Hillyer had made an excellent lift-off and bolted away to a 1.9s lead by the end of the first of 10 laps. Burcher also made a good start and from fourth on the grid emerged out of the frantic squabble behind to be second ahead of Jordan Shalala while Campbell Logan dropped for second to fourth.
Series leader Ryan Casha was next in the running order, in front of Rylan Gray and Ben Gomersall who was passed by Jack Westbury on the second lap.
Over the ensuing laps Burcher was able to reduce the deficit to Hillyer and by just after half distance was able to challenge. Burcher wasted little time and on Lap 8 at Turn 11 he grabbed the lead.
Hillyer endeavoured to get the spot back and made a bold move at Turn 2 on the final lap, only to run wild and barely hold on to his second place. The slight indiscretion allowed Burcher to run to the line clear by 0.76s.
Logan was a similar distance away in third place while Gray climbed to fourth after he started seventh. He held off Casha, Shalala who dropped several places from third on Lap 8, and Westbury.
Next was Brock Stinson from Marcus LaDelle and tenth placed Jarrod Hughes up five places from where he started. Behind him it was Chris Pither who better his Toyota guest driving teammate Warren Luff, by two places in the end as Ryan Hadden finished between them.
Clay Richards picked up seven places to finish 14th and in front of Lachlan Bloxsom who made up the most positions with 14. He headed home Bradi Owen, Ryan Tomsett, Rossi Johnson, Tom Davies, Max Geoghegan, Oscar Targett and Hayden Hume.
Gomersall systematically fell down the order with dramas while Jordan Freestone and Jayden Wanzek were DNFs after both were off at Turn 3 on the second lap.
