Burcher wins 86 Series Race 2

Cody Burcher has won Race 2 of the Toyota Gazoo Racing Australia Series at the OTR SuperSprint in Tailem Bend, South Australia.

Race 1 pole-sitter Ryan Tomsett once again started from P1, having taken victory yesterday’s opening race, with the finishing order setting the grid for Race 2.

The green flag for the seven-lapper saw Tomsett again lose the start, with Jayden Wanzek leading into Turn 1 ahead of Burcher and Casha and Tomsett back in sixth after being swamped, and still under threat from Matt Hillyer.

Further back, Hughes bounced across the kerbs, forcing several drivers – including Harry Bates – wide to avoid potential carnage.

Turn 7 and Fabian Coulthard passed Tomsett as the #27 went wide, looking to defend the line into the next corner but instead opening himself up for the guest driver in the #100.

Wanzek led the field after Lap 1 by 0.2s from Burcher, Casha, Coulthard, Tomsett, Hillyer, Reuben Goodall, Brock Stinson, Ben Gomersall and Campbell Logan in tenth.

Late on Lap 2 Burcher began to pressure Wanzek, showing the nose of his 86 in the penultimate corner before a pass down the inside of the first corner saw Casha follow him through, pushing Wanzek to third.

Wanzek was then jumped by Coulthard with some significant contact in the engagement, before Tomsett and Hillyer also passed the #90 – Wanzek now sixth after leading a handful of corners earlier.

Burcher then led from Casha and Coulthard, with Race 1 winner Tomsett in fourth ahead of WAU junior Hillyer.

The gap between top four was less than a second, with 15-year-old Tomsett – now on the back of Supercars veteran Coulthard – breaking the lap record on Lap 4 with a 2:15.3724.

Coulthard, though, was focussed ahead and attacked points leader Casha at Turn 1, but couldn’t make it past, the #100 guest driver having another look at Turn 6 but Chasha had him covered.

Coulthard maintained the pressure, allowing race leader Burcher a 1.3s buffer as the battle for second raged, with Hillyer breaking late at Turn 1 on Lap 6 to pass Tomsett and contact the back of Coulthard’s car, but Hillyer couldn’t make it stick as Coulthard and Tomsett held him off through the next few corners.

Tomsett also contacted Coulthard at Turn 2 and 3 while defending from Hillyer and looking unsuccessfully to sneak up the inside for second place.

Up front, Burcher was now 2.0s ahead, as Hillyer was passed by Goodall after a lock-up at Turn 1 from Hillyer saw Goodall take advantage and move up to fifth.

On the Lap 7, Tomsett made his move into the final podium spot, passing Coulthard when the veteran appeared to miss a gearchange.

The brake issues that thwarted Hillyer in Sydney returned, making him an easy target for the last two laps and forcing him to drive defensively to minimise the damage – he would end the race in 13th.

While Burcher’s lead was now 2.7s, Casha could not shake off Tomsett or Coulthard, who were all bumper to bumper.

Coulthard was not defeated for third, though, applying pressure to the back of Tomsett as the #27 attacked Casha into Turn 1 of the final lap. While Tomsett was the aggressor, it was Coulthard who passed Tomsett for third with only half a lap remaining to return the move from two laps earlier.

Burcher won the race by 3.3s from Casha, with Coulthard in third ahead of Tomsett, Goodall, Logan, Gomersall, Stinson, Wanzek and Jack Westbury in tenth.

The Toyota Gazoo Racing Australia field heads out for Race 3 – the 100 race for the one-make series – at 14:05 local time today/14:35 AEST.

2023 Toyota Gazoo Racing Australia 86 Series Round 3
Race 2 Sunday August 20