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Michael Clemente has given Cupra its first race win in Supercheap Auto TCR Australia after a forceful, final-lap pass of Jordan Cox at Phillip Island.
Clemente tailed Cox for much of Race 2 of Round 2 but shoved the new Leon Competicion down the inside of the #33 Peugeot 308 at Southern Loop on Lap 12, making contact as he took the lead.
He would win by an official margin of 0.5372s, with Ben Bargwanna rounding out the podium in the second of the Garry Rogers Motorsport Peugeots.
The top 10 grid reversal became a top nine given only as many cars were classified finishers in Race 1, and hence Bradley Harris (Honda Civic Type R) shared the front row with Cox.
The latter bolted into a clear lead when the lights went out, before Clemente, Bargwanna, and Kody Garland (Peugeot) passed Harris on Lap 2.
As they were busy shuffling the debutant back, Cox slid to the edge of the track and kicked up the dirt at Lukey Heights but pulled off an almighty save.
He maintained first spot but Clemente soon closed up to the rear bar of 308, as series leader Bailey Sweeny (Hyundai i30 N) and Aaron Cameron (Peugeot) engaged in an elbows-out battle for fifth position.
Cox looked to have shaken Clemente but the Cupra pilot fought back before seizing the initiative on the final lap to become a Supercheap Auto TCR Australia race winner.
Harris just beat Sweeny to fifth, from Cameron, Zac Soutar (Audi RS 3 LMS), Tom Oliphant (Lynk & Co 03), and Garland in ninth.
Race 1 winner Josh Buchan (Hyundai i30 N TCR Sedan) dropped a spot over the course of the race to finish 10th, Will Brown reportedly battled a complete lack of balance in the #9 Audi on his way to 11th, Lachlan Mineeff (Audi) came home 12th after an early off entering Gardner Straight took him out of the hunt for a podium, and 2022 series winner Tony D’Alberto (Honda) ended up 13th after he partially left the road at Southern Loop.
Race 3 starts this afternoon at 16:20 local time/AEST, with 14 laps on the cards.
Australian viewers can watch the Shannons SpeedSeries live and ad-free on Stan Sport, while international viewers can see the action for free on Speedcafe.
Results: Race 2
| Pos | Num | Team/Sponsor | Driver | Car | Laps | Race time |
| 1 | 15 | Michael Clemente Motorsport | Michael Clemente | Cupra Leon TCR | 12 | 20:02.5207 |
| 2 | 33 | Schaeffler GRM | Jordan Cox | Peugeot 308 TCR | 12 | 20:03.0579 |
| 3 | 71 | Burson Auto Parts Racing | Ben Bargwanna | Peugeot 308 TCR | 12 | 20:04.9075 |
| 4 | 74 | Exclusive Switchboards | Brad Harris | Honda Civic FK7 TCR | 12 | 20:06.9822 |
| 5 | 130 | HMO Customer Racing | Bailey Sweeny | Hyundai i30N TCR | 12 | 20:07.3926 |
| 6 | 18 | Team Valvoline GRM | Aaron Cameron | Peugeot 308 TCR | 12 | 20:08.6398 |
| 7 | 110 | Team Soutar Motorsport | Zac Soutar | Audi RS3 LMS TCR | 12 | 20:10.6826 |
| 8 | 115 | Ashley Seward Motorsport | Tom Oliphant | LYNK & CO | 12 | 20:11.9809 |
| 9 | 41 | Valvoline Racing GRM | Kody Garland | Peugeot 308 TCR | 12 | 20:12.5123 |
| 10 | 30 | HMO Customer Racing | Josh Buchan | Hyundai i30N Sedan | 12 | 20:12.7342 |
| 11 | 9 | MPC Team LIQUI MOLY | William Brown | Audi RS3 LMS TCR | 12 | 20:15.5331 |
| 12 | 14 | Forza Brakes Motorsport | Lachlan Mineeff | Audi RS3 LMS SEQ | 12 | 20:15.7059 |
| 13 | 1 | Honda Wall Racing | Tony D’Alberto | Honda Civic FK7 TCR | 12 | 20:18.9511 |
