There was hardly a session that went uninterrupted through the races that each category were involved in.
Formula Fords
The Australian Formula Ford Series first round opening race was brought under cautionary yellow flag conditions before the first lap transpired. The Safety Car was deployed after Logan Everleigh and Fraser Hie tangled out of the Cutting. It also involved Lachlan Strickland and Nico Mendez as they had nowhere to go.
Ahead of them it was mad scramble after Jack Bussey lost out from his pole position at the start. Harrison Sellars was the beneficiary and crossed the line first ahead of Synergy teammates Cody Maynes-Rutty with Eddy Beswick with Dan Frougas next in front of Liam Loiacono and Bussey.
The second race had several leaders and crashes. Frougas led early, then Beswick before Maynes-Rutty was in front when it counted. Sellars was spun out of contention early as was Bussey and then Zak Lobko went off at Hell Corner and Will Lowing found the wall at Turn 2.
The final race went safety car on the first lap, a result of Everleigh running over Bailey Collins’ rear wheel and cannoned into the Griffin Bend tyre barrier. Once the race resumed it was on between Maynes-Rutty and Beswick with the two trading places and several others buying in.
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At the chequered flag it was Beswick who came out on top. Williams finished a close second, ahead of Maynes-Rutty, Frougas, Joe Fawcett, Loiacono, Bussey, Sellars, Cotter, Strickland and Lobko all covered by 3.6s.
Improved Production
Race 1 of Improved Production was won by Adam Poole (Holden Monaro) after he lost out to Luke Grech-Cumbo (HSV Senator) off the start and took the lead before a lengthy safety car. It was out after Matt Birk (Toyota Corolla) and Andrew McMaster (BMW M30) clashed heavily. Ben Sheedy (Holden Commodore) was third in front of Rob Braune (BMW).
Poole made no mistake in the second and led all the way. Grech-Cumbo held off Chris Brown (Toyota Corolla AE86 turbo) for second while Braune was next in front of Kaide Lehmann (Commodore) and Sheedy. There was a safety car period for when Dom Coppola (Nissan S14) speared off at the Chase.
There was also a safety car in Race 3 when Andrew Butcher (BMW E46 M3) spun off at Murrays Corner. Grech-Cumbo won the start and Braune was briefly second before Poole charged to the lead he wouldn’t lose. Brown and Lehmann were able to pass Grech-Cumbo while Braune staved off Paul Cruse (Nissan S13).
In the fourth race Brown was best away, but by the end of Lap 1 Poole was in front and on his way to another win, and with a new lap record of 2:18.1913. Brown was second ahead of Lehmann, Grech-Cumbo, Braune and Cruse. There was a late safety car when Coppola went in at Forrest Elbow backwards. Best of the under 2 litres and had been all weekend was Kurt Macready’s Nissan Silvia.
HQ Holdens
Teammates Brett Osborn and John Baxter ran one-two in the first HQ Holden outing where Ryan Woods was third in front of Andrew Magilton, Brandon Madden, Ken Wright and Dave Proglio. The demise of Scott Goding did mean a one-lap safety car period.
Osborn and Baxter headed the field in Race 2 and even swapped the front running for a brief spell before the race was ended due to a multi-car pileup at Forrest Elbow. Magilton was third but Woods had drama at Murrays Corner and pulled out.
In contrast, their third race was free of any incident that required yellows. Osborn was a comfortable winner and new lap record holder at 2:55.9545. Meanwhile Baxter had a fight on his hands to hold off Magilton. Woods was next in front of Madden, Wright and Scott Andriske.
Super Mini Challenge
In the Super Mini Challenge Brayden Larkin was the winner after early leader Jimmy Campbell stopped at Hell Corner. Trent Spencer was second ahead of Craig Lindsell, Neil Turner and Anthony Elliott. Campbell started at the back in Race 2 and came through to win. The Safety Car did help his cause and he finished head Lindsell, Turner, Larkin and Elliott.
From pole position Campbell was a comfortable winner of the last which had a safety after Larkin and Lachlan Campbell went off at McPhillamy Park separately. Lindsell finished second from Spencer who passed Turner on the last lap.
Circuit Excels
In both the Dunlop Destiny Series races for Circuit Excels, Ethan Grigg-Gault had to come from behind to net the victories. In the first he had to fight his way past Tim Colombrita while Hugo Simpson was third in front of Tyler Collins and Brad James. In the second where there were two safety cars, Colombrita was second from Simpson, James and Tyler Collins.
The Safety Car intervened twice in the third race, the second of which became a red, for incidents around the track. With three laps completed, Colombrita was in front from Simpson, James, a slow away at the start Grigg-Gault and Collins.
Nissan Pulsars
In the three Nissan Pulsar races which were all on Saturday, it was a close contest between Dan Smith and Josh Craig with Lachlan Gibbons and Scott Tidyman also in the mix at times. Smith won the first after Craig led early.
Craig won the second narrowly over Gibbons. Smith lost out at the start and finished fourth behind Tidyman. Smith was able to strike back in the third to win ahead of Craig, Gibbons and Tidyman.
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