Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia
With a win and seventh, New Zealander Will Exton has won the opening round overall and in the Pro class ahead of countryman Tom Bewley with Jake Santalucia third. Ramu Farrell took out Pro-Am over Lachlan Harburg while Daniel Quimby was unbeaten in Class B.
Before his victory in the sprint race, Exton won the charge to Turn 1 over Kiwi Hunter Robb who was able to get ahead through Turn 2. Robb’s lead was short-lived as he speared off at Turn 12.
Robb comes out of the final turn a bit too wide crashing through three signs in the process! 😮
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A lap later, Indiran Padayachee spun off at the same place, along with James Lodge, David Greig, and Eric Constantinidis. With debris also on the track, the safety car was deployed and the cars were sent through the pit lane.
With the resumption of racing, Exton maintained his lead while Santalucia, who was fifth at the end of Lap 1, charged through to second ahead of Bewley, Lockie Bloxsom, Tyler Greenbury, Farrell, Jackson Rooney, Mrad and Quimby.
At the start of the Jim Richards Enduro – the series within a series – where it had rained in the leadup, Santalucia was brilliant off the start, so much so that he had 4.2s lead at the end of the opening lap.
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Bewley was second until he was passed by Greenbury, who was able to hold the spot until Bewley retrieved it five laps later and held it to the end.
From eighth early, Ryan Casha forged through to third ahead of Bloxsom, Kamal Mrad as Greenbury slipped out of third on the last lap with a spin at Turn 4.
Exton was next in front of Lodge, Rooney, Robb, Farrell, Quimby, Damien Flack and Harburg who led Pro-Am until a moment when he went off at the first corner.
First Focus Radical Cup Australia
In the east versus west contest, New South Wales’ Peter Paddon and Western Australia’s Cooper Cutts renewed their battle to win the first round. Victory in the enduro race by Paddon gave him the overall victory.
The race started single file behind the Safety Car in wet conditions where Paddon passed polesitter Cutts into Turn 1. He was able to eke out a handy gap until the safety car appeared for the beached Warrick Morris at Siberia.
The race went green and both, along with third placed Chris Reindler, opted to take their compulsory pit stops. Paddon emerged and went off at Turn 1 which gave Cutts a handy advantage.
With all stops concluded, Cutts led by 3.4s but Paddon ate into that margin quickly and took the lead five laps from the end.
Third went to WA’s Ruairidh Avern who was clear of Peter Clare and Bryce Moore who took over from Reindler. Terry Knowles was next with a gap to Brad Russell and Stephen Champions.
The second sprint race that kicked off Sunday’s racing program was won by Cutts. He trailed Paddon for the first three laps before he took the lead and won by 2.5s.
Third was Moore, clear of Knowles who had the dicing Russell and Avern right on him by the chequered flag. Then followed Dave Allan, Clare, Adam Naccarata and Morris.
Ferrari Challenge
Antoine Gittany continued his winning ways in the second race of Round 2, but this was his toughest task.
He was fastest in qualifying but speared off at Turn 12 late in the session. The incident cooked his tyres and necessitated new rubber for the 19-lap 32-minute race. As per the rules he had to start from pit lane.
Cameron Campbell was elevated to pole and led the first lap. On the second he dropped to ninth, and Enzo Cheng took over the lead ahead of David Trewern, Jarrod Ferrari and Jim Pollicina.
The latter was on the move and was second by Lap 7 with Gittany third by then. For the next five laps, Cheng was able to keep them at bay before Gittany overtook Pollicina and then both passed Cheng with four laps to go.
Gittany put in fast laps and won by 7.2s with Pollicina with another 7s to Cheng. Fourth was Trewern from Ferrari, Campbell, Michel Stephan and Masahiro Taguchi.
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