Fraser who races with Volante Rosso in GT3 and will join Brad Jones Racing for the Supercar enduros, won’t compete all rounds but is off to a great start.
His last race win in the Toyota series was when it was for the previous model 86s. That was Race 3 at Phillip Island in 2019 where he won ahead of Tim Brook and Garth Tander.
The 2025 season opener began with pole sitter Lachlan Evennett able to lead from Tasmanian 15-year-old circuit debutant Oliver Wickham and maintain the front running for eight laps.
In that time, third placed Fraser executed a brilliant pass on Wickham at Turn 7 on Lap 4. Into Turn 2 on Lap 9, Fraser slipped past Evennett to take the lead, which he held to the end. A lap later Wickham relegated Evennett to third with a similar move.
Behind the trio James Lodge was a close fourth ahead of Max Walton (penalised and relegated to 10th), Hayden Hume, Jett Murray, Josh Anderson, Tyler Cheney and Lachlan Gibbons.
Jack Westbury’s woes continued after he was fastest in practice on Friday, and qualified seventh. He was caught up in an incident with Lincoln Taylor at the end of the first lap and ultimately finished 21st.
There were numerous battles throughout the 33-car field, highlighted by the fight for 12th behind Zane Rinaldi. That battle went to Kade Davey over Jordan Freestone, Cooper Barnes, Charlie Nash, Kiwi Ben Stewart and Alice Buckley.
As Declan led from the start of Race 2, Wickham held second while Murray emerged from Turn 3 ahead of Lodge and Evennett. However just as the first lap was completed, the safety car was deployed due to contact at Turn 13 between Jack Szewczuk and Hugo Simpson.
After the race went green little changed at the front as most of the action was further down the order. Hume came out on top in the tussle for sixth, just in front of Jordan Freestone, Walton and Jack Westbury in a strong comeback.
Race 3 at 11:25am AEST on Sunday will complete the season opener for the popular one-make Toyota series.
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