In the feature category on the Hi-Tec Oils Super Series which was part of the Queensland Raceway’s 2 Days of Thunder, the Ford Mustang driver took the overall honours ahead of Chev Camaro drivers Brad Gartner and Jarrod Hughes.
The first race of the day, Race 3 for the round, Haynes had a fight on his hands as he doggedly held off Gartner and Hughes after the race was restarted.
It initially began with Gartner, fractionally ahead of Haynes. But Gartner went wide which allowed Graham Cheney (Chev Camaro) to slip into second place. A multi-car shunt at Turn 4 caused the race to be red flagged at the end of the first lap.
Jason Pryde’s Camaro was spun after contact from Des Collier (Mustang) which then seen several with nowhere to go. Those caught up were John Holinger (Camaro), Josh Thomas (Mustang), Hayden Jackson (Dodge Challenger) and Danny Reidy (Camaro) which came out worst of all.
At the restart Haynes led before he was passed by Cheney who went around the leader at Turn 3. On the next lap Haynes retook the lead as Cheney slipped to fourth behind Gartner and Hughes.
Over the remaining laps Haynes was able to repel Gartner who at times overlapped the leader. Hughes was continually close behind. Cheney was fourth as he just pipped Tom Hayman (Mustang) who started at the rear of grid.
Connor Roberts (Challenger) and Mark Bailey (Camaro) were close behind and clear of Domain Ramsay (Camaro), Jackson and Thomas. Roberts was penalised 30s which meant Mark Crutcher (Mustang) was 10th as he recovered from an early Turn 6 spin.
Side-by-side through Turn 1, Haynes wrestled the lead off Gartner after the start of Race 4. Hayman slotted into third ahead of Cheney, Bailey and Crutcher by the end of the first lap.
Hayman’s chance of taking on the front pair was nullified on Lap 6 when he pitted with broken power steering and prior to Collier stranded in the Turn 3 gravel trap.
Haynes mastered the restart after the Safety Car and again won from Gartner and Hughes. Russell Wright (Mustang) came through to fourth after he start 11th and passed Cheney in the latter stages.
Bailey finished just behind Cheney and ahead of Crutcher, Thomas, Roberts, Pryde, and Camaro drivers Steve Wilson, Reidy, Holinger and Paul Hadley who edged out Anthony Tenkate (Mustang) at the chequered flag.
Ahead of the fourth round at The Bend on August 30-September 1, Haynes leads the championship by 28 points over Cheney with Gartner, Crutcher and Hadley in the top five.
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