Hazelwood takes out Townsville Super2 opener

Todd Hazelwood has taken a third race win of the season, leading all the way in Race 1 of the Dunlop Super2 Series round at Townsville.

Hazelwood beat Paul Dumbrell (#88 Burson Auto Parts Eggleston Motorsport Commodore) by just over a second, with Richard Muscat also on the podium.

The #35 Bigmate Matt Stone Racing Commodore driver beat pole-sitter Shae Davies off the line, while Richard Muscat shot out of position six to split the second row and then take second at Turn 2.

Davies emerged third from the opening corners, despite briefly dropping behind Anton de Pasquale, but dropped another three positions on Lap 3 when he outbraked himself at Turn 2, escaping serious damage despite brushing the wall on entry as a result.

The #26 Loco Nissan Altima driver lost another position to his MW Motorsport team-mate Jack Le Brocq (#28 GoGetta Altima) before the Safety Car was called on Lap 4 for a messy crash primarily involving Andrew Jones and Josh Kean.

Kean had ended up on the outside of a three-wide with Jake Kostecki and Adam Marjoram (#15 Auto One Matt Stone Racing Commodore) through Turn 13, losing control on the grass on exit and breaking into a spin.

Kean’s #5 Wynns Prodrive Racing Australia Falcon tagged Andrew Jones as he attempted to slip through, turning the #8 Alliance Truck Parts BJR Commodore into the pit wall.

Bryce Fullwood, already out on the grass to avoid Jake Kostecki, who had slowed in response to the crash, was lucky to escape a similar fate when he similarly glanced Jones on his way past.

While Kean made it back to the pits, both his and Jones’ races were finished by the crash, which will be subject to a post-race investigation.

For Kean, it was a bad day made worse after he had earlier been penalised four grid positions for impeding Davies during qualifying.

When the race restarted on Lap 8, Hazelwood had to defend from Muscat at Turn 2.

Dumbrell, who worked his way from seventh on the grid to fourth by the Safety Car, picked off Anton de Pasquale on Lap 9 and Muscat on Lap 11.

While it initially looked like he would also run down Hazelwood, the new BJR enduro co-driver held the margin around one second for the rest of the race, which was shortened by two laps to 19 due to the Safety Car.

Muscat (#44 Wilson Security GRM Commodore) finished third, ahead of Garry Jacobson (#1 Mega Prodrive Racing Australia Falcon).

Le Brocq took advantage of a penultimate lap de Pasquale error, when the Paul Morris Motorsport driver locked up and ran his #67 ToolPro Falcon wide at Turn 2, to finished fifth.

De Pasquale took sixth, from Macauley Jones (#14 DrillPro Brad Jones Racing Commodore), Jake Kostecki (#55 Arcoplate Kostecki Brothers Commodore), and Jack Perkins (#4 Titan Tray Dragon Motor Racing Commodore).

Jake Kostecki had taken advantage of the pressure which Perkins was applying to Davies on Lap 17.

Davies moved over to block the move at Turn 2, but that manoeuvre opened the door for Jake Kostecki to pass both.

Davies ultimately took 10th.

An incident between Fullwood (#16 Middy’s MW Motorsport Altima), Renee Gracie (#98 Caltex Dragon Motor Racing Commodore), and Mason Barbera (#99 Wilson Security GRM Commodore), in which Gracie made contact with the rear of Barbera which spun the latter’s Commodore, will also come under post-race investigation.

Meanwhile, Jack Smith (#21 SCT Logistics Brad Jones Racing Commodore) will be punished with a five grid position penalty for tomorrow’s race after taking out Brodie Kostecki (#57 Sprint Cutting Matt Stone Racing Falcon) during qualifying for Race 1.

Hazelwood’s win cuts Dumbrell’s series lead from 36 points to 24, with qualifying for another race tomorrow at 1025 local time/AEST.

Results: Race 1, Round 4, Townsville