Kai Allen goes lights-to-flag in Super2 Race 2

Eggleston Motorsport’s series leader has qualified second but was fastest away when the lights went out and eventually won by 5.9005s after 29 Safety Car-free laps around the Reid Park Street Circuit.

Pole-sitter Zach Bates held off Race 1 winner Jack Perkins for second place, with Walkinshaw Andretti United rookie Campbell Logan getting home in fourth.

With Kelly Racing’s Aaron Cameron finishing 12th, Allen’s margin in the series standings has grown to 114 points at the halfway mark of the season.

Bates (#25 WAU ZB Commodore) and Allen (#1 ZB Commodore) lined up alongside each other while Brad Vaughan (#5 Tickford Racing S550 Mustang) was sent back to seventh on the starting grid after incurring a three-position penalty for impeding Perkins (#79 Blanchard Racing Team S550 Mustang) in qualifying.

Allen got the jump while Bates briefly dropped back to third and, when he then passed team-mate Logan (#2 ZB Commodore) at Turn 2, that made room for Perkins to follow him through.

Several cars, including Vaughan’s, ended up in the Turn 3 run-off area as a result of a big concertina effect, after which Jobe Stewart (#99 Erebus Motorsport ZB Commodore) was pinged with a drive-through penalty.

Allen was clear of the drama and already led by 0.96s at the end of the standing lap, after which the gap stabilised for some time.

Cameron McLeod (#92 RM Racing Cars ZB Commodore) passed Jordyn Sinni (#54 ZB Commodore) for fifth at Turn 3 on Lap 3, and then Cooper Murray (#88 ZB Commodore) went past his Eggleston team-mate for sixth at Turn 11.

Allen finally stretched his lead beyond a full second on Lap 10, albeit briefly, before Zane Morse (#11 AIM Motorsport S550 Mustang) went under Murray for sixth on Lap 13 at Turn 2.

Perkins started to apply pressure to Bates on Lap 15, with still 15 minutes to go before the time-certain finish, but Allen continued to circulate about 0.8s to 1.1s up the road.

It soon became evident that Bates was out of rear tyre grip and Allen’s lead blew out to two seconds on Lap 19 as Perkins stalked Car #25.

That margin had doubled again in another six laps but still Perkins followed Bates, as Logan closed in on both of them.

Bates scuffed his left-hand mirror on the wall exiting Turn 10 on Lap 28, as Allen stretched his lead to six seconds at the start of the final lap.

It dwindled slightly in the final 2.86km due to some celebratory skids from the Dick Johnson Racing enduro driver.

Behind Bates, Perkins, and Logan was McLeod at a couple of seconds further back in fifth, then Morse, Murray, Sinni, Max Vidau (#17 Anderson Motorsport S550 Mustang), and Jarrod Hughes (#118 Image Racing ZB Commodore).

Cameron (#27 S550 Mustang) finished 12th and Vaughan in 17th.

Perkins’ exploits earned him the round win in what is a cameo appearance as prep for his enduro campaign with BRT.

Round 4 of the 2024 Super2 Series supports the Penrite Oil Sandown 500 on September 13-15.

Results: Race 2

Series points: Super2