Kelly wins Trans Am Race 1 after Moffat black flag

Owen Kelly has won Race 1 of Round 2 of the National Trans Series at Phillip Island after a mechanical black flag cost team-mate James Moffat the lead.

Pole-sitter Moffat led the field away in what was initially an all-Garry Rogers Motorsport top three, comprised also of Kelly and Lochie Dalton.

Ben Grice looked for a move on Brett Holdsworth for fourth at Southern Loop but was held at bay by the Ashley Seward Motorsport driver and then had to catch a big moment on the kerb between the Hayshed and Lukey Heights before the opening lap was done.

Meanwhile, Nash Morris was on a charge from ninth on the starting grid in the Supercheap Auto entry, passing Edan Thornburrow for seventh at Siberia and then Jaylyn Robotham at the 12th and final corner of the circuit.

Holdsworth got by Dalton for third at the start of Lap 2 and Morris picked off Grice for sixth at Miller Corner (Turn 4), as Moffat crept away at the very front of the field.

He was a full second up when he received the mechanical black flag for not having his window net up and pitted on Lap 6, meaning Kelly inherited the lead with a margin of 2.6s over Holdsworth.

The latter had not shaken off Dalton but the GRM driver’s focus was shifted to more immediate concerns when Morris got into the side of Car #45 at Siberia on Lap 8.

‘Flash’ looked to have third place but Dalton did enough to have the inside line for the Hayshed and hold the position, before finally getting back ahead of Holdsworth on Lap 9.

Later that lap, Morris pulled off a spectacular pass when he arrived at MG with the inside-front locked but forced Holdsworth to give him room in order to avoid contact.

Dalton had to give up second place when he became the second GRM driver to cop a mechanical black flag, for a loose driver’s door.

Morris assumed the position with two laps to go, albeit more than six seconds in arrears of Kelly, whose official margin of victory after 13 laps would be 6.9417s.

Holdsworth finished third, Thornburrow muscled his way past Grice to take fourth, and Robotham trailed them home in sixth position, followed by Tom Hayman, Elliot Barbour, Tyler Everingham, and Cody Gillis, with Dalton 16th and Moffat a lap down in 17th.

Another 13-lapper is taking place tomorrow from 10:55 local time/AEST and can be seen as part of Stan Sport’s live and ad-free coverage of the Shannons SpeedSeries.

International viewers can watch for free on Speedcafe.

Results: Race 1

Classes: O Outright, H Hoosier Cup, M Masters Cup