Joey Mawson has held off a late-charging Aaron Cameron to win the first ever S5000 race around the Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit.
More than 24 months on from S5000’s brief appearance at the ill-fated 2020 Australian Grand Prix, the open-wheel support category did not disappoint.
Mawson made a clean getaway from pole to lead the field into Turn 1, while multiple drivers behind him had hairy opening lap moments.
By the midway point of the nine-lapper, it seemed as though the 2021 Gold Star winner had it in the bag as he extended his margin over Cameron past three seconds.
But suddenly the race roared to life as Cameron quickly reeled in the #1 Team BRM driver on the penultimate lap to set up a grandstand finish.
Cameron made multiple half-attempts at a pass on the final tour, but could not find a way by as Mawson perfectly executed his defence.
A mere 0.4584s separated the pair by the chequered flag.
Behind them, Zane Goddard came home third to secure his maiden podium in S5000 competition.
A fast-starting Nathan Herne had jumped from fourth to second at the start, but ultimately finished back in fourth.
Tim Macrow was fifth, losing the series lead to Mawson, ahead of Cooper Webster, Kaleb Ngatoa, James Golding, Ben Bargwanna, and Shae Davies.
James Davison had initially made plenty of ground after starting on the back row, but proved to be the race’s only non-finisher.
The second S5000 race of the weekend is scheduled to start at 17:15 AEST on Saturday.
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