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The first race for the Gulf Western Oil Touring Car Masters’ second round was the traditional Trophy event where the grid is flipped from qualifying.
Jamie Tilley was on pole and led throughout. The Mustang driver held off Ryan Hansford who launched a late challenge after he his Holden Torana A9X started from the rear.
The Safety Car was deployed at the end of the third lap when Ron Moller crashed his Holden Commodore on the run down the hill to Turn 7.
Second until the penultimate lap was Danny Buzadzic (A9X) who finished third ahead of Garwood, Andrew Fisher (A9X), Cam Tilley (Valiant Tilley), Marcus Zukanovic (Ford Falcon XD), faster qualifier Joel Heinrich (Chev Camaro), Tony Karanfilovski and Steve Johnson (Mustangs). Jim Pollicina (A9X) retired after seven laps and Peter Burnitt (A9X) was another into the pits after a puncture and spin.
For Race 1 the grid formed off qualifying with the exception of Johnson and his Mustang were non-starter due to a broken leaf spring. Heinrich led away as Hansford and Garwood vied for second.
The race went safety car at the end of the first lap with Geoff Fane’s Camaro stranded at Turn 6 after contact with the Burnitt Torana.
Heinrich continued to lead when the race went green until Lap 9 when Hansford passed him at Turn 6. Garwood went with a similar move on the last lap (13) and briefly had second before Heinrich struck back in the run to the flag from the last corner.
Fisher maintained fourth throughout ahead of Zukanovic, Buzadzic and Pollicina while Jamie Tilley was able to pass his uncle on the last lap. After an assist off the track at Turn 1 on the first lap, Karanfilovski was next.
Race 1 at the third round of the Battery World Aussie Racing Cars Super Series looked to be in Joel Heinrich’s keeping until he was pipped at the finish line by Kodi Garland.
Henrich led from the start where there was a safety car immediately when fellow front row starter Mason Harvey failed to get off the line.
At race resumption, it was Heinrich from fellow Mustang drivers Garland and Chapman. Heinrich was almost a second ahead until the final laps where Garland mounted his challenge. The two were side-by-side out of the final corner and Garland won by 0.032s.
Behind Chapman, Madden was a lonely fourth and Quinn triumphed in a tight tussle behind to secure fifth. Next was Josh Anderson emerged ahead of Scott Dornan, Cody Brewczynski, Nathan Williams and Jordan Freestone to be next.
The second race for the pocket rockets saw Heinrich grab the lead from the outside of the front row. He held it for almost the entire first lap before Chapman took it away.
Those two ran nose to tail for the entire 20 laps. They swapped places twice and Chapman took the narrow victory. Garland could not quite stick with them and finished third of a three-way dice behind that went to Brewczynski over Maddon and Quinn, while behind Dornan was Harvey who started last.
Peter Paddon came to Round 2 as the equal leader of the First Focus Radical Cup Australia and took the outright lead with victory in Race 1.
The Garth Walden Racing driver led from the outset, managed through three safety car periods and the mandatory pitstop to hold off Arise Racing teammates Cooper Cutts and Elliott Schutte for the victory.
Chris Reindler and Bryce Moore combined to be fourth ahead of Brad Russell, Terry Knowles/Bart Mawer, Peter Clare/Josh Hunt and Glen Kenny/Melinda Price, with the latter three pair split by 0.39s.
The first safety car came 10 laps in when Adam Naccarata was deposited into the Turn 7 sand trap after a bump from Zara Horn. When Sue Hughes and Colin Ivory tangled at the same corner, the race went cautionary again.
Safety Car #3 occurred when Cade Bell bunkered when he attempted to pit. He was leading at the time and the last due to make the stop.
The three categories will have two races on Sunday, including the Radicals with sprint races rather than a second single longer race.
