Randle extends Super2 series lead after Brown error

Thomas Randle has won Race 2 of the Dunlop Super2 Series’ Bathurst round after a Will Brown error gifted him the ascendancy in the title fight.

Brown had closed the gap to 26 points with victory in the previous afternoon’s encounter, when Randle was hamstrung by a coil pack issue.

The Erebus Motorsport junior then qualified on pole for Race 2 and was running second to his Image Racing team-mate Jordan Boys on Lap 5 when he locked up under brakes at The Chase.

The #999 VF Commodore appeared to give the #49 VF Commodore a nudge before both left the road, although both suggested post-race that Boys had in fact cleared the brake to avoid contact.

In any event, the incident gifted first position in the motor race to the #16 MW Motorsport Altima and Randle held that spot for the 10 laps which remained.

Assuming this round is indeed the season finale, he has now won the Super2 Series for 2020.

Jayden Ojeda (#31 Altima) made it a second straight MWM one-two in three races and Brown got back to third, from Boys and Zak Best (#78 MWM Altima).

The starting grid had featured a first ever Image Racing front row lockout and Boys got the jump to lead Brown to Hell Corner.

Randle then Ojeda and Matt Chahda (#18 Matt Chahda Motorsport FGX Falcon) followed, while a tangle between two Super3 competitors led to a Safety Car before the standing lap was out.

The yellows were waved because Jason Foley (#117 BF Falcon) had spun into the wall on the main straight after contact with Mark Tracey (#19 BF Falcon), an incident for which no further action was taken.

When the race restarted on Lap 3, Boys carried an advantage of only 0.2792s across the stripe.

Brown stuck with him as Image owner Terry Wyhoon confirmed that his drivers were “Free to race”, with 0.3247s the margin at the end of Lap 4.

However, disaster struck when they arrived at The Chase next time around, with Car #49 dropping to third and #999 to fifth, split by Chahda.

Worse still for the Erebus-aligned team, Randle had assumed the lead and Ojeda second position, with 1.6543s the difference between those two after six laps.

A Safety Car was called moments later in order to recover the #3 VE Commodore of Jim Pollicina, who appeared to have spun on his own oil exiting The Dipper.

The second restart came on Lap 10, on which Randle pulled a gap of 0.8602s over Ojeda, while Brown pressured Chahda for fourth.

Brown cleared Car #18 at The Chase on Lap 11, before Josh Fife (#14 Brad Jones Racing VF Commodore) dived past Chahda at Hell Corner on Lap 12, allowing Best to also make his way by as they dragged up Mount Straight.

Best picked off Fife at The Chase on Lap 12 as Randle’s lead approached two seconds and Brown executed the pass on Boys for third.

Randle was 3.0434s to the good as he started the 15th and final lap, the race cut 6.213km short due to time-certainty, and cruised home to his third race win out of seven in 2020.

Ojeda took second, 3.7341s up on Brown, who was followed by Boys and Best.

Chahda re-passed Fife at Murray’s on the penultimate lap to claim sixth, with the BJR driver remaining seventh thereafter.

Rounding out the top 10 were Zane Morse (#11 Zane Morse VF Commodore), Super3 class winner Jaylyn Robotham (#28 MWM FG Falcon), and the second of the Super3 entries in Jon McCorkindale (#69 Mac Motorsport FG Falcon).

Matt McLean (#17 Matt Chahda Motorsport FGX Falcon) was a DNF after running off at high speed at Murray’s Corner on Lap 14, joining Pollicina and Foley on the sidelines.

Neither Broc Feeney (#5 Tickford Racing FGX Falcon) nor Angelo Mouzouris (#10 Triple Eight Race Engineering VF Commodore) were starters due to separate crashes in Qualifying.

Broc has been checked and cleared from the medical centre. He’s a-ok.

Unfortunately the No. 5 Falcon cannot he repaired for today’s race, so Broc will not take part 🙁 #VASC

— Tickford Racing (@TickfordRacing) October 17, 2020

Super3 Series points to follow

Results: Race 2

Series points: Super2