After a brilliant start from the reigning title holder, Tony D’Alberto won the first race of the Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series weekend at Sandown International Raceway.

The Wall Racing Honda driver launched off the second row to lead into the first corner, and, from there, withstood the challenges dished out by Aaron Cameron in the Garry Rogers Motorsport Peugeot 308.

“It was the start that did it,” D’Alberto stated.

“Do we really need the new car [waiting to clear customs]?” he joked but admitted and added that they had not had much success this year in terms of race wins.

Cameron also made a good start from the second row, sidled down the inside of the front straight, almost taking the armco paint as he followed D’Alberto into Turn 1. Besides challenging the race leader, Cameron had to fend off the second half challenge from Will Brown (Audi RS3 LMS), who started 10th.

At the end of the opening lap Lachlan Mineeff was third with Zac Soutar in their Audis, then Brown from pole sitter Bailey Sweeny (Hyundai i30N). For Clay Richards, it was a short-lived race, forced to shut down when the water temperature rose dramatically, and brought out the Safety Car.

A relatively quick recovery saw Brown on the move while Mineeff lost places. The latter became involved in a tight dice behind fourth-placed Soutar with Sweeney and Ben Bargwanna, ultimately splitting them for sixth.

Josh Buchan (Hyundai Elantra) finished eighth and lost the points lead to his HMO teammate Sweeny and finished ahead of Jordan Cox (Peugeot) and Tom Oliphant (Lynk & Co) – the latter pair ninth and 10th for a front-row start in Sunday’s first race.

Outside the 10 were Iain McDougall (Audi) and Kody Garland (Peugeot), who had contact during the race with Michael Clemente, whose Cupra Leon Comp suffered enough damage to force him to pit and out for the rest of the race.