The HMO Customer Racing Hyundai i20N pilot led the third and final race of Round 6 from start to finish. He had to hold off the challenge from Dylan O’Keeffe in the Ash Seward Motorsport Lynk & Co CO 03 in the end, and they were separated by 0.41s.
“That was really hard as I didn’t have the car speed in the end,” Buchan said.
Third in the race was Aaron Cameron in the older spec Garry Rogers Motorsport Peugeot 308 who started rear of field.
Buchan led from the outset, with Brad Harris (Wall Racing Honda Civic Type R FL5) and Jordan Cox in the new GRM-built Peugeot P51 308.
O’Keeffe who was position on the front row, had a poor start and dropped to sixth before he regathered to fourth by the end of the first lap.
The second Harris Honda of twin brother Will Harris pitted after contact with O’Keeffe at Turn 7.
O’Keeffe then targeted Cox and was joined by Cameron, both of whom demoted the new spec Peugeot on Lap 5 and then hunted down Brad Harris.
They were able to do that on Lap 10 after which, O’Keeffe was able to chase down Buchan while Cameron had some panel-on-tyre rub, but was able to continue in third.
Cox’s race ended on Lap 13 of the 16 when he slowed and stopped near Turn 9. Brad Harris finished fourth, in front of Tom Oliphant (Hyundai), and Ryan Casha and Ben Bargwanna in the old and new Peugeots.
The Team Soutar Motorsport Audi of Zac Soutar was sufficiently repaired from its Race 2 accident to finish eighth ahead of the team car of Glenn Nirwan.
Buchan won the round from O’Keeffe, Brad Harris and Bargwanna. Buchan who took the series lead in Race 2, has extended the overall lead on Soutar to 34 points with Harris, Bargwanna and Cox the next three.
The final round of the Supercheap Auto TCR Australian Series will be at Mt Panorama on November 8-10.