Ryan Simpson took a fifth consecutive victory in the Kumho V8 Touring Car Series as racing action kicked off for the Shannons Nationals at Phillip Island.
From his third pole position in as many attempts since joining the series aboard an ex-Triple Eight Ford Falcon, Simpson bettered the existing Kumho V8 lap record by almost four seconds on his was to the win.
Fellow Ford driver Matthew White proved his only main rival, winning the start before eventually trailing the rapid Simpson home 2.7s adrift in second.
Tony Evangelou, Shae Davies, Terry Wyhoon and Nathan Assaillit made it a Ford sweep of the top six places.
Series leader Davies had been forced to charge his way through from the back of the field after stalling from his fourth placed grid slot.
In the Formula 3 Australian Drivers’ Championship, John Magro closed the gap to points leader Tim Macrow by holding off his rival for victory in Race 1 of the weekend.
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The pair took the chequered flag an even second apart, with Magro’s superior start from the outside of the front-row having proven decisive.
Erebus Academy driver Jack Le Brocq took third on his return to the class, while Ben Gersekowski and Jordan Oon rounded out the top five.
Nick Foster had sat third in the opening laps before spinning out of the race at Lukey Heights.
In the GT3 Cup Challenge, Richard Muscat underscored his already sealed title by winning the opening race of the final round.
The Victorian comfortably led home Michael Almond and Peter Fitzgerald after leading all nine laps.
The Radical Australia Cup and Australian Superkart Championship rounded out the day’s racing action, where the wins were taken by Neale Muston and Russell Jamieson respectively.
Saturday meanwhile was qualifying day for the Sports Sedans and Saloon Cars.
Audi driver Darren Hossack proved a full 1.2s faster than Tony Ricciardello’s Alfa in the battle for the Sports Sedan pole.
Kerry Baily’s Aston Martin and Shane Bradford’s Corvette will start the morning’s opening race from the second row.
It was Holdens to the fore in the Saloon Cars, where South Australian Wayne King led a quartet of Commodores.
All seven categories will take part in a packed schedule of racing on Sunday.
