In a very tight qualifying session he was quickest and led the first 20-minute race from the outset. He won ahead of EMA Motorsport’s Bayley Hall the closely trailing GWR’s Dylan O’Keeffe.
The race was interrupted by an early safety car after a three-car incident out of Turn 2 on the first lap. Sonic Racing teammates Marcos Flack and Angelo Mouzouris had slight contact which slowed the latter and caused Mouzouris to clash with Pro-Am front-runners Sam Shahin and Adrian Flack. Mouzouris was able to continue as was Flack while Shahin was dragged off the circuit.
The race resumed with Oscar Targett third behind Jones and Hall until O’Keeffe slipped under the Michelin Junior at Turn 2 and relegated him to fourth for the duration.
Dale Wood was next ahead Marco Giltrap, David Russell, Flack, Glen Wood, Clay Osborne who lost at least three places when he ran wide at Turn 2 on the first lap. There was another incident at Turn 2 late in the race that involved and sidelined Tom McLennan and cost Lockie Bloxsom 30 seconds.
Pro-Am honours went to Sprint Challenge graduate Jacque Jarjo in his first Carrera Cup race, ahead of Rodney Jane, Danny Stutterd, Brett Boulton, Matt Slavin and Matt Belford.
There will be two further races on Sunday, at 9:35 am and 2:00 pm.
V8 SuperUtes
David Sieders became the third winner of the weekend when he led all the way to take out Race 3 in his Mazda BT-50.
He came under challenge from Aaron Borg midway through, but the threat dissipated when the latter’s Isuzu D-MAX had an engine oil line come loose which forced him to pit.
After the start Jayden Wanzek (Mitsubishi Triton) held third ahead of Adam Marjoram (D-MAX), Cody Brewczynski (Toyota Hilux) and Adrian Cottrell (Holden Colorado) – the top five with a gap to the rest.
Brewczynski was able to slip by Marjoram before contact with Wanzek out of Turn 5 ended the Triton’s race.
Brewczynski crossed the line second behind Sieders with Marjoram third. Then followed Cotterell, Jimmy Vernon (Triton), Rossi Johnson (Colorado), Jason Norris (Hilux), Brad Vereker (Hilux) and Paul Morris (Ford Ranger).
For the earlier Race 2, the top 6 from Race 1 started in reverse order. Cotterell and Wanzek shared the front row where the latter was best away to lead from Seiders, Brewczynski, Cotterell, Borg and Marjoram.
Jenson Engelhardt (Hilux) was an early casualty with a broken diff centre while David Casey (Triton) was shunted off into the Turn 3 tyre barrier and Venon was attributed the blame.
After a three-lap safety car, Wanzek pulled away to win by 3.8s. Brewczynski passed Sieders to finish second as Borg, Marjoram and Vernon scrapped over fifth behind Cotterell. They finished in that order with Vernon given a post-race 30s penalty.
The penalty elevated Holly Espray (D-MAX) to seventh in front of Norris, Johnson and Craig Woods (Hilux) after the latter’s charged from the back row of the gird.
The final race of the first round is on Sunday at 12:30 pm.
Touring Car Masters
After a potential engine problem scare in the earlier Trophy race, Andrew Fisher won Race 1 in his Holden Torana A9X, narrowly ahead of Joel Heinrich (Chev Camaro).
Third place went to category rookie (Jude Bargwanna) after he was able to relegate Scott Cameron (Camaro). The latter was subsequently engrossed in battles with Jamie Tilley (Mustang) and Marcus Zukanovic (Ford Falcon XD) as they took fourth and fifth but was able to repel the challenge of Danny Buzadzic (Torana).
Behind them were Cam Tilley (Valiant Pacer), Ryan Hansford (Torana) and Steve Johnson (Mustang). Peter Burnitt (Torana) was next after Jeremy Hassell (Torana) and Tony Karanfilovski (Mustang) had contact and both spun at Turn 2. They recovered for 12th and 13th.
The top eight from qualifying were reversed and put to the back of the field for the Trophy race with points awarded for starting and finishing.
Buzadzic took the lead off Zukanovic on the first lap and held it until passed by race winner Bargwanna on the final lap. Fourth was Jamie Tilley ahead of Cam Tilley with Cameron next in front of Karanfilovski, Heinrich and Hassell.
There was an early safety car after Hansford locked up at Turn 8 and tapped the back of Dunn’s Monza. The Torana didn’t refire immediately but returned to the race and eventually finished 10th. Fastest qualifying was a pit visitor with an engine drama that was diagnosed as a wayward plug lead later.
TCM begins Sunday’s program at 9:05 am with Race 2 before Race 3 at noon.
