Aussie Racing Cars
South Australian Joel Heinrich won a chaotic first ever race for Aussie Racing Cars at The Bend Motorsport Park.
He and debutant team-mate Daniel Price locked out the front row but Kel Treseder passed them on the run to Turn 1 with a superior start from the second row.
Heinrich grabbed the lead at Turn 14 after Treseder slide wide a corner earlier, and Price reclaimed second position at the start of the second lap.
That was just before the field was brought under Safety Car for a nasty incident between Charlotte Poynting and Jonathon Webb, who made heavy contact in the middle of the pack at Turn 13.
Both walked away from their wrecks before the race restarted on Lap 4, when Treseder made a big dive at Price at Turn 6 which he couldn’t pull off.
A major battle broke out just behind which saw Blake Sciberras catch a full rotation at Turn 11 as Tyler Owen and Reece Chapman sprayed off into the grass after the former two leaned on each other on Lap 5.
Heinrich took the opportunity to clear out at the front and Price gapped the rest but dropped two positions on the final lap.
Justin Ruggier therefore finished second and Treseder third, while series leader Kyle Ensbey was fifth.
Race 2 of four for the weekend takes place tomorrow at 1350 local time/1420 AEST.
Kumho Tyre Australian V8 Touring Car Series
Series leader Tyler Everingham has set the pace in practice for the final round of the 2018 V8 Touring Car Series.
Everingham gradually lowered the benchmark to 1:54.4087s just beyond the halfway mark of the second 20-minute session in the #27 MW Motorsport FG Falcon.
That lap left team-mate Zak Best, who was fastest in Practice 1, more than 1.25s slower before he improved to a 1:55.0679s in the #78 FG Falcon).
Harley Haber (#99 Image Racing FG Falcon) ended up third and Jon McCorkindale (#69 Dial Before You Dig FG Falcon) fourth.
Returning series winner Jack Smith was fifth-fastest in the #21 Brad Jones Racing VEII Commodore, on which he had to replace a tyre which he flatspotted while becoming accustomed to the new circuit.
Qualifying takes place tomorrow at 0930 local time/1000 AEST before Race 1 at 1245 local/1315 AEST.
Formula Ford
Hamish Ribarits has claimed pole position for the first of Formula Ford’s three races across the weekend.
He took top spot by just 0.02s over Hunter McElrea, whose final flying lap was ruined two corners from the chequered flag as he came up on slower moving traffic.
“We had a great session, Sonic provided me with an awesome car as always and the times were really close,” said Ribarits.
“I only beat Hunter (McElrea by) two thousandths of a second so it was really close between us teammates.
“The circuit is awesome, it’s a really technical circuit, the corners are fast and flowing and there isn’t much time to get a break during the lap.
“I just want to approach this weekend like any other weekend, not overthink it and just go out and do what I need to do and drive the car fast.
“The plan for the weekend is to keep being consistent. The competition is so high in Formula Ford, especially with my team mate Hunter being so close. It’s going to be tough but hopefully we can pull through for the win.”
Cody Donald will start third, half a second slower than Ribarits, with Cam Shields alongside him on the second row.
Shields headed a trio of cars split by less than a tenth that also included Zac Soutar and Courtney Prince.
Angelo Mouzouris stopped out on track midway through the session, drawing the red flag.
It was the second time the red had been shown to Formula Ford, with Practice 2 ending after Ben D’Alia made contact with another car, ripping the right rear wheel from the car.
The opening Formula Ford race of the weekend begins at 1000 local time/1030 AEST on Saturday morning, their only on-track activity for the day.
Toyota 86 Racing Series
Broc Feeney set the fastest Toyota 86 Racing Series lap in the opening 20 minute practice session.
Feeney’s 2:15.4674s lap proved half a second quicker than Cam Walton managed as he topped the afternoon session.
Walton set almost identical times in both sessions, ending the day four tenths clear of points leader Tim Brook though still off Feeney’s pace from earlier in the day.
The Toyota 86 Racing Series is first on track on Saturday morning with a 20 minute qualifying session at 0900 local time/0930 AEST, before the first of two seven lap races for the day.
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