With his regular co-driver racing in New Zealand, Whyte drove the two-hour enduro single handily to third outright which was enough to take the championship.
The APC Endurance Championship concluded Saturday’s race action at the Winton Wrap on a day that also featured Hyper Racers, Legend Cars, Aussie Tin Tops and Innovation Race Cars.
Following the two sprint races the two-hour enduro was the championship decider. Kearns was in the box seat to take the title in his Class A2 Ford Mustang GT with Brad Carr co-driving.
They were well placed in the top three until forced to pit with a blown engine. The round belonged to Hadrian Morrall and Tyler Mecklem in their Mustang Mach 1. They won the long race by 9.8 seconds over the Kavich brothers Ben and Michael in their Class X BMW M2 Competition.
Behind Whyte (Mach 1) who also finished on the lead (73) laps, were Karlie and Paul Buccini (BMW 340i) two laps behind and ahead of the Emily Cacaviella/Luke Van Haerwaarde Class I Toyota 86. Martin White and Graeme Wakefield were next and took out A1 in a Mitsubishi Evo X.
Tyler Mecklem led all the way in the first 30-minute sprint. Ben Kavich held second until late in the race when he was passed by Kearns. Whyte finished fourth after a long battle with Paul Buccini whose BMW ultimately succumbed to a loose electrical connection and didn’t finish.
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From pole for the second sprint race, Morrall led for 10 laps and until a spin at Turn 7. That allowed Carr to take the lead and head home Michael Kavich. Whyte was next as he held off the recovering Morrall. Then followed Karli Buccini who started at the rear of the grid, ahead of Mitch Randall (A1 Mercedes A45) and Van Haerwaarde.
Hankook Hyper Racers Australian Drivers’ Championship
Points leader Damon Sterling consolidated the championship victory with an all-the-way win in the first race. Hayden Crossland was second in the opening stages but slipped to fourth in a close competition for second, narrowly beaten by Harry Strik and Lucas Stasi.
Brad Smith was sixth in front of Aaron Imbach, Dean Crooke and Nico French. Post race Crossland and Imbach were disqualified for being underweight.
Sterling was also an all-the-way winner in the second race where again, it was Strik and Stasi who filled the minors. Crossland started at the rear of the grid and forged through to take fourth ahead of Smith and Zach Catlin despite a five-second penalty.
Legend Cars Australia
Aiden Williams and Dylan Thomas tussled for the early lead in Race 1 before Reuben Dan took the front running and won ahead of Williams, Thomas, Robert Hogan and Brendon Hourigan, gap to Riley Skinner on his own.
Dan was dominant in the second race where Hogan was second throughout and clear of third. That went down to the wire between Thomas and Williams diced. It came down to the final corner and contact before Williams won out and Thomas finished fifth behind Maverick Kemenyvary. Hourigan, Josh Benaud and Chais Tippett were just behind.
Eastern Sleepers Aussie Tin Tops
The first race produced three different leaders. Mark Tracey (BMW/Chev) was in front initially before he lost fourth gear and Steve Chilby (BMW/Chev) who was delayed at the start, took the front running.
However, he began to suffer with selecting third gear, and he conceded to race winner Ben Arnold (stalled at the start) and Tracey. Behind them was a three-way battle which went the way of Corey Gillett (Nissan Silvia/Chev) over Brent Edwards (Ford Falcon XR6 Turbo) and Todd Herring (Mazda MX5).
Chilby won the start and was the second race winner but had a five-second penalty and was relegated to second place behind Arnold. There was gap to Gillet who had a moment on the first lap and briefly lost a spot to Herring. Peter Ryder (Nissan 370C) was fifth while Edwards was sixth until a puncture forced him to pit.
Innovation Race Cars
The field was reduced to six for the first of two 25-minute races after the Brain Finn IRC GT was crashed in practice. Lee Stibbs was able to edge in front of pole sitter Geoff Emery off the start but ran off at Turn 1 and dropped to fourth.
Emery was never headed as Danny Stutterd placed second, just in front of the recovering Stibbs. Then followed John Holinger while Tim Leithhead’s race finished in the Turn 6 gravel trap and the MARC I backed into the tyre barrier.
The field was reduced to four for the second race with Leithhead not starting. Emery from start to finish and further enhance his points lead. Stibbs was second ahead Holinger while Stutterd was fourth after a spin at Turn 1 on the first lap.
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