Victory in the first of two races in the final round of Dunlop Super 2/3 went to Ryan Wood while Kai Allen took over the series points lead from Zak Best. The latter finished fourth behind Cooper Murray and Allen before he received a post-race penalty that dropped him to 13th.
Wood who sits third in the points in the WAU Holden Commodore ZB, extended his race wins to five, three more than anyone. He was second in the early laps of the 40min race that ultimately went 23 laps, interrupted on two occasions by safety cars.
The first was for Jordyn Sinni (ZB) who found the Turn 5 gravel trap on the first lap, unable to steer away from it.
It was Speedcafe supported driver Nash Morris (Paul Morris Motorsport Commodore) who won the start and led until Wood was able to slip by to Turn 8 on Lap 5. Murray (Eggleston Motorsport ZB) was then able to pass Morris at the next corner.
Best (Anderson Motorsport Ford Mustang) was conservative in the early laps and let Allen go past into fourth. He stepped up the pace later and was able to pass Allen and challenge Morris for third.
Behind them were a big group of cars, consisting of Allen, Cameron Crick (ZB), Aaron Cameron (Mustang), Aaron Love (Mustang), Zach Bates (ZB) and Jay Hanson (ZB). Bates and Love had contact at Turn 5 which spun the Mustang before Hanson and Jordan Boys (ZB) tangled at Turn 9.
Two laps later Lap 15, there was contact between Best and Morris at Turn 5 which plummeted the Commodore driver down the order and penalised Best later.
On lap 16, Mason Kelly (Kelly Racing Nissan Altima) who was second behind Jobe Stewart (Image Racing Commodore VF) in Super 3, and 16th outright, crashed at Turn 6. The close-following Zane Morse (Mustang) collected the Nissan as it rebounded across the track.
There was a four-lap run to the end after the Safety Car where Wood had around a second on Murray and Allen. With Best’s penalty, Crick was fourth ahead of Aaron Seton (Commodore), Boys, Lochie Dalton (ZB), Morris, Cameron, Bates, Hanson and Love.
In Super 3, Stewart led at the second restart, but it was Cameron McLeod (Altima) who would be first, ahead of Rylan Gray (Ford Falcon FG/X), Jett Johnson (Altima) and Stewart.
Allen takes a 30-point lead into the final race of the season on Sunday which is scheduled to begin at 1:20 pm AECT. Stewart has already wrapped up Super 3.