TIM MILES AND JAXON EVANS WIN AUSTRALIAN GT ENDURANCE OPENER

Jaxon Evans and Tim Miles win Australian Endurance Opener at Phillip Island – Photo: Rhys Vandersyde

THE OPENING round of the Australian Endurance Championship at Phillip Island, which headlined the second round of the 2017 Shannons Nationals, was won by Tim Miles and Jaxon Evans in an Audi R8 LMS.

The duo took over the lead in the latter stages of the race, having to manage the inaugural 500-kilometre event’s changing weather conditions which saw four safety car periods and several downpours.

Jaxon Evans after winning the race – Photo: Rhys Vandersyde

Evans had the last stint and was solid in pulling away from Dominic Storey who was piloting the pole sitting Mercedes AMG he was sharing with Peter Hackett. The gap between the leading two cars was 10.5 seconds in the race that fell short of the scheduled 113 laps by ten.

Third place and around 55 seconds away, went to the McLaren driven by Fraser Ross and Warren Luff. One lap behind were Geoff Emery and Garth Tander in fourth ahead of Mark Griffith and Jake Camilleri (Mercedes) and early pace setters Liam Talbot and John Martin (Porsche 911 GT3).

Liam Talbot and Dominic Storey battling for the lead early in the race – Photo: Rhys Vandersyde

The Talbot grabbed the lead at the start and together with the Storey eked a considerable lead over third. Unfortunately, congestion in the pits at the first scheduled stops would impede both their progress.

The battle for third was hectic in the early stages of the race with Roger Lago/David Russell (Lamborghini R-EX), Emery/Tander, Max Twigg/Tony D’Alberto (Mercedes) and the Steve Richards/James Burgmuller BMW M6. But the big mover was Ross who started 16th and worked his way to third in just 16 laps.

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