GARRY’S PERTH SUPERNIGHT SUPPORT WRAP – SATURDAY

Ash Walsh led from start to finish in the Super2 race – Photo: InSyde Media

THE SUPPORT categories at the Pirtek Perth SuperNight wrapped up at Barbagallo Raceway with two races for Australian GT and SuperUtes, a second race for Super 2 and Historic Touring Cars put on a great show.

DUNLOP SUPER 2

LEADING ALL the way in race two of the second round, Ash Walsh was the overall winner, racing for Matt Stone Racing in a Holden Commodore VF. He took the points over Bryce Fullwood (Matt White Motorsport Nissan Altima) and race one winner Will Brown (Eggleston Motorsport VF).

Zane Goddard (MWM Altima) was the fastest qualifier and like yesterday, laboured at the start, surrendering positions to Walsh, MWM team mate Fullwood and Kurt Kostecki (Arcoweld Racing VF).

Goddard continued to fall down the order to ultimately finish ninth. Dean Fiore (EM VF) held off a revitalised Brodie Kostecki (AR VF) after his engine dramas of yesterday. Jake Kostecki (Triple 8 VF) was next ahead of Thomas Randle (Tickford Racing Ford Falcon FG/X), Brown (EM VF) and Goddard.

Jack Smith (Brad Jones Racing VF) was another who fell down the order. After starting seventh, he finished 17th ahead of Joel Heinrich and Matt Chahda after their Falcons were embroiled in contact at turn 6 that put the latter into the sand trap and brought out the safety car.

AUSTRALIAN GT

Australian GT finished up the SuperNight schedule under lights – Photo: InSyde Media

SEVENTEEN YEAR OLD Ryan Howe was set to take out the round two honours in his GT Trophy Audi R8 Ultra but a tyre failure two minutes from the end gave Geoff Emery (Audi R8 LMS) the third race and round win.

Emery outgunned Howe off the start of race two and led through to the compulsory pit stop before Howe lost second to Peter Major (Lamborghini R-EX) shortly after.

Though the compulsory pit stops, Major was new race leader with Howe squeezing into second before Emery was allowed through to try and chase down the leader.

But Major put his head down to carve out a 11.2s gap in the end over the Audi team mates as Max Twigg was less than 2s adrift and ahead of Peter Hackett (Mercedes-AMG), Ryan Millier (Audi), Mark Griffith (Mercedes), Dale Patterson (Chev Camaro) and Richard Gartner (Lamborghini Gallardo).

Justin McMillan and Glen Wood split the drive in their KTM X-Bow to head GT4. Scotty Taylor was an early casualty with a gearbox selection issue sidelining his Porsche GT3-R.

Finishing off the Perth spectacular with race three, Major scooted away to a handy lead over Emery, How, Twigg, Hackett and Millier while Gartner and Paterson fought over the minors in GT Trophy.

After negotiating the CPS, it was Howe in front of Major . . . barely. Emery returned third as he had the longest stop but was still clear of Twigg, Griffith, Hackett, Millier, Paterson and Gartner.

Major applied the pressure, hindered somewhat by lapped traffic before firing off at turn 4 with what appeared to be right front suspension damage. When Howe went out, Emery won ahead of Twigg, Griffith and Hackett. Behind Millier, Paterson took out the Trophy class ahead of Gartner. McMillian and Woods won again in GT4.

ECB SUPERUTES

Tom Alexander won the third SuperUtes race of the weekend – Photo: InSyde Media

NEW ZEALANDER Tom Alexander’s win in the third and final race of round two, ensured the Isuzu D-Max driver won overall and enhanced his series lead.

The top six from race one were reversed for the 20-lap second race where Ryal Harris (Mazda BT50) took an immediate lead over Elliott Barbour (Mitsubishi Triton). The two turned on a great stoush with Elliott getting ahead of a period before they were joined by Craig Woods (Toyota Hilux) and Cameron Crick (Triton).

Later Chris Formosa (Ford Ranger) joined to make it a five-way race at the front but in the end it they finished in that order, covered by 1.7s. After looping at turn 6 in the bustle of the first lap, Mick Sieders (Hilux) fought back to sixth.

Ben Walsh (Hilux) was next while Tom Alexander (Isuzu D-Max) limped through to eight with a hose in the turbo hose. Ben Falk (BT50) and Peter Major (Holden Colorado) were retirees.

Grid spots for race three went off points accumulated so far and it was Elliott on pole. But Alexander made the better start and went straight to the front.

Elliott was second ahead of another good dice between Harris, Crick and Sieders. They finished with Crick able to sneak past Harris after Sieders had an unsuccessful attempt and crossed the line fifth. Post-race Harris was slapped with a 5s penalty that dropped him behind Woods and Formosa.

HISTORIC TOURING CARS

Historic Touring Cars finished the weekend with a reverse grid race – Photo: InSyde Media

THE LOCALS lined up for their final race in reverse qualifying order and split in the middle by a further handicap. Starting at the very rear, Aldo De Paoli slide and slewed his way through to take the lead and win on the final lap.

The Chev Camaro driver passed Lance Stannard (Morris Cooper S) out of the turn 6 which was his last opportunity to do so as John Bondi had bunkered his Holden Monaro at turn 7 the lap before.

Third when to Thierry Michot (Chev Corvette) ahead of Patrick Dick (Ford Mustang), Randle Beavis (Lotus Cortina), Greg Freeman (Camaro), Grant Johnson (Holden Torana XU-1), Laurie Lapsley (Jaguar) and Graeme Woolhouse (Mustang).

The early part of race three had Freeman and Woolhouse battling over the lead with each having a turn in front before Freeman consolidated for the victory.

Brian Bondi (Monaro) fended off the early challengers from Johnson and Tony Gilfuis to take third. Johnson wasn’t far adrift but Gilfuis was a retirement in his Ford Capri.

From 14th, John Bondi worked his way through to fifth and De Paoli, the race one winner, was on a solid charge too. He started rear of grid and came through for sixth ahead of the Nb cars of Cono Onofaro (Morris Cooper S) and Don Behets (Ford Galaxie).

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