TRANS AM SWEEP FOR HERNE WITH KELLY TITLE FIGHT STILL CLOSE
Nathan Herne put on a clinical performance at the Queensland Raceway with another start to finish victory, giving him a clean sweep and the championship ascendancy with two rounds remaining.
Close title rival, Owen Kelly, kept in touch with two third place podiums in races two and three, whilst guest Supercars driver Brodie Kostecki put in another good showing with a P2, his second podium of the weekend.
Herne got the first corner lead again to win race three from start to finish, as Kostecki muscled his way into second past Jett Johnston, with Kelly moving into third place.
Kelly spent much of the weekend making up lost places, importantly managing to close the weekend well to stay in touch with Herne, keeping the title chase tight going into Sandown’s September meet.
It was a great first lap for Nash Morris as his Mustang pushed up 10 places before the race was flagged in an incident involving Tim Brook going into the fence before the first corner.
John Harris made contact with Jackson Rice, which also sent Rice spinning into the gravel trap, causing significant damage to the front of his racer.
It was a tough weekend for Brook, who entered the weekend third in the standings, with Brett Holdsworth snatching that position with a consistent weekend.
The race got back underway from the safety car on lap 6 with Herne charging away again, the rear of his #1 Mustang becoming a familiar sight for the chasing pack.
Johnson had his handful holding onto fourth with Lochie Dalton and Elliot Barbour taking up the fight, for what would be the latter’s best finish in the Trans Am this season.
Kelly scraped it out for second with Kostecki, but couldn’t chase the down the Camaro, as Kostecki showed good pace and race smarts to finish +2.452 behind Herne, and a little over two seconds ahead of Kelly
Young Jett Johnson had an excellent weekend with two podium seconds and a fourth, pushing him up the standings in what was great display of driving on a course that has a straight named after his legendary Grandfather.
It was the first clean sweep in the series this season, with Herne leading from the front in Qualifying, all the way through to race three in what was a clinical display of driving the Trans Am beast’s.
RACE 3
- Herne.
- Kostecki
- Kelly
- Johnson
- Dalton
- Barbour
- Morris
- Grice
- McCorkindale
- Holdsworth
