Allen wins round after Best battle, McLeod sweeps Super3

By Thomas Miles

Date posted: 9 July 2023

Zak Best has denied Kai Allen a special Super2 clean sweep after a race-long battle at Townsville where Cameron McLeod completed a convincing Super3 win.

After scoring a maiden Super2 victory on Saturday, Allen was on course for doing the double after taking pole and leading the first 20 of the 27 laps in the finale.

But stalking the Mount Gambier teenager the whole way was Best, who pounced at Turn 2 to snatch the win and build his championship lead.

The move was made just prior to the safety car which ended the race for the smoking Chris Smerdon, while Zane Morse scored an emotional podium.

Cameron McLeod was one of the stars of the race as a Super3 competitor fighting leading Super2 cars. Image: mark Horsbrugh

Despite missing out on victory, second place was enough for Allen to score his maiden Super2 round win.

After starting a seventh and climbing to a staggering third overall, McLeod stayed out of trouble to finish an impressive seventh, six spots ahead of his nearest Super3 rival Jobe Stewart.

The convincing clean sweep for McLeod further tightens to the Super3 title fight with Stewart’s slender lead now cut the to the barest of margins.

The race-long battle between Allen and Best began on the grid as they lined up side by side on the front row.

It was an even start, but the Eggleston youngster took control into turn 2 as the field scattered around the left hander.

All got through cleanly as Super3 star McLeod fought his way into an impressive third overall in a Nissan almost a decade older than some of the Super2 cars around him.

McLeod’s time in the podium places lasted just over a lap as Zane Morse got by turn 3 and was quickly followed by Brad Vaughan and Ryan Wood.

As Allen and Best checked out, the battle for the minor places boiled over and Aaron Love was fired into the fence at the high-speed Turn 10.

Zane Morse completed an emotional podium finish as Aaron Love spins out in the background. Image: Mark Horsburgh

Love was battling to defend sixth, but found himself rotating into the inside concrete wall after a scuffle with Cooper Murray.

Despite being able to get his Petronas Blanchard Racing Mustang back to the pits, Love had no choice but to return after sustaining heavy front end damage.

Meanwhile title rival Murray survived the scare and finished sixth.

The battle for 10th got aggressive with Crick and Chahda making nose to tail contact which Zach Bates benefited from.

As the race ticked past the halfway mark, James Masterton spun on the exit of the final corner, but importantly stayed away from the barriers to keep the safety car away.

With 15 minutes left the fight for first ignited as Best closed in on Allen’s bumper.

The Blue Lake youngster’s lead had never exceeded a second and the 18-year-old looked to be managing the gap, but Best closed in from lap 15 onwards.

Four laps later Morse joined in the fight at the front as Allen was still able to keep Best at bay, but with eight minutes to go things got hairy.

After traffic became a factor Allen ran wide at the final corner at the end of lap 20 which left him vulnerable by the time they got to turn 2.

Allen did not cover the inside line and Best slid through to snatch the lead with just seven laps to go.

Soon after the yellows arrived when Smerdon’s VF Commodore retired in a cloud of smoke at the end of the main straight.

With the #39 dumping oil on the racing line, the safety car was required, which led the field to the chequered flag.

The next Dunlop Series round is a special one at the Sandown 500 on September 15-17.

Supercars Townsville 500 Schedule (AEST)

Friday

Practice 1 – 10:10 – 10:40 – P1: Brown 1:13.970, P2: Hazelwood +0.220, P3: SVG +0.278

Practice 2 – 14:45 – 15:15 – P1: Le Brocq 1:13.432, P2: Fullwood +0247, P3: Waters +0.332

Saturday

Qualifying: Race 16 – 10:15 – 10:30 – P1: Waters 1:13.320, P2: Payne +0.144, P3: Brown +0.145

Top Ten Shootout – 1200 – 12:30 – P1: Brown 1:13.945, P2: Reynolds +0.050, P3: Waters +0.062

Race 16 – 1440 – 1650 – P1: Brown 1:57:50.162, P2: Feeney +3.300, P3: Mostert +5.438

Sunday

Qualifying: Race 17 – 10:15 – 10:30 – P1: Kostecki 1:12.838, P2 :Waters +0.086, P3: Mostert +0.168

Top Ten Shootout – 1200 – 12:30

Race 17 – 1440-1650

Download the full Supercars Townsville Round 6 Event Guide with track stats and facts and a full event schedule, plus our extensive driver profiles HERE

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Allen wins round after Best battle, McLeod sweeps Super3

The move was made just prior to the safety car which ended the race for the smoking Chris Smerdon, while Zane Morse scored an emotional podium.

The race-long battle between Allen and Best began on the grid as they lined up side by side on the front row.

As Allen and Best checked out, the battle for the minor places boiled over and Aaron Love was fired into the fence at the high-speed Turn 10.

As the race ticked past the halfway mark, James Masterton spun on the exit of the final corner, but importantly stayed away from the barriers to keep the safety car away.

Four laps later Morse joined in the fight at the front as Allen was still able to keep Best at bay, but with eight minutes to go things got hairy.

Download the full Supercars Townsville Round 6 Event Guide with track stats and facts and a full event schedule, plus our extensive driver profiles HERE

PODCAST: The latest episode of the Auto Action RevLimiter podcast is out now!

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