Townsville supports: Davison steals round win
The likes of Porsche Carrera Cup, Aussie Racing Cars and Toyota 86 Series put on a show at the Townsville 500 with some late chargers stealing the honours.
Porsche Carrera Cup
Max Vidau was in top form in the second Carrera Cup race of the weekend at Townsville. Image: Mark Horsburgh
Although Max Vidau started strong, the experienced Alex Davison snatched the round win after a commanding win in the final Carrera Cup race in Townsville.
Despite Vidau winning the first two races of the weekend, a fast start by Davison and poor getaway by the former saw the round honours flipped in the finale.
A first win in seven years saw Davison snatch round honours from the #72, which slipped to fifth in the final race.
Vidau cruised to a commanding win which followed his opening race victory which arrived after a post-race penalty for Callum Hedge, who crossed the line first, but was given penalty for a breach of the driver briefing instructions – no breaking of traction from Turn 13 on the formation lap. This dropped Hedge five finishing places.
On Sunday Vidau perfectly managed the 27-lap affair and eventually crossed the line 2s ahead of Alex Davison and score his third career win.
After losing his Saturday win, Hedge returned to the podium by finishing third ahead of Jackson Walls and David Wall.
The race was interrupted early by the safety car after Christian Pancione was sandwiched into retirement at the tight Turn 3 after Angelo Mouzouris made a bold move down the inside.
Mouzouris made a lunge and sent Pancione into the tyres and force Chris Pither down the run off.
That was the only interruption of the race, but there were still flashpoints with Dale Wood and Thomas Maxwell clashing on two separate occasions.
Alex Davison’s race 3 and round win was set up by a fast start against Max Vidau. Image: Mark Horsburgh
Each driver received a 15s penalty for the incidents which sent Maxwell into retirement and restrict Wood to 18th.
But no one was stopping Vidau from claiming back to back wins at Townsville.
His hopes of a clean sweep were dashed from the moment lights went out in the 17-lap finale.
Davison got a flying start to squeeze out Vidau, who would eventually drop from first to fifth.
It was a fierce fight for second with Hedge making a bold move down the inside of turn 2 of Vidau, but it was Walls who emerged in front as he got by both to climb from fifth to second, while Vidau was the big loser.
Later in the dramatic opening lap there was chaos at the hairpin as Dylan O’Keeffe, Courtney Prince and Rodney Jane all found themselves rotated 180 degrees.
The driver who spun O’Keeffe, Simon Fallon did not last much longer and went down the Turn 2 escape road and also received a drive through.
Another car to utilise the run off at the end of the main straight was Bayley Hall, while Hedge also struggled to slow down for the right hander on lap 4, but kept hold of second.
The race settled down and ran clean despite Wood rotating after a close call with Pancione at the final turn.
Attention turned to the fight for third with Coulthard alloying the blowtorch to younger Kiwi Hedge.
Vidau also had to get his elbows out to defend fifth from Pither, but was able to hold on.
However, it was not enough to stop Davison from jumping him to round honours as he broke a seven year winless drought, while Walls was able to defend his championship lead with a similarly calm drive to second.
The next Carrera Cup round is at The Bend on August 18-20.
Aussie Racing Cars
Cody Brewczynski charged to another Aussie Racing Cars win in a dramatic conclusion to the penultimate round.
The penultimate round of the 2023 Aussie Racing Cars series at Townsville concluded with two dramatic races won by Reece Chapman and Cody Brewczynski.
After four wild races Chapman emerged as the most consistent and collected the most points to enhance his title push.
He scored his second win of the weekend in race three, which was a thrilling reverse grid affair with four lead changes.
Scott Dornan got the jump off the line and led the first two laps before Anthony DiMauro fought his way in front.
DiMauro controlled the mid section of the race, but could not stop Dornan from fighting back.
Dornan did his best but only led for the solitary lap with Chapman on the charge.
Having started 10th Chapman hit the lead on the penultimate lap and was able to open a 4s advantage over Dornan before the chequered flag.
Another big mover was Anderson, who rose from ninth to third with Kent Quinn and Brandon Madden completing the top five.
The race was not without its drama however, with two short safety car periods sparked as Brett Osborn, Anthony Quinn, Nathan Locke, Cody Mckay and Matt Gooding all failed to finish.
Brewczynski could only finish ninth, but this did not stop him from pulling off a comeback win in the Townsville finale.
It was another chapter of Anderson’s so near yet so far title defence as he fell short of a maiden victory in the 2023 season by just 0.5s.
Anderson had led the first eight laps of the 10-lap affair, but could not stop the charging Brewczynski from sneaking by on the penultimate tour
The was drama at almost every turn with Nathan Williams spun at the first turn and was collected by Steve Jakic.
Chapman led the field initially, but lost the lead to Anderson at Turn 3 and was spun by Adam Uebergang two corners later.
Uebergang’s race ended in the wall however, with a heavy front on crash at Turn 8 sparked by contact from DiMauro which brought out the safety car with.
Brewczynski used the restart to continue his charge, muscling his way past DiMauro and Quinn.
By lap nine he was in position to challenge for the lead and got the job done to demote Anderson, while Joel Heinrich and Craig Woods collided which sent the latter into mechanical-based retirement.
The dramatic pair of races sets the scene for the season finale at Highland Motorsport Park on November 3-5.
Toyota 86 Series
Campbell Logan took a tight win in the Toyota 86 Series finale.
The final race of the Toyota GAZOO Racing Australia 86 Series was an intense affair where Campbell Logan kept his cool to be the third winner in as many races in Townsville.
After 12 tight laps of racing Logan had Ryan Casha on his bumper in a battle that went down to the final corner.
Despite a late attack, Logan held on to win by 0.2s with Reuben Goodall joining them on the podium 5s back.
Although he fell short in the battle on track, Casha was the most consistent driver across the weekend to walk away with the championship lead.
As Logan and Casha fought at the front, there was plenty of action behind them.
Brock Stinson and Rylan Gray spun together at Turn 9, whilst Jordan Freestone found the Turn 3 fence.
Further back the heat was on deeper in the top 10 when Lachlan Bloxham, James Holdsworth, Jack Westbury and many others embroiled in a crazy battle for position.
The big winner of it all was Westbury, who came home fourth, while the big loser was Richards, who dropped to 19th.
Upfront the fight for first went down to the final lap and Casha’s challenge appeared to have been dented by a big slide out of Turn 6.
However, he got a good exit from the hairpin and made a challenge down the inside at the final corner, but Logan covered to take victory.
The next Toyota 86 round is at Tailem Bend on August 18-20.
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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