The Bend supports – Heinrich and Hedge keep on winning

There was plenty of action in the supports on Sunday at The Bend where Joel Heinrich and Callum Hedge continued their success, while carnage brought an early end to an entertaining V8 SuperUtes round.

Touring Car Masters

South Australian Joel Heinrich concluded a Touring Car Masters fling on home turf in grand style by recording a huge lights to flag win.

Despite taking a commanding 7s win and leading every lap of the fourth and final race, Heinrich missed out on round honours to Ryan Hansfor, who held off Steven Johnson to take out the important position.

Heinrich took controll off the line as Steven Johnson challenged Hansford for second on the outside, but the Torana prevailed.

There was further action behind as Marcus Zukanovic, John Bowe, Andrew Fisher and Dabby Buzadzic went four wide behind them into turn one, but everyone made it through the first three turns until the Jesus Racing Torana went off at turn six and dropped outside the top five.

Hansford and Johnson continued to trade places in their tense battle for second, but by lap three the former had kept the BRUT Mustang at bay.

Their squbble meant Heinrich had gapped the field by more than 2s, while attention turned to the battle for sixth.

Fisher got by Bowe with a daring late-braking move around the outside at turn one, but their fun was finished when the Rare Spares Torana was seen bouncing through the grass at turn 12.

Tony Kranafilovski, Warren Trewin and Fisher also all had off track moments.

Race 4: 1 Joel Heinrich 15:04min; 2 Ryan Hansford +7s; 3 Steven Johnson +8s; 4 Marcus Zukanovic +13s; 5 Danny Buzadzic +19s.

Porsche Carrera Cup

Callum Hedge contiuned his Porsche Carrera Cup dominance by taking a lights to flag win in the longer 20-lap race at The Bend.

Despite Jackson Walls only trailling the #Kiwi by 0.7s, Hedge was never under serious threat from losing the lead.

This was mainly because Walls had to fend off a charging Simon Fallon, who set some fastest laps to close to the bumper of the #11, but did not have enough pace to make a move and had to settle for third.

Christian Pancione put in another clean drive in the Supercheap Auto Porsche, while Max Vidau climbed up three spots to secure a top five finish.

In Pro Am Dean Cook held off Sam Shahin in a tense two-horse race, which means the pair will be locked on points ahead of the finale.

Fabian Coulthard could only manage after losing it on the exit of the high-speed turn five and having a big off, while fellow Supercars co driver Garth Tander was ninth.

It was a two-horse dragrace off the line as Hedge and Walls went side by side down to turn one, while Fallon soared to third with a fine start from fifth.

There was wild drama at the fast left-handed sweeper as Coutlhard had a wild spin and found himself strandard on the exit of turn five, but luckily everyone scrambled around the the pink car.

Dylan O’Keeffe calimed fourth, but soon got swallowed up by both Pancione and King at the start of the second lap.

The race went green until the chequred flag as Hedge continued to be the best at The Bend.

Race 2: 1 Callum Hedge 0:38.01; 2 Jackson Walls 0.7s; 3 Simon Fallon +1.4s; 4 Christian Pancione +2.9s; 5 Max Vidau +4.4s

S5000

Aaron Cameron denied Cooper Webster an S5000 sweep at The Bend by bouncing back to win the final race.

Having taken pole position, the 1s win was enough for Cameron to steal the round from Webster by just two points despite the latter dominating Saturday.

Little separated Cameron and Webster on the front row as Love also came charging from behind and had nowhere to go.

But the best start was from Blake Purdie on row three, but he was forced onto the grass by Jordan Boys.

Come turn one Webster looked to take control, but Cameron threaded the needle between Webster on the outside and Love on the inside at turn two.

This proved to be the deciding move as Cameron led all 12 laps to win by a second over Webster.

Love completed the podium ahead of Boys, who bounced back from early contact with Kody Garland.

S5000 go on a break before the Adelaide 500 finale on November 23-26.

Race 3: 1 Aaron Cameron 20:58.2641; 2 Cooper Webster +1s; 3 Aaron Love +7s; 4 Jordan Boys +10s; 5 Ben Bargwanna +12s.

Toyota 86 Series

Cody Burcher returned to victory lane in commanding fashion by dominating the 99th Toyota 86 Series race at The Bend.

Burcher led seven of the nine laps to cruise to a 3s win over Ryan Casha, who won an almighty battle for second which was not decided until the final lap.

Casha ended up getting the runner-up position, while Fabian Coulthard muscled his way past Ryan Tomsett at the long right hander.

At the start Jayden Wanzek led early as Hayden Hume was sent onto the grass and bounced over the kerbs at turn three and Harry Bates went off.

Wanzek controlled the first two laps but his hopes of victory disappeared in an instant.

After Burcher took the lead at turn one, just three corners later Wanzek had been bullied down to sixth and eventually took the chequered flag down in ninth.

The third and final Toyota 86 Series race is at 14.35 AEST.

Race 2: 1 Cody Burcher 20:28.3123; 2 Ryan Casha +3s; 3 Fabian Coulthard +4s; 4 Ryan Tomsett +4s; 5 Reuben Goodall +6s.

V8 SuperUtes

David Sieders clung onto round honours in the V8 SuperUtes, which were marred by a huge start line crash which brought out the red flag in the fourth and final race.

After three entertaining races, Sieders snuck ahead of the returning Cameron Crick by just one point, while the finale did not last a corner.

Although Sieders got another good start to beat Crick into turn one, there was chaos behind as utes went everywhere under the final foot bridge on the main striaght.

The major crash was caused by a squeeze between Holly Espray, Adrian Cottrell and Jaiden Maggs.

This sent Maggs spinnig across the track into Cody Brewczynski, who also hit David Casey on the inside.

Maggs then spun back across to the opposite side of the track and speared into the rear of Dean Brooking which almost sent the #52 into a roll, but stayed on all four wheels.

Brewczynski, Cottrell, Casey and Brooking were wiped out on the spot as the red flag ended proceedings early.

Earlier in the third race of the weekend and Sunday’s first, Crick continued his impressive comeback by scoring another win.

Sieders got the jump off the line as Crick settled in for second, who did not hold the position for long as Ryal Harris sent it up the inside at turn 14, but the #118 responded at turn one.

Harris dropped away from the leaders after losing it at turn 12 and he reclaimed third with a classic move at the hairpin on Jimmy Vernon.

Dean Brooking and David Casey both had separate spins at the final corner, while Alexandra Best and Richard Mork came together at 14.

It was not until the last lap when Crick made his move, outfoxing Sieders at the turn six hairpin and prevailing in a grandstand finish.

Race 3: 1 Cameron Crick 15:27.0794; 2 David Sieders +0,2; 3 Ryal Harris +5s; 4 Jimmy Vernon +7s; 5 Adam Marjoram +7s.

Main image by Mark Horsburgh

Download the full Supercars The Bend Round 8 Event Guide with track stats and facts and a full event schedule, plus extensive driver profiles HERE

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