SA’s Allen seals record-breaking Super2 title 

Mount Gambier’s Kai Allen has taken the next step in his rise to being a Supercars star by beating Zak Best to become the youngest ever Super2 champion in an Adelaide finale dominated by Ryan Wood.

Although Best finished ahead on the road in second behind Wood, fourth place was enough for the composed Eggleston Motorsport 18-year-old to wrap up the Dunlop Series on debut by just 6 points.

Fittingly Allen’s moment arrived at his home race Adelaide, the same streets where he saw the Super3 crown slip through his fingers at turn 8 12 months ago.

Now in 2023, redemption is well and truly complete as Allen joined fellow Blue Lake boy Jobe Stewart as Dunlop Series champions, while his rival Best received the runners-up trophy for a third year in a row.

Kai Allen kept it clean to secure a dream Super2 title in Adelaide.

Allen joined the likes of Mark Winterbottom, Cam Waters, Scott McLaughlin and Broc Feeney as Super2 champions.

Having started the year with a broken collarbone before getting the breakthrough win at Townsville and making a Supercars debut at Bathurst, it was a campaign that left Eggleston Motorsport boss Rachel Eggleston in tears.

With this kind of emotion and support behind him, Allen dedicated the crown to his team after coming so close last year.

“Oh my god that is unreal,” he said after jumping on the roof.

“This is mainly for the Eggleston crew because I felt so bad leaving 2022 with nothing, so to come back and get the Super2 championship in my first ever year is just unreal.

“Massive thanks to the Eggleston crew, my family and supporters. We will keep pushing on but this is a sweet feeling that has not sunk in.”

Allen entered the race with a 33-point lead as Best had the track position, starting second, but just 2 spots ahead of Allen, who was directly behind him on the second row.

Best got the perfect start and charged into the lead after short cutting the chicane ahead of Wood.

Zak Best took a wild ride into the lead but ultimately fell second best in the race and the championship once again. Image: Mark Horsburgh

Meanwhile Allen had a slow getaway but importantly managed to keep Hanson behind and hold onto 4th.

The heat was in the fight for Super3 with champion Jobe Stewart diving down the inside of Mason Kelly at turn 9 for the lead.

There was also action at the front for the Super2 field by the end of a clean, but busy opening lap.

Wood kept in touch with Best and launched a dive-bomb to steal the lead at the final corner.

The #2 Kiwi quickly built a 1s advantage on the #17 Mustang which left Bates separating the championship rivals.

Further back contact from Jett Johnson sent Callum Walker into the tyres, while Kelly’s hopes of Super3 victory ended when he kissed the tyres at turn 6.

Aaron Love lost a bunch of spots after locking up and utilising the run off at the end of Wakefield Street.

The race settled down with half a second evenly splitting positions two to six.

Ryan Wood put in another storming drive to clean sweep Adelaide. Image: Mark Horsburgh

During this period McLeod found a way past Stewart to take the Super3 lead and he did not take long to go a second up the road despite losing his door skin on the driver’s side.

Johnson’s troubled day continued when he made a mistake and just found the tyres at turn 11 and a few laps later Nash Morris almost did the same thing after going side by side with Jordyn Sinni.

As the race drifted into the final 15 minutes, things were looking for Allen.

Wood was now more than 3s ahead of Best, who had a fight on his hands just keeping hold of second from the other WAU Commodore of Bates.

A further 1s back was Allen, who sat a safe fourth with the security of his Eggleston teammates Cameron Crick and Cooper Murray right behind him.

There was almost a storage as Jordan Boys and Matt Chahda clashed at turn 9.

Cameron McLeod flew to another Super3 victory in his Altima. Image: Mark Horsburgh

Boys hit the rear of Chahda which sent the latter into a spin, but the race stayed green.

With fifth place enough, Allen allowed teammate Murray by to take fourth in a sequenced move.

The fight for second in Super3 got heated as Stewart, Gray and Kelly all made contact at turn 7. The biggest loser was Gray, who got muscled out and dropped off the class podium.

Up front there was no stopping Wood who completed a dominant weekend and fast season in style.

But it was kids from the small country town of Mount Gambier, who were spraying the champions champagne on the podium at the track they adored growing up.

Dunlop Series race 2 results

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