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Harris cruises to maiden TCR round win

By Thomas Miles

Date posted: April 14, 2024

Brad Harris completed a perfect Sunday to go back to back and take a maiden Supercheap Auto TCR Australia round win in Phillip Island.

After a race 2 victory that was not confirmed until well after the chequered flag, there were no doubts about Harris’ performance in the finale.

The Wall Racing driver snatched the lead on lap 2 and dominated from there, cruising to a 1.5s win.

It secured a maiden round win for Harris in his just his eighth event.

He led home Ben Bargwanna and Josh Buchan, while Aaron Cameron appeared on track for a trophy, only for a late flat tyre to strike and send him from third to 10th.

Bargwanna waved the flag for GRM with Ryan Casha also suffering dramas to finish 12th.

Richards got the jump off the line this time, relegating Harris to second as the field cleanly navigated their way around the first lap as Zac Soutar started from the pit lane, while Jude Bargwanna did not compete all together.

Richards’ time in the lead only lasted one lap before Harris attacked with a smart dive at Miller Corner.

The Wall Racing driver made the most of clean air and built a solid lead over Bargwanna and Cameron, who also got by Richards, who drifted out of the top five.

But the biggest victim of the top order shuffle was Casha. The GRM youngster suffered a suspected fuel pressure issue.

Despite Harris controlling the field, Bargwanna was slowly chipping away and brought the gap down to a second.

However, Harris kept enough in reserve to almost double his advantage inside the final five minutes.

There were bigger issues for the other GRM Peugeot of Cameron, who had a flat tyre and lost third to Buchan by running wide at Doohan.

Soon Cameron suffered a similar fate to teammate Casha spiralling down the order to 10th.

It promoted Buchan to the top three as Soutar secured sixth despite the pit lane start.

Bargwanna was also nervous about suffering the same fate, with tyre smoke also visible from his Peugeot, but he did enough to hold onto an important second for the race and the round.

Although Richards came home fifth, it was enough for the third-generation racer to secure an impressive third place for the round.

After an open and eventful round at Phillip Island, TCR returns to The Bend on May 31-June 2.

Image: Rebecca Hind/Revved Photography

Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Phillip Island race 3 results

Image: Rebecca Hind Revved Photography

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