Gray edges Hughes in last-lap thriller, Peroni takes GTs

Rylan Gray overcame Jarrod Hughes by two-tenths in a last-lap GT4 thriller, while Alex Peroni enjoyed another GT World Challenge Australia victory at Queensland Raceway.

The GT4 Australia race was the race of a dramatic weekend, with the Miedecke Motorsport Mustang going head-to-head with the Triple Eight Mercedes of Hughes and Summer Rintoule.

After rain caused chaos on Saturday evening, sunny skies were welcomed on Sunday.

However, the drama started instantly with two cars spinning on the exit of Turn 2.

As George Miedecke established an early lead in the Gray Mustang, another Ford in Jason Gomersall did some synchronised spinning with the Method Motorsport McLaren of Loclan Hennock.

Miedecke controlled the opening laps, but Max Geoghegan was hunting him down.

Things came to a head at he 13-minute mark when the two leaders clashed at Turn 3.

Geoghegan came from a long way back and contact was made as they went side by side through the right-hander, which fired the Ford wide as Miedecke was certain he “left him room.”

Across the next lap confusion reigned as Geoghegan appeared to be making hand signals at Miedecke whilst covering the inside line.

In the end, the Method Motorsport McLaren maintained the lead, but after a Safety Car for a beached Hennock, things changed.

The Tom Hayman/Geoghegan car dropped down the order after the stops, whilst Gray maintained the lead.

After a second Safety Car was needed for the stopped Zac Soutar, racing resumed with 17 minutes to go and Hughes was down in fifth, but got his elbows out.

However, another stoppage, this time following a three-car shunt involving  Daniel Frougas, Lachlan Minseef and Adam Wallis once again at Turn 3, turned the race into a three-minute sprint.

Hughes was fourth, but went on the attack and passed Callaghan and Nash Morris with bold moves in consecutive corners.

This left two minutes for Hughes to slash Gray’s 1s lead and he gave it a red-hot crack.

He cut six tenths in the middle sector alone and gave Gray a little nudge coming through Turn 4.

The #87 Mercedes then launched a bold move around the outside of the final corner, which meant there were almost side by side as they took the white flag.

Hughes looked very racey, but Gray was holding firm and covered the inside line at the first three turns.

However, his charge was hurt at Turn 3 as he ran wide, which pushed his focus to keeping Morris at bay.

This allowed the ice-cool Gray to hold on by two tenths after a nail-biting finish.

“It was a nice big and tough Mustang holding on,” Gray said.

“We had a few Safety Cars and had to defend hard on the last lap and played all the games I had in my book, so it was nice to beat Triple Eight at its home track.”

In addition to the thrilling fight for overall victory, there were some other interesting stories in the class battles.

Cameron Crick and Dean Campbell produced their latest episode of last-to-first comebacks in Silver Am.

Meanwhile, Jacob Lawrence stole from Am on the final lap.

The GT World Challenge Australia podium. Image: GT World Challenge Australia

Having taking a maiden GT World Challenge Australia win last year, Queensland Raceway was always a happy hunting ground for Peroni.

Today has only further enhanced that case as he and Mark Rosser won another tight finish, leading an Audi podium sweep.

Peroni and Broc Feeney went at it off the rolling start, and the former won the battle.

There was drama further back with King, the worse off after a clash with Love at Turn 4.

But Dean Currie had a worse moment at Turn 1, spinning into the gravel and producing the first of three Safety Cars.

Lucchitti in the Ojeda Mercedes found himself in a personal battle with Wyatt’s Ferrari after a close call in the pits.

But Lucchitti threw it away, going too deep at Turn 3 and going off, forcing him to settle for eighth as Wyatt secured fourth alongside Love as the best of the rest behind the Audis.

Higgon in the KFC Audi also had a spin into the gravel and brought out the first of two Safety Cars.

The other was caused by a big name with reigning champion Liam Talbot half rotated at the first left-hander.

It created a two-lap dash to the flag and Rosser held firm to secure a second success with Peroni at the “Paperclip.”

The Kiwi Audi of Brendon Leitch and Tim Miles managed to snare second from Feeney/Schumacher in the battle of the Audis.

“I was a bit nervous. I did not know if MPC called for Higgon to beach it out there!

“Maybe I was a bit worried knowing Tim was fast and he made me work for it!”

The next round of GT World Challenge Australia is Sandown on July 25-27.

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