HMO Customer Racing’s Will Brown led a Hyundai 1-2 in the final TCR Australia race of the weekend at Phillip Island, finishing ahead of team-mate Nathan Morcom and the Volkswagen of Aaron Cameron.
At the start Brown got alongside pole-sitter Dylan O’Keeffe for the lead, but the Alfa Romeo driver lost control and spun off at Turn 1.
The race one and two winner was then collected hard off circuit by the Honda of John Martin, who had lost control at the first corner in a completely separate incident, also involving the Volkswagen of Alexandra Whitley.
All three cars were out and a four-lap safety car phase was required to clear away the damaged vehicles.
As racing resumed on lap six, Brown had team-mate Morcom behind him and was able to build a comfortable gap, although the eventual winning margin was just under half a second at the end.
Brown’s third win of the year keeps him in charge at the top of the drivers’ standings, with a 52-point advantage over O’Keeffe as a result of the latter’s retirement.
Cameron completed the podium in his Volkswagen, having secured the position from the Holden of Alex Rullo at the final corner after the restart on lap six.
Rullo, having at one stage looked likely for a podium, plummeted down the order on lap eight, eventually ending up in 12th after fading in the second half of the race.
Garth Tander followed Melbourne Performance team-mate Cameron home in fourth, despite his Audi sporting a patched-up repair job after his race two accident. The series newcomer had been eighth at the restart but moved up three places on the restart before passing James Moffat for the position on lap nine.
Moffat was fifth in his Renault, ahead of the Kelly Racing Subaru of Andre Heimgartner in sixth and the second GRM Renault of Chris Pither in seventh, the trio battling closely in the mid-stage of the race.
Jason Bright made up for his race two retirement with eighth in his Alliance Autosport Volkswagen, whilst Hamish Ribarits and Leanne Tander completed the top ten in their Audis.
Ribarits had started the race in third but was one of numerous drivers to go off on the opening lap, dropping the newcomer to 12th from where he could only recover three places.
Wall Racing’s Tony D’Alberto was caught up in the first corner dramas on lap one, losing control of his car and tagging team-mate Martin into the spin which took out O’Keeffe. Although D’Alberto was able to rejoin, he was at the back of the pack and could only manage 15th come the chequered flag.
The next TCR Australia event takes place at The Bend Motorsport Park on 12 – 14 July.
Race result
POS | NO | DRIVER | NAT | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | BEST | GD |
1 | 30 | Will BROWN | HMO Customer Racing | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 13 | 27:29.5800 | 1:37.344 | 2 | |
2 | 11 | Nathan MORCOM | HMO Customer Racing | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 13 | 0.486 | 1:37.507 | 4 | |
3 | 16 | Aaron CAMERON | Melbourne Performance | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 13 | 3.924 | 1:37.585 | 7 | |
4 | 4 | Garth TANDER | Melbourne Performance | Audi RS3 LMS TCR | 13 | 6.484 | 1:37.692 | 17 | |
5 | 34 | James MOFFAT | Garry Rogers Motorsport | Renault Mégane RS TCR | 13 | 7.926 | 1:38.165 | 10 | |
6 | 777 | Andre HEIMGARTNER | Kelly Racing | Subaru WRX STi | 13 | 8.553 | 1:37.973 | 16 | |
7 | 33 | Chris PITHER | Garry Rogers Motorsport | Renault Mégane RS TCR | 13 | 9.404 | 1:38.162 | 6 | |
8 | 8 | Jason BRIGHT | Taskforce / Alliance Autosport | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 13 | 9.516 | 1:37.941 | 18 | |
9 | 22 | Hamish RIBARITS | Melbourne Performance | Audi RS3 LMS TCR | 13 | 9.726 | 1:37.879 | 3 | |
10 | 3 | Leanne TANDER | Melbourne Performance | Audi RS3 LMS TCR | 13 | 12.366 | 1:38.245 | 13 | |
11 | 7 | Jimmy VERNON | Garry Rogers Motorsport | Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR | 13 | 16.369 | 1:37.724 | 8 | |
12 | 62 | Alex RULLO | Kelly Racing | Holden Astra TCR | 13 | 16.977 | 1:39.144 | 5 | |
13 | 6 | Molly TAYLOR | Kelly Racing | Subaru WRX STi | 13 | 19.151 | 1:39.231 | 11 | |
14 | 37 | Chelsea ANGELO | Kelly Racing | Holden Astra TCR | 13 | 23.129 | 1:39.375 | 12 | |
15 | 50 | Tony D’ALBERTO | Wall Racing | Honda Civic Type R TCR | 13 | 56.120 | 1:38.688 | 15 | |
R | 35 | Alexandra WHITLEY | Alliance Autosport | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 0 | DNF | N/A | 9 | |
R | 24 | John MARTIN | Wall Racing | Honda Civic Type R TCR | 0 | DNF | N/A | 14 | |
R | 9 | Dylan O’KEEFFE | Ashley Seward Motorsport | Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR | 0 | DNF | N/A | 1 |