Mostert prevails in battle with Cameron for Race 1 win
Chaz Mostert beat Aaron Cameron to victory in the opening Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series race at Bathurst in a 10-lap showdown.
Cameron got a better launch off the front row of the grid in his Peugeot 308 and took over the lead from pole-sitter Mostert at the first corner.
Such was Cameron’s early pace that Mostert dropped 1.7s to the Peugeot at the end of the opening lap which extended out to two seconds the next time around.
As the race ticked past Lap 4 Mostert began to turn up the heat, setting the fastest lap of the race as he closed back in on Cameron.
He poked the nose of the Audi RS3 up the inside at Hell Corner and then Griffins Bend on Lap 7, but Cameron held on for a few corners more.
There was a brush on the wall for Mostert exiting The Cutting but that didn’t slow him down, sticking a move down the inside at the final corner later in the lap.
The pair ran side-by-side along the main straight before the pass was completed at Turn 1 and Mostert took over the lead.
The former Bathurst 1000 winner led to the chequered flag, winning by 1.1s over Cameron.
Garth Tander had a quiet race in third to finish on the podium in his Audi RS3, a further 3.3s behind.
Jay Hanson held onto fourth in his Alfa Romeo Giulietta while in similar machinery Lee Holdsworth drove to fifth, a position up from his starting slot.
John Martin came home sixth at the wheel of his Wall Racing Honda Civic Type R, followed by the Hyundai i30N of Brad Shiels in seventh.
Luke King picked up eighth aboard his Audi RS3, as Jordan Cox battled his Alfa Romeo from the back of the grid to ninth and Tony D’Alberto completed the top 10 in the other Wall Racing Honda.
Issues for the Renault Megane RS of Dylan O’Keeffe saw him retire to the pit lane in the closing stages.
Race 2 for Supercheap Auto TCR Australia is scheduled to get underway at 12:25pm and will be Live on the screens of 7mate in Australia.
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