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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJosh Anderson took victory in the opening Mustang Cup Australia race at The Bend. Image: Mark Horsburgh<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJosh Anderson took victory in the opening Mustang Cup Australia race at The Bend. Image: Mark Horsburgh<\/p>\n
The 2022 Aussie Racing Cars champion chased down Perkins over several laps, reeling in the Triple Eight co-driver, eventually taking the lead at the penultimate corner of the race.<\/p>\n
Perkins came home just 0.34s short of victory, with young gun Josh Trappett rounding out the podium.<\/p>\n
After stunning in qualifying, Harry Bresnehan started front he front row, having traded fast laps with Perkins.<\/p>\n
Bresnehan led the way early, capitalising on a slow start for Perkins.<\/p>\n
The protege of Nick Percat led the opening lap, before coming off the road at Turn 5, slipping back to fifth spot.<\/p>\n
Perkins took the lead from Anderson and ran away at the front.<\/p>\n
Anderson slipped back into the clutches of Trappett, while Bresnehan fought to pass Joe Fawcett.<\/p>\n
Formula Ford graduate Fawcett had two major sideways moments, once out of the final corner, and once going for a spin through the grass.<\/p>\n
Bresnehan held onto fourth spot while Fawcett recovered and finished in fifth place.<\/p>\n
Anderson set about a charge to chase down Perkins, catching at a fast rate over the closing laps.<\/p>\n
A tap on Perkins\u2019 rear bumper on the penultimate lap was not enough to unsettle the leader, as the pair continued to battle.<\/p>\n
Anderson made his way past Perkins on the final lap to steal the win.<\/p>\n
Imogen Radburn came home in sixth position, ahead of Brock Giblin and Matt Kiss.<\/p>\n
Ben Dunn took the win in the Dark Horse Legends class in ninth position, with John Goodacre and Keith Kassulke rounding out the field.<\/p>\n
Mustang Cup Australia returns on Sunday for qualifying at 8:45am ACST, before Race 2 at 12:55pm.<\/p>\n
Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge<\/p>\n
Xavier Avramides took his first Porsche Sprint Challenge victory in the opening race of the weekend in treacherous conditions.<\/p>\n
The rain began to fall immediately prior to the race, which saw all cars file back into the pit lane after the formation lap to switch to wet weather tyres.<\/p>\n
Johor Motorsports Racing junior Hayden Haikal started on pole position, but lost out at the start to Avramides, dropping back to sixth in the opening corners.<\/p>\n
Eric Constantinidis drew the first and only safety car of the race, finding the grass at Turn 1.<\/p>\n
Kamal Mrad took the lead shortly after the restart, closely followed by Lincoln Taylor.<\/p>\n
Taylor made contact at the final corner with Avramides and spun, recovering to finish 13th.<\/p>\n
James Lodge fought his way into the lead battle, coming away with second position, with Mrad rounding out the podium.<\/p>\n
Haikal recovered to fourth, with a quiet race for Daniel Quimby in fifth spot.<\/p>\n
Anthony Gilbertson took the win in the Pro-Am class, coming home in 12th outright.<\/p>\n
Haikal bounced back to take the victory in Race 2.<\/p>\n
The Malaysian young gun capitalised on a spin from Mrad following a safety car restart.<\/p>\n
Haikal led home Lodge and Hunter Robb in third place.<\/p>\n
Race 1 winner Avramides was shuffled back through the field on two separate occasions, each time the victim of a late dive.<\/p>\n
The safety car was drawn when Josh Thomas found the gravel trap at the penultimate corner.<\/p>\n
Lodge led the field to the restart, where Robb dived to the outside of Mrad, resulting in a spin for the latter, catching out Diesel Thomas.<\/p>\n
Haikal inherited the lead and led from there.<\/p>\n
Issue for Gilbertson saw him drop through the field, resulting in Constantinidis taking the Pro-Am win in 12th outright.<\/p>\n
Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge returns for the 45-minute Jim Richards Enduro Cup race on Sunday at 11:50am ACST.<\/p>\n
Ferrari Challenge Australasia<\/p>\n
Damian Hamilton took victory in the opening Ferrari Challenge race of the weekend.<\/p>\n
Steve Wyatt led the way for the majority of the race, but was not able to navigate the lapped car of Ross Tomain, allowing Hamilton through.<\/p>\n
Wyatt was forced to settle for second position, ahead of Robert Scott in third.<\/p>\n
Enzo Cheng came home in fourth, while David Trewern won the Coppa Shell class in fifth position outright.<\/p>\n
Tomain finished 11th outright to win the Trofeo Pirelli 488 class.<\/p>\n
Ferrari Challenge returns on Sunday for qualifying at 10:50am ACST, with Race 2 commencing at 3:45pm.<\/p>\n
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