Morse penalised over costly Best clash

Zane Morse has copped a points penalty over his role in an incident which saw Zak Best’s Dunlop Super2 Series points lead slashed.

The privateer racer, who claimed his first podium at the NTI Townsville 500 in July, hit the rear of fellow Mustang driver Best in Race 2 on lap 6.

The collision saw Best spun into the Turn 9 sand trap and sent to the back of the field, with the Benalla driver recovering to 13th overall.

Morse, meanwhile, picked up significant damage to the front of his #11 Mustang, and opted against returning to pit lane before stopping at Turn 6.

The incident was referred to the stewards after the race, with Morse docked 35 points over his role in the incident. Morse remains ninth in the points, 326 points down on the lead.

Where Morse scored no points, Best at one stage looked to lose his Super2 series lead he had held since Race 2 at the Newcastle season-opener.

Best arrived on Sunday 84 points ahead of Eggleston Motorsport driver Kai Allen, who came home fourth after being passed by Ryan Wood on the final lap.

The margin between Best and Allen is now 33 points heading to Bathurst, with Wood and Race 2 winner Cooper Murray 75 and 90 points behind respectively.

“Following a DRD post-race investigation with the driver of Car 11 Zane Morse and his admission to making contact with Car 17 at turn 9 causing Car 17 to spin and losing multiple positions, the Stewards imposed a loss of 35 Driver Series Points on Zane Morse,” the stewards report reads.

The 2023 Dunlop Series resumes at the Repco Bathurst 1000 on October 5-8.