Perkins takes emphatic win, Allen fights back once again

Jack Perkins has claimed an emphatic victory in a dramatic opening race of the Dunlop Series at Townsville, whilst Kai Allen went from 13th to fifth to maintain his lead in the title race.

It was Perkins’ first Super2 win since Winton 2013, and also marks a win on return to the series for Blanchard Racing Team.

Perkins was overjoyed with the performance, as he got his enduro preparation off to the perfect start.

“A really awesome effort,” Perkins said.

"I’ve got to thank Blanchard Racing Team, Earl Evans, who's watching from Shaw and Partners over in Europe, mate, we did it, we got a win. I'm so happy.

"I didn't get a great start, but everyone else got worse starts, and then the next minute they were all gone in the mirror, so I figured there was a big crash, but just had to manage the gap.

"But the car was just so good. Big thanks to Blanchard Racing, all the sponsors for getting us here, and I'm rapt to get a win in front of my daughter.

“Motor racing is not cheap, so you need to find sponsors, and every single person here has got me here. I've had to do it the hard way. It's really rewarding."

Perkins would make a perfect start off pole position, whilst Cooper Murray missed the jump from second, kicking off a chain of events that culminated in chaos on the opening lap.

Murray and Brad Vaughan came to blows fighting hard for second, sending the whole field bar Perkins scattering on the run to turn three.

Murray and Vaughan fired into the fence on driver’s right, sweeping Campbell Logan with them, whilst Cameron McLeod slowed to avoid the melee and was drilled by Zach Bates.

All four were out on the spot with heavy damage, whilst Jordyn Sinni would retire on the next lap with damage after clipping McLeod’s spun car.

A lengthy bp pulse Safety Car period would occur to allow for the damaged cars to be cleared from the track, whilst several other cars would carry on with varying levels of damage.

The incident will be investigated post-race.

At the restart, Perkins would bolt from the field, whilst Bates would quickly fall back through the order as the damage to his car had a serious impact on performance.

Aaron Cameron would be promoted to second having started in ninth, and looked like he would make big ground up on points leader Allen, who also survived the opening lap pile up but was buried in ninth.

Allen would spend several laps bottled up behind Matt Chahda, who had gained 15 positions making his way through the carnage on the first lap.

Allen would make several attempts at turn two on Chahda, before finally getting the move done and then quickly chasing down Jarrod Hughes and Cameron Crick ahead of him.

Allen would settle into fifth, with Rylan Gray seven seconds up the road, before the safety car would be called for the second and final time following a high speed off for Dean Fiore at turn two.

The race would finish under yellow flags, Perkins heading home fellow Blanchard Racing Team enduro pilot Cameron, who gained big ground on Kai Allen in the points standings.

The final spot on the podium went to Max Vidau, who recovered from a crash in Practice One to jump into third in the points standings.

Rylan Gray would claim a solid fourth, ahead of Allen, Hughes, Crick, Chahda, Super3 winner Cody Burcher in an impressive ninth, with Lochie Dalton rounding out the top ten.

In the points standings, Allen now has a 33-point lead over Cameron, with Vidau 138 points behind Allen, and Bates 153 points off the lead after finishing a lap down in 19th.

The Dunlop Series take to the streets of Townsville tomorrow at 9:30am AEST for Boost Mobile Qualifying.