Cameron dominates, Bates takes points lead after Allen crash

Aaron Cameron has claimed his maiden Dunlop Series win in a race that has wildly swung the 2024 Super2 Series title race.

Whilst Cameron won his maiden race in the series, Tickford's Rylan Gray claimed his first career round win, after the 17-year-old finished third in both races.

The Tickford junior had to hold off Walkinshaw Andretti United's Zach Bates for third place, however, Bates is now the Super2 Series leader after Kai Allen crashed for the second time this weekend.

Allen's disastrous weekend came to an abrupt end on lap two when he collected the wall at the exit of The Dipper after suffering a power steering failure.

Allen's second crash of the weekend saw him record a DNF when he could least afford it, with Cameron and Bates finishing in first and fourth respectively.

What started as a 126-point advantage for Allen at the start of the weekend has now become a 42-point deficit to Bates, with Cameron also jumping ahead of Allen to sit 39 points behind Bates.

Seven drivers are in mathematical contention for the Super2 crown, with Max Vidau (150 points behind), Jarrod Hughes (210), Brad Vaughan (261), and Jobe Stewart (267) also possible champions.

However, the attention post-race was on Tickford junior Gray, who claimed his first round win at the toughest circuit in the country at just 17 years of age.

"It's pretty cool, especially to do it at the Bathurst 1000," Gray said.

"We rolled out of the garage pretty quick, going one-two-three, but had to put two good qualifying sessions together, and we ended up doing that.

"And I knew coming into the final race we were in contention for a round win, so pretty pumped just to get off the start and just finish third, so super stoked.

"I was pretty confident with my car over the top, and down Conrod, we're pretty quick. So I was pretty confident we could hold [Bates] off which we did, and come away with a round win, so pretty happy."

Cameron converted his pole position beautifully to head the field into turn one, with Brad Vaughan going the long way around Hell Corner to maintain second.

Cameron led the field back to green after Allen's crash, and promptly set sail at the head of the field, leading the Tickford pair of Vaughan and Gray.

There was a wild sequence at the end of the restart lap, when Jobe Stewart locked up at The Chase and nearly cleaned up Lochie Dalton after spearing across the gravel.

Dalton was delayed having to take evasive action, allowing Max Vidau to range up alongside entering Murray's Corner, with Dalton taking a defensive line on the inside.

Vidau squeezed the Tasmanian onto the kerb, which bounced Dalton into the Anderson Motorsport Mustang and into a spin.

The chasing pack somehow avoided Dalton's stricken car in the middle of the road, with Dalton flick spinning back into the action well out of contention.

Stewart's left front tyre was damaged by the initial lock up, and then let go entirely at the same spot a couple of laps later, with yesterday's race winner forced to limp around all 6.2km after missing the pit entry.

Jordyn Sinni also had a tyre failure to compound Eggleston Motorsport's nightmare weekend, blowing a right rear tyre on the Car City Commodore.

Meanwhile at the front of the pack, Cameron had streaked away from Vaughan to claim victory by five and a half seconds, followed by Gray, Bates, and Jarrod Hughes.

The top 10 was rounded out by Vidau, Reuben Goodall, Cody Gillis, Campbell Logan, and Jonathon Webb.

Cody Burcher claimed Super3 honours in 11th outright, and also wrapped up the 2024 Super3 Series in the process.

The final round of the 2024 Dunlop Series will be held at the VAILO Adelaide 500 from November 14-17.