Vaughan claims first win, Bates Sandown round winner

Tickford rising star Brad Vaughan has broken through for a long-awaited maiden Super2 Series race win in a chaotic finale at Sandown.

Vaughan led from lights to flag as there was action aplenty in the chasing pack, whilst third for Zach Bates saw the Walkinshaw Andretti United driver claim his second round win of the season.

The round win for Bates also sees the Canberran jump ahead of Aaron Cameron into second in the standings, now 126 points behind Kai Allen.

Three of the top four drivers on the grid hadn’t claimed victory in the Super2 Series before today, with Cooper Murray’s last win coming at Sandown last year.

Vaughan got a sensational jump from second on the grid to comfortably lead into Turn 1, whilst Campbell Logan made a blinding start from sixth to challenge for second.

Hughes then locked up at Turn 1 and sailed straight on, with Murray hitting Logan trying to avoid the Image Racing Commodore.

Zach Bates was able to grab two spots to grab third, whilst there was craziness behind when Cameron McLeod took to the jump at Turn 2 and stacked up the field behind.

The craziness would continue right the way to the final complex, when McLeod would push Max Vidau off at Turn 11, with Elliott Cleary having to take evasive action at the exit of Turn 12. 

Cleary would get bogged in the outfield after the heavy rain from yesterday, bringing out the safety car on lap two.

Vaughan would wait for as long as possible to lead the field back to green, with the field stacking up behind anticipating the restart.

Vaughan would get away at the head of the field, taking Murray and Bates with him, whilst Jobe Stewart got by Allen for fourth.

Hughes would attempt to kickstart his fightback by lunging on Allen at Turn 9, which invited Campbell Logan back into the fight in a fierce battle.

Further back in the pack, Super3 leader Cody Burcher was put into the fence by Cody Gillis at Turn 3 off the restart, whilst teammate Thomas Maxwell was also put out of contention after a collision with Reuben Goodall.

Vidau’s tough day was made even worse after Rylan Gray tagged him into a spin at Turn 9, whilst Super2 debutant Aron Shields spun into the gravel at Turn 9 to bring out the second safety car of the day.

Vaughan would once again lead the field back to green, and this time Bates couldn’t tag onto the back of the Tickford Mustang and the Eggleston Commodore of Murray.

The field would be much calmer in the third and final green flag run of the race, however the battle for the lead would briefly heat up as Murray closed up to Vaughan and drew alongside heading into Turn 11.

The South Australian would survive the scare, and eventually drove away from Murray to claim victory by just under a second from Murray and Bates.

Jobe Stewart finished fourth for Erebus Motorsport, and finished tied on round points with Bates, however the lower finish in the second race saw the reigning Super3 champion claim second for the round.

Stewart's fellow Erebus Academy prospect Hughes saw his day completely unravel after the final restart, dropping off the road at Turn 9 and eventually finishing 11th.

Series leader Allen continued to bank solid points for his title defence with a fifth place finish, ahead of Jack Perkins who prevailed in a fierce late-race battle for sixth.

Perkins and Jordyn Sinni had a hair-raising moment at Turn 6 on the penultimate lap when Aaron Cameron bought his way into the fight, somehow all escaping on the other side.

Sinni and Cameron would claim seventh and eighth, with Campbell Logan and Lochie Dalton rounding out the top 10.

After the issues that befell the two MW Motorsport Nissans, Tony Auddino claimed a surprise Super3 victory in 18th outright, a full lap ahead of Thomas Maxwell.

The 2024 Dunlop Series returns for their penultimate round of the season at the Repco Bathurst 1000 from October 10-13.