Perkins powers away to win Sandown Dunlop Series opener

Jack Perkins has claimed his second win of the 2024 Dunlop Series in just his third start of the year, after a dominant display in Race 1 at Sandown.

Perkins won the start and was never headed in his retro-liveried Mustang, claiming the win in a race that finished under Safety Car conditions.

Although the track was declared wet well in advance of the race start, all 23 cars started on dry tyres with a dry line forming on the racing line, and the race would run without rain.

The outside of the grid was expected to get the best of the starts on the dry line, however Perkins would convert his pole in a textbook start to be well clear of the pack at Turn 1.

Bates flared into wheel-spin from second on the grid on the dry line, allowing Jobe Stewart, Cody Burcher, and Jarrod Hughes to swamp the WAU Commodore.

Bates would hang on to fourth, and would soon find his way by the Image Racing Commodore of Hughes to jump into third and begin to hunt the leaders.

The Super3 Nissans both got boxed around on the opening lap, Burcher ending up back in seventh, and Thomas Maxwell getting pushed off the road by Cameron McLeod.

The battle for the lead would heat up as Stewart, hunting for his maiden Super2 victory, put serious pressure on the #79 Mustang of Perkins.

The reigning Super3 champion even rubbed the rear bumper of the Townsville round winner at Turn 9, allowing Bates to claw back big ground on the lead pair.

Bates had Kai Allen for company, the current series leader putting in another sterling recovery drive from a disappointing qualifying to run fourth.

However, the bp pulse Safety Car would be called upon on lap seven when Callum Walker parked in the Turn 9 gravel trap after a wild ride.

After tagging Tony Auddino into a spin at Turn 4 earlier, Walker would lose the rear of his ZB Commodore coming down through the Esses and would clout the wall on driver’s right.

After a 10-minute Safety Car period, Perkins would lead the field back to green with 16 minutes remaining, Allen immediately putting pressure on Bates for third.

The third of the title contenders, Aaron Cameron, found his way by Hughes at the restart to jump into fifth, and also began hunting down Bates in his Kelly Racing Mustang.

As the run progressed, Bates once again came into his own, and began closing on Stewart in second, whilst Perkins continued to control the pace.

Perkins’ pace proved to be supreme as the race entered the closing laps, with Stewart falling back into the clutches of Bates in the fight for second.

Stewart was contending with a passenger door that had worked its way ajar, and ran wide at Turn 1, allowing Bates to range up on to the outside entering turn two.

Bates then ran wide having run off line, and Allen had a heart-stopping moment as he tried to capitalise on Bates running wide, almost looping the #1 Eggleston Commodore.

Any chance of a further fight for the minors was dashed when Cody Gillis brought out the second and final safety car of the day after having a near-identical moment to Walker.

After getting caught in the aero wash of Rylan Gray through the fast Turn 6 sweeper, Gillis lost the rear of his Brad Jones Racing Commodore on the wet run-off, and speared nose first into the Armco on the run to turn nine.

Stewart would equal his best finish of the season in second, whilst Bates would hold on to third and chipped away at the points margin to Allen, who finished fourth.

Cameron would claim fifth ahead of Hughes, Super3 winner Cody Burcher in an outstanding seventh, Jordyn Sinni, Campbell Logan, and Max Vidau rounded out the top 10, promoted ahead of Cameron McLeod who was penalised for his role in the Thomas Maxwell incident.

Sunday action for the Dunlop Series begins at 9:20am tomorrow morning for Boost Mobile Qualifying, before Race 2 of the weekend at 12:40pm AEST.