Teenager Allen becomes youngest ever Super2 champion

Kai Allen has rewritten the history books, with the Eggleston Motorsport driver becoming the youngest ever Dunlop Super2 Series champion.

Allen ran a circumspect race to fifth on Sunday, which was enough to clinch the title despite Anderson Motorsport rival Zak Best finishing second.

The end margin between Allen and Best was just six points, making 2023 the third closest season ever after 2004 and 2007.

A South Aussie local, Allen saved his biggest career moment for home soil with the Dunlop Series title in Adelaide. The teenager took the points lead on Saturday after Best was penalised over a clash with Nash Morris.

What was a 30-point lead for Best turned into a 33-point advantage for Allen with 150 points available on Sunday. Had Best won Race 2, Allen would have needed fourth to secure the title. However, Ryan Wood gapped the field to win, and with Best second, Allen had done enough.

Allen was aged 18 years and five months on race day, with the Eggleston driver beating Broc Feeney's 2021 record. Current Triple Eight star Feeney was aged 19 years, one month and 15 days when he won two years ago. Feeney himself broke Scott McLaughlin’s record from 2012.

Not only did Allen become the youngest champion in the 24-year history of the development series, he became the first South Aussie driver to win the Super2 crown since Todd Hazelwood in 2017. 

Most importantly, Allen erased the heartbreak of last December, when a crash in the final race cost him the Super3 title. Allen led the Super3 title fight for much of 2022, but his Turn 8 crash gifted the crown to fellow South Aussie Brad Vaughan.

"Oh my god, that's unreal," Allen said.

"Massive thank you to everyone in the Eggleston Motorsport crew, all my supporters, mum and dad and my family, there's no way I'd be here without them."

The 2024 Dunlop Series season will commence at the Thrifty Bathurst 500 on February 23-25.

Youngest Super2 champions