BAYLEY HALL has claimed his maiden Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia race victory in a wildly dramatic enduro cup race on the streets of Surfers Paradise.
Hall took advantage of a battle for the lead between Callum Hedge and Dylan O’Keeffe to claim the victory after the former was penalised five seconds for running through the turn one-two-three chicane, and after passing the latter.
O’Keeffe had got down the inside of Hedge at Turn one, the Kiwi short-cutting the chicane in the process.
He resumed in front, while Hall passed O’Keeffe for second. Hedge crossed the line first, however was relegated down the order with the penalty at the end of the race, handing the lead and the victory to Hall.
The Queensland teenager becomes the eighth different winner of the dramatic season in a race that has thrown the title battle wide open.
Hedge’s penalty dropped him to 11th position while Jackson Walls was classified second and O’Keeffe third.
Provisionally, Walls now assumes the championship lead for the first time since June with a single point his advantage over Hedge.
Pro-Am is similarly dramatic with Sam Shahin failing to finish and now holding just a three-point lead over Adrian Flack heading into race three.
Shahin had a spin at turn eleven and as he recovered was hit by Rodney Jane. Matt Belford spun in avoidance and he was hit in the door by Tim Miles.
Shahin went to pit lane and was waiting to resume before the race was red flagged by an even more significant impact a few laps later.
The enduro race was cut short due to a massive crash at turn eleven that started when Alex Davison and David Wall made contact.
That spun Wall into the tyres, his car collected by Davison and Simon Fallon. Simon Fallon was also claimed, as was Harri Jones – who in turn was hit from behind by Liam Talbot.
There was a heated exchange between Wall and Davison, the pair having to be separated by Jones.
All drivers were checked by medical and released, while Talbot was taken for precautionary scans for a sore neck.
Results remain provisional pending further enquiries from race officials.
