Robotham's Super Sunday brings second win
Up and coming Australian racer Jaylyn Robotham completed his own Super Sunday winning his second race of the day at Pukekohe Park in the first round of the Best Bars Toyota 86 Championship.
He headed a fierce battle for the lead - one of many in a hard fought race all the way through the field - until a spin by Flynn Mullany in the Tony Richards Toyota 86 into the sand on lap 11 triggered the Safety Car which brought the 16 lap encounter to an early conclusion.
At the start Robotham and Ransley enjoyed a fine drag race to the first corner and it was Australian sensation Robotham who held his nerve and edged into the lead at the first corner. And it was a lead he ultimately wasn’t to lose, despite the best efforts of Vodanovich, Ransley in the Miles car and an impressive Brock Gilchrist in his Nexen Logistics-backed racer.
The positions behind Robotham changed frequently as the three young racers fought it out to challenge his lead but the Aussie racer - who finished sixth in his domestic Toyota 86 Championship less than a week before - was not to be beaten and locked out the race win. Even more impressive was a round win at a circuit he had never been to and in a car of a different specification than he had raced before.
Behind the lead bunch there was plenty of action for the fans to enjoy with numerous great battles through the field. Richard Peasey, Campbell Stewart and Justin Allen enjoyed a spirited battle for sixth, seventh and eighth, while further down the field another epic battle raged between James Wilkins, a recovering Connor Davison after an early spin, Leo Bult and Mullany.
Campbell spun himself out of the picture and it was Mullany's exit at the final corners after dicing with Davison and Bult three abreast that brought out the Safety Car, thankfully with only little damage to the Tony Richards Toyota which needed a tow out of the sand trap.
After the Safety Car counted down the laps it was Robotham, Ransley, Vodanovich, Gilchrist, Peasey, Allen and Stewart with Andrew Jackson, Ryan Wood and Connor Adam rounding out the top ten.
Best Bars Toyota 86 Championship Round 1 Pukekohe Race 3
1 Jaylyn Robotham, Jay Robotham Racing
2 Jaden Ransley, Neale Motorsport
3 Peter Vodanovich, Peter Vodanovich Motorsport
4 Brock Gilchrist, International Motorsport
5 Richard Peasey, Toyota GAZOO Racing New Zealand
6 Justin Allen, Allen Racing Team/IMS
7 Campbell Stewart, M2 Competition
8 Andrew Jackson, Darkhorse Racing
9 Ryan Wood, Ryan Wood Motorsports/CareVets
10 Connor Adam, International Motorsport
11 Brayden Phillips, Phillips Motorsport
12 Connor Davison, M2 Competition
13 James Wilkins, Kaizen Racing
14 Leo Bult, Darkhorse Racing
15 Tayler Bryant, CareVets Scholarship
DNF Flynn Mullany, Tony Richards Toyota
