Baldwin takes back to back wins after Ransley penalty
Intermach Toyota 86 racer Jordan Baldwin secured his second victory in the Toyota 86 Championship, and his second straight win of the weekend after on the road winner Jaden Ransley was penalised for a jumped start.
After losing out yesterday to a strong challenge from Jordan Baldwin, Jaden Ransley led every lap of the 15-lap race but stewards awarded him a five second penalty for moving early on the start and he was ultimately demoted to third. Despite that, he still managed to close the points gap to championship leader Callum Hedge, who finished behind him in fourth.
The starting grid order was defined by the second-fastest times from yesterday's qualifying session, leaving Ransley on pole alongside Jordan Baldwin with Peter Vodanovich and Justin Allen on the second row. Ransley crept and led away from the start, while Allen muscled Vodanovich to grab third. Further back Kaleb Ngatoa ran wide through the grass after running side-by-side with Connor Adam.
By lap four, Ransley had a two-second margin, but it took just one more lap for that gap to be eliminated by the Safety Car. The caution period had been prompted by Arran Crighton in the second CareVets Scholarship Toyota, after he spun into the gravel trap on the run to turn three.
As the field queued behind the safety car, Ransley's nearest rivals — Baldwin, Vodanovich, Allen, Brock Gilchrist, series leader Hedge, and Jacob Cranston — were all able to compress together for the restart on lap seven. Allen in fourth had the weakest restart, allowing Gilchrist and Hedge to queue up behind him.
The critical move in the battle for fourth came on lap eight. After a quick run through turn one, Gilchrist slid inside Allen at turn three. The pair rubbed panels and Allen dropped some tyres into the grass as Gilchrist went by. It killed Allen's momentum and allowed Hedge to get by too on the run to turn five.
Hedge then passed Gilchrist at the last corner a lap later — Allen following him through in what had blossomed into an exciting battle. Similar dicing at the front in the battle for second between Baldwin and Vodanovich was also raging as the duo raced in close proximity over the final handful of laps. In the end Baldwin took the spot by a mere tenth and a half, and a vital defence it was as it ultimately brought him a second race win.
2018-2019 Toyota 86 Championship Round 3 Teretonga Park Race 2 Result
1.Jordan Baldwin - Intermach NZ/Carters Tyres
2.Peter Vodanovich - CMC Markets/MacClure's ITM
3.Jaden Ransley - Miles Toyota/Kitchen Studio
4.Callum Hedge - CareVets NZ Ltd
5.Brock Gilchrist - NEXUS Logistics/Giltrap Group
6.Justin Allen - Battery Town/Thunder Adventure
7.Campbell Stewart - NZPGS/Hydraulink
8.Jacob Cranston - Best Bars/Vista Lite
9.Connor Adam - Post Haste/Weigh Northland
10.Kaleb Ngatoa - JJ Wallers/Capture Sign
11.Sam Wright - Tony Richards Toyota/Premier
12.Connor Davison - Hampton Downs/Highlands Park
13.Andrew Jackson - North Shore Toyota
14.Arran Crighton - CareVets NZ Ltd
