Atkins Claims Toowoomba Victory!
Todd Atkins has raced his way to an impressive victory in the latest round of the McCosker Super Sedan Series, taking out a non-stop 30-lap feature race tonight at Hi-Tec Oils Toowoomba Speedway.
Sean Black started the feature from pole position, with Atkins, piloting the Mazda RX7 this weekend, alongside on the front row.
Black got the initial jump, while Atkins settled into second running the high line. Will Hockley slotted into third on the low side in the early stages.
By lap eight, Atkins had closed the gap and began searching for a way past the leader. He made a move to the inside on lap nine but was unable to complete the pass.
Lapped traffic came into play with eighteen laps remaining, proving decisive. Black, running low, was baulked behind a slower car, allowing Atkins to sweep around the outside and take control of the race.
Black quickly switched lines and gave chase, while further back Mick Nicola Jnr was on the move. Charging through the field, he passed Nash Granger for fourth before moving past Hockley into third before the halfway mark.
By this stage, Atkins and Black had broken away from the field, while Nicola Jnr worked hard to close the gap. Behind them, Hockley came under increasing pressure from Zac Pascoe.
Traffic continued to influence the race, but Atkins expertly navigated the outside line, opening up a sizeable advantage, placing two lapped cars between himself and Black with five laps to go.
On the following lap, Atkins’ rotary engine began to emit smoke, which worsened with each lap. Despite the issue, he maintained a commanding straight away lead as the white flag was shown.
Atkins held on to claim a well-earned victory ahead of Black and Nicola Jnr, with Pascoe and Hockley completing the top five in the non-stop feature.
Feature, 30 laps: 1. V34 Todd Atkins, 2. Q26 Sean Black, 3. V23 Mick Nicola Jnr, 4. Q6 Zac Pascoe, 5. Q17 Will Hockley, 6. Q5 Nash Granger, 7. Q4 Sam Hughes, 8. N77 Hayden Brims, 9. N66 Jackson Brims (29), 10. Q44 Trent Wilson (29), 11. LV13 Scott Taylor (29), 12. LV42 Michael Taylor (28). DNF: Q11 JJ Hamilton (17), Q33 Brenton Chandler (17), N29 Zac Brims (9). Total Time: 7.41.359. Winning Margin: 4.310. Fastest Lap: 14.682 Q26 Sean Black.