Young Victorian racer Cruz Carlin has headed North and walked away with the top prize, claiming the SSA Junior Sedan Queensland Title last night at Cairns Speedway.
Lawson Clarke and Benji Gordon would share the front row for the twenty-five-lap final, with Bailey Chandler and Marcus Moore coming from row two and Cruz Carlin and Tyler Beer from row three, the field lining up as the threat of rain again loomed.
After three attempts at a start, Clarke would finally lead the first lap on the fourth go around, Gordon in second and Chandler third. The top three were able to put a bit of a gap between themselves and the rest of the field early, with Chandler desperately looking for a way through into second.
Going side by side lap after lap, Chandler would poke the nose underneath only for Gordon to race back around the outside a number of times to maintain the position while up from Clarke was really beginning to stretch his lead.
With ten laps complete Carlin was in fourth ahead of Moore, with Baxter Attard then making his way into the top five shortly after, Carlin and Attard able to close right onto the back of the Gordon/Chandler battle for second.
The group all made contact, Chandler lucky not to spin with eleven remaining, Gordon crunching the wall and all of a sudden Chandler into second ahead of Attard, Lachie Burke and Gordon.
Attard got baulked by other cars with eight to go seeing Burke and Gordon both get by, Jake Synnott and Carlin also getting involved once again in what was an epic battle for the minors with Clarke well clear.
With five laps to go the order was Clarke, Chandler, Burke, Carlin and Synnott, then with three to go Burke just got the nose in front of Chandler on the inside while Carlin went around the outside for third, putting Chandler to fourth. The battle continue and as the lap counter ticked down the order would change once again.
Shortly after the yellows were on as Jai Cotterell ended up in the fence, stranded on the track and setting up a green, white, chequer dash to the finish. Clarke would lead away Carlin, Burke, Synnott and Chandler on the restart, Clarke going low and Carlin high.
Carlin quickly drew alongside Clarke and by the time they reached the flag stand Carlin had the nose in front. Clark fighting back underneath and the duo side by side coming out of the final corner. The duo would hit the line almost together, Carlin claiming the victory by a mere 0.061 seconds over Clarke in an epic race to the line.
Lachie Burke would hold on for third ahead of Jake Synnott and Baxter Attard who rounded out the top five.
UNOFFICIAL RESULT
Feature, 25 laps: 1. V12 Cruz Carlin, 2. N10 Lawson Clarke, 3. CR82 Lachie Burke, 4. N32 Jake Synott, 5. BB79 Baxter Attard, 6. CN10 Bailey Chandler, 7. M12 Samuel Duthie, 8. MBA27 Bray Taylor, 9. BB29 AJ MacDonald, 10. CR93 Tyler Beer, 11. RK55 Eli Allan, 12. C10 Ethan Jenner, 13. T22 Huxley Jorgensen, 14. C34 Kailyn Humphreys, 15. V12 Nathan Miles, 16. B101 Alexander Nicolaysen (24), 17. N27 Ellie Wilson (24), 18. T25 Livi Jorgensen (24), 19. NT4 Kade Beurskens (24), 20. NT64 Brock Beurskens (24). DNF: T38 Jai Cotterell (23), N96 Benji Gordon (19), N29 Marcus Moore (15), MBA10 Jacob Mollenoyux (0). Total Time: No Time. Winning Margin: 0.061. Fastest Lap: 17.819 N10 Lawson Clarke.
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