Press Release Courtesy of Super Sedans Tasmania.
Callum Harper has taken out the victory in round three of the Tazz Auto Shots Tasmanian Super Sedan Series after a controversial finish at Gulf Western & Independent Oils Raceway in Latrobe.
Steve Latham picked up where he left off in the opening two rounds, with a barn storming heat win in the first heat of the night. Wayne Dillon was next across the line in second, from Gil Aylett in third.
Grant Hopkins picked up a heat win for the second weekend in a row when he took out heat two. Latham continued his strong start with a runner up finish, ahead of Nathan Howells in third.
Rookie driver Josh Piscioneri picked up the first heat race win of his Super Sedan career when he picked up a hard fought win in heat three. Marcus Alexander pushed Piscioneri all the way in second, and Harper crossed the line in third.
Latham secured pole position for the thirty lap main event, with Alexander to start on his outside. Dillon would launch from the inside of row two, with Piscioneri on his outside.
Heavy hitters Harper and Jetson would start deep in the field, launching from eight and fourteenth respectively.
Latham looked to get the best of the initial launch, but Alexander drove deep into turn one, and powered right around the outside into the lead of the race.
Alexander would lead lap one from Latham, Dillon, Piscioneri, and Aylett in the top five.
Harper advanced to seventh on the opening lap, as Jetson moved up one spot to thirteenth.
Alexander and Latham were setting a frenetic pace out front, and quickly put a strong gap between themselves and the chasing pair of Dillon and Piscioneri.
Harper was applying immense pressure to Hopkins in sixth and that pressure would pay off on lap six when he took sixth position.
Harper moved into the top five two laps later when he took fifth from Aylett. Jetson entered the top ten on the same lap, having worked by Andrew Poke, Tim Johnson, Peter Johnston, and Robbie Bird in the early stages.
With the pace Alexander and Latham were setting out front they caught the tail of the field after just ten laps.
Dillon broke away from Piscioneri to consolidate third, as Harper worked to chase down Piscioneri who had a lead of four seconds over Harper in fifth.
Jetson moved to ninth and continued to show great pace after starting deep in the pack.
Alexander executed his moves through traffic flawlessly, putting a couple of lap cars between himself and Latham in second.
Harper and Jetson continued to make forward progress and they were doing it exclusively on the bottom of the track with everyone else running on the top side.
Harper worked by Piscioneri at the halfway mark of the race, and Jetson advanced to seventh on lap sixteen.
An error from Alexander brought Latham right back onto his tail as the lead pair entered the final ten laps of the race.
Harper stepped on to the podium on lap twenty one as he and Dillon battled through heavy lap traffic, with Harper capitalising to take third.
Harper had an enormous task to overcome being five seconds behind the lead pair of Alexander and Latham.
Latham drew level on the inside on a couple of occasions, but Alexander held his nerve on the outside and kept the lead of the race as the laps wound down.
Jetson entered the top five on lap twenty four after relegating Hopkins and Piscioneri in consecutive laps.
With Alexander and Latham stuck behind lap traffic, Harper began to bridge the gap and had cut the lead down to two seconds in the closing stages.
Alexander went to the bottom to put a lap on Bird, with Latham in hot pursuit. Alexander held his line on the bottom of the track as he looked to put a lap on Aylett, as Latham returned to the top of track.
Alexander couldn’t clear Aylett and with the top line wide open Latham powered around the outside of turns three and four to the lead at the white flag.
Alexander fought back into turn one, and as the two drew level contact was made sending both Latham and Alexander spinning to the infield.
The stewards left the lights green leaving Harper to storm by the stricken pair of Latham and Alexander and claim his first win of the season, a great reward after a challenging couple of weekends.
Jetson having moved to fourth, was next across the line in second for the best finish of his Super Sedan career to date as well as taking home the Tazz Auto Shots Media Hard Charger Award.
Dillon rounded out the podium in third for the second podium finish of the season.
Hopkins was next across the line in fourth who also recorded his best finish of the season to date, as Piscioneri finished in fifth for the first top five of his Super Sedan career.
Howells finished sixth, from Aylett in seventh, Bird in eighth, Poke in ninth, and Johnston rounding out the top ten.
Round four of the Tazz Auto Shots Media Tasmanian Super Sedan Series will head to Cranes Combines Carrick Speedway this Saturday to close out the opening four week stretch of the season.
Tazz Auto Shots Media Tasmanian Super Sedan Series Round Three
A Main – 30 laps
1. T22 Callum Harper, 2. T6 Corey Jetson, 3. T48 Wayne Dillon, 4. T73 Grant Hopkins, 5. T55 Josh Piscioneri, 6. T7 Nathan Howells, 7. T11 Gil Aylett, 8. T71 Robbie Bird, 9. T10 Andrew Poke, 10. T26 Peter Johnston, 11. T52 Brad McMaster, DNF T8 Steve Latham, T4 Marcus Alexander, T29 Tim Johnson.
Super Sedans Tasmania are proudly supported by;
Tazz Auto Shots Media
Speedway Sedans Tasmania
Richmond Speedway Inc
Nets Tasmania
Walsh Roofing
Australian Racing Products
Jury’s Earthworks
Roberts Don Mac
Document Management Tasmania
EB Graphics
Tas Plant & Supervision Hire
Masters Roofing
Total Automotive & 4WD
Gunn Fabrication
BlackAzz Asphalting
