Press Release Courtesy of Super Sedans Tasmania, Images by Angryman Photgraphy.
Brad Pascoe has taken out a thrilling victory in the Gulf Western & Independent Oils Grand Prix at the Gulf Western & Independent Oils Raceway in Latrobe on Saturday night.
After five rounds of heats Pascoe stood at the top of the points standings, and went on to take victory in the ever exciting pole shuffle to secure pole position for the fifty lap main event.
Brad would opt to start the main event from outside pole, with his father Matty Pascoe joining him on the front row.
Brad got a great launch from the outside of the track to lead down the back straight on the opening lap.
Steve Latham started fourth, and railed the top side to take second. Darren Kane started sixth and also rounded up Matty Pascoe on the outside to take third at the line at the end of lap one.
Matty Pascoe ran fourth, from Callum Harper in fifth, defending Grand Prix winner Sean Black in sixth, and Zac Pascoe in seventh at the end of lap one.
Harper made a move on the bottom of the track relegating Matty to fifth on lap two.
Pascoe fought back on the top side and regained fourth position on lap four.
Black also moved by Harper on the outside, moving to fifth on lap six.
Up front Brad Pascoe led from Latham in second, and Kane in third as they entered lap traffic after just ten laps.
Kane capitalised on Latham being baulked by traffic to take second position on lap thirteen.
The first caution of the race was out a lap later as Steve Jordan and Adam Beechey got hooked together on lap fourteen.
Jordan was forced to retire with Beechey sent to the rear of the field with thirty seven laps remaining.
Brad Pascoe led at the resumption from Kane, Latham, Matty Pascoe and Black in the top five.
Brad Pascoe was under immense pressure at the front of the pack, with the top three under a blanket running on the cushion.
The moves came from deep in the top ten, with David Nichols moving to tenth on lap fourteen after he started from fourteenth on the grid.
Nichols took ninth five laps later working by Wayne Dillon on lap nineteen.
Up front the top seven were all within a straight away of one another as they reeled in the back of the pack.
Brad Pascoe moved to the bottom to put a lap car between himself and the chasing pack.
Black jumped the cushion in turn four and Harper took advantage to take fifth spot with eighteen laps remaining.
Matty Pascoe jumped to third on lap thirty four nailing a perfect move on the inside through turns one and two.
Nichols moved to eighth with fifteen laps remaining, relegating Luke Gunn to ninth.
Brad Pascoe continued to lead with Kane and Matty Pascoe all over the rear bumper of the new Tasmanian Champion.
Pascoe handled the pressure flawlessly and continued to make his moves through traffic with two of the best to ever do it in a Super Sedan throwing everything they had at the nineteen year old young gun.
Brad, Kane, and Matty ranged up on the back of some more lap traffic. Kane dove to the inside for the lead into turns one and two, leaving the door ajar for Matty to try and take second on the outside.
Matty drew level on the outside as two lap cars made contact in front of the lead trio, bringing the whole group unstuck.
Latham in fourth had no where to go and plowed into the left rear of Matty Pascoe which ultimately ended his charge from third.
Latham was able to resume, and would take the third from the restart.
The yellows were out again for a spinning Laura Davidson in turns one and two.
Pascoe led again at the resumption as Kane continued to apply pressure to the rear of Pascoe’s Sweet Chassis as the laps wound down.
Harper moved to fourth, taking the position from Black into turn one on lap forty seven.
Kane continued to throw everything bar the kitchen sink at Pascoe, but it would be to no avail as Pascoe recorded the biggest feature win of his career and more than $19000 in prize money to go with it.
Kane crossed the line just a couple of car lengths back in second, as the Grand Prix again slipped just out of reach of the four time National Champion.
Latham was the first Tasmanian across the line, rounding out the podium in third. Harper was right on his hammer in fourth, ahead of outgoing Grand Prix winner Black who bounced back following his rollover last weekend.
Zac Pascoe was next across the line in sixth, ahead of Nichols in seventh, Gunn in eighth, Dillon in ninth, and Davidson who rounded out the top ten.
Super Sedans Tasmania spoke to Brad Pascoe following his win and he had this to say;
“I honestly just can’t believe that this is really happening. I’ve watched Dad win a couple of these, and now to have one of my own is really special.
Can’t thank Dad enough for all of his help and support, big thanks to Vic and Damian for coming down this weekend and for all that they do for me. Thanks to Lara back home, and everyone here this weekend for their support!”
Attention now turns to the third and final instalment of the 2024 Tassie Tiger Super Sedan Trail; the Grand National at AutoKlene Hobart Raceway this coming Friday and Saturday night.
Gulf Western & Independent Oils Grand Prix
A Main – 50 laps
1. Q1/T1 Brad Pascoe, 2. Q36 Darren Kane, 3. T8 Steve Latham, 4. T22 Callum Harper, 5. Q26 Sean Black, 6. Q6 Zac Pascoe, 7. T3 David Nichols, 8. T12 Luke Gunn, 9. T48 Wayne Dillon, 10. T61 Laura Davidson, 11. V23 Mick Nicola Jnr, 12. T4 Marcus Alexander, 13. T7 Nathan Howells, 14. Q98 Michael Hally, 15. T73 Grant Hopkins (49), 16. T18 Dwaine Sonners (48), DNF T75 Brendan Flynn (46), N1 Matty Pascoe (41), T14 Adam Beechey (40), Q11 Rob Hamilton (34), V1 Jamie Collins (27), Q10 Steve Jordan.
