Overview
- Louis Sharp beat polesitter Ugo Ugochukwu off the line and controlled Race 1 to win by 0.448 seconds after 18 laps at Hampton Downs.
- Ugochukwu deployed the new push‑to‑pass system to close the gap, set the race’s fastest lap on the final tour, and finished second with potential grid benefits for Race 3.
- Reverse‑grid Race 2 went to MTEC’s Zack Scoular ahead of Jin Nakamura and Freddie Slater, with Ryan Wood fourth, Ugochukwu fifth, and Sharp sixth after a frenetic sprint.
- Qualifying set the tone for razor‑thin margins as Ugochukwu took pole in 1:29.267 by 0.007 seconds over Sharp, following practices where Wood topped FP2 and set the day’s best in FP3 at 1:29.764.
- Notable debuts and cross‑discipline entries included Supercars driver Wood finishing fourth in both races, while two‑time WRC champion Kalle Rovanpera qualified 16th and placed 17th in Race 1 before improving to 11th in Race 2.