ZAK Best has grabbed the Super2 title lead after winning an abbreviated second race at the Newcastle season-opener.
Walkinshaw Andretti United rookie Ryan Wood had starred earlier in the day to clinch pole position at just his second attempt in the category, but it was all downhill from there for the Kiwi.
Wood dropped three places on the run to the first corner and then triggered a seven-car pile-up on Lap 6 when he crashed at Turn 8.
That brought out the Safety Car, which would remain deployed until the end of Lap 15 as yet another Super2 race went time certain.
Wood lost the rear at Turn 8, slapping the wall and bouncing back onto the racing line, leaving Jack Perkins with nowhere to go.
Brad Vaughan, Cameron Crick, Jay Robotham, Zane Morse and Zach Bates were also caught up in the melee.
Perkins, Wood, Vaughan and Crick all were forced to retire while the others involved limped home.
Out in front, Best was untroubled, and led the field home ahead of Aaron Love, Matt Chahda, Jay Hanson and Cooper Murray.
Cameron McLeod was the lead Super3 driver in outright eighth, although Jobe Stewart retains the points lead after McLeod was handed a time penalty last night for a driving infringement.
In the Super2 title race, Best is 18 points clear of Saturday winner Murray, with Hanson a further 30 adrift.
RESULTS: Dunlop Series, Race 2, Newcastle
| Pos | No. | Driver | Team | Car | Time/Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 17 | Zak Best | Anderson | Ford | 27m56.7683s |
| 2 | 78 | Aaron Love | BRT | Ford | +0.2757s |
| 3 | 18 | Matt Chahda | MCM | Holden | +0.7066s |
| 4 | 49 | Jay Hanson | Image | Holden | +1.0401s |
| 5 | 88 | Cooper Murray | Eggleston | Holden | +1.6503s |
| 6 | 26 | Kai Allen | Eggleston | Holden | +2.1228s |
| 7 | 30 | Aaron Seton | Gomersall | Holden | +2.8396s |
| 8 | 92 | Cameron McLeod | RMRC | Nissan (S3) | +3.4774s |
| 9 | 999 | Jobe Stewart | Image | Holden (S3) | +5.3595s |
| 10 | 89 | Ryan Gilroy | AIM | Holden (S3) | +6.0391s |
| 11 | 54 | Jordyn Sinni | Eggleston | Holden | +7.2685s |
| 12 | 117 | Jett Johnson | Johnson | Nissan (S3) | +8.7034s |
| 13 | 22 | Mason Kelly | Kelly Racing | Nissan (S3) | +10.4541s |
| 14 | 97 | Matthew McCutcheon | Eggleston | Holden (S3) | +11.3554s |
| 15 | 33 | Callum Walker | Walker Racing | Holden | +12.3393s |
| 16 | 6 | Elly Morrow | Tickford | Ford | +13.0842s |
| 17 | 39 | Chris Smerdon | MSR | Holden (S3) | +13.8769s |
| 18 | 67 | Nash Morris | Morris | Holden | +15.1027s |
| 19 | 219 | James Masterton | Masterton | Ford | +16.4351s |
| 20 | 35 | Jason Gomersall | Gomersall | Holden (S3) | +18.1637s |
| 21 | 25 | Zach Bates | WAU | Holden | +23.2181s |
| 22 | 3 | Jay Robotham | MWM | Ford | +1 lap |
| 23 | 11 | Zane Morse | AIM | Ford | +2 laps |
| DNF | 70 | Jack Perkins | Erebus | Holden | 7 laps |
| DNF | 2 | Ryan Wood | WAU | Holden | 6 laps |
| DNF | 5 | Brad Vaughan | Tickford | Ford | 6 laps |
| DNF | 38 | Cameron Crick | Eggleston | Holden | 5 laps |
| DNF | 43 | Lachlan Dalton | BJR | Holden | 0 laps |
| DNS | 7 | Jim Pollicina | MoComm | Holden (S3) |
