11 June 2023 | General

Mawson two from two, disaster for Webster

ACM Finance.com’s Joey Mawson has continued his great weekend in the S5000 Australian Drivers’ Championship, winning Race 2 at Hi-Tec Oils Race Winton, whilst championship rival Cooper Webster had a disastrous race.

Mawson made a perfect start from pole position whilst Webster lit up his rear Hoosiers, allowing Blake Purdie in the Nippy’s Versa Motorsport entry to get to the inside heading into turn one from third on the grid.

Chaos then ensued at the first corner as Purdie locked an inside front and cannoned into the side of Versa Motorsport teammate Webster, with drivers checking up behind triggering further contact.

Team Valvoline GRM’s Jordan Boys was drilled by the third Versa Motorsport entry of Winston Smith, sending the rear of Boys’ car skywards.

That wouldn’t be the end of the first lap dramas either, as Purdie couldn’t steer his damaged Nippy’s car around turn two after colliding with Webster, and clipped Mark Rosser’s right-rear corner.

The safety car was called upon before a full racing lap could be completed, with all three Versa Motorsport entries of Webster, Purdie, and Smith out on the spot, joined by The Fuzzie Game Team BRM entry of Rosser, whilst Boys was able to continue after a front wing change.

A DNF is a big blow to the championship hopes of Phillip Island round winner Webster, who has been locked in battle with two-time defending Australian Drivers’ Champion Mawson all season.

The five remaining cars would return to racing conditions on lap five, for what had become a time-certain finish due to the lengthy safety car.

Mawson proceeded to stretch his margin over the remaining four cars from the restart, in a sight that has become all too familiar for the rest of the field.

Team Valvoline GRM’s Aaron Cameron was comfortably holding down second before making an unforced error when he locked the rears at turn seven and slid wide, allowing James Golding to slip through into second.

Though Golding initially began to close the gap to Mawson, the ACM Finance.com entry would pull out the margin once again, and Mawson cruised to his second victory of the weekend, setting the fastest lap of the race on the final lap.

Golding and Cameron would round out the podium, with Garry Rogers Motorsport stablemates Boys and Nic Carroll the only other cars to greet the chequered flag.

Race 3 for the S5000 Australian Drivers’ Championship starts at 1:55pm this afternoon.

You can catch all the action live, ad-break free, and on demand on Stan Sport.