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Cameron Forced to Fight for Opening Sydney S5000 Win
Team Valvoline GRM’s Aaron Cameron has recovered from a tardy start to claim victory in the opening race of the S5000 Australian Drivers’ Championship at Sydney Motorsport Park.
Blake Purdie made a sensational start from second on the grid to lead comfortably into turn one, whilst polesitter Aaron Cameron went backwards, as S5000 debutant Aaron Love made got a good jump from third on the grid to head sneak past Cameron.
Cameron was in no mood to hang around however, and immediately dispatched the rookie around the outside of turn two, whilst Purdie began to stretch out the margin in his Nippy’s Versa Motorsport entry.
Attention turned to the battle for third place, as Cameron’s Team Valvoline GRM teammate Jordan Boys began to close on Love, making a move to the inside of turn one aided by Push to Pass at the start of lap three.
Love then fought back, attempting to force his way back through at turn two and making substantial contact with Boys, with the resulting damage pitching the Team BRM/88 Racing entry off the road at turn six.
There were more dramas at turn two further back in the field, as Sebastien Amadio made a clumsy move on Mark Rosser, pitching The Fuzzie Game Team BRM entry airborne, and putting the Amadio Wines car out on the spot with broken right front suspension.
Back at the front of the field. Cameron continued to close the gap on Purdie out in front, setting the fastest lap of the race on lap seven with a 1m 26.4885s.
Purdie was forced to cover into turn one on lap ten, allowing Cameron to get a run and make a bold move for the lead on the young South Australian down the inside of turn two.
Though the Nippy’s entry tried to fight back around the outside of turn three, but the Team Valvoline GRM pilot shut the door and was now in control of the race.
What was an almost five second margin on Jordan Boys in third closed dramatically in the final stages of the race as the second Team Valvoline GRM entry came to life in the closing laps.
However time ran out for anyone to make a move, as Cameron claimed victory by just over a second from Purdie, with Boys a further second behind.
Ben Bargwanna finished fourth for Hangcha Racing, ahead of Nic Carroll in fifth, with Kody Garland, Mark Rosser, and the delayed Aaron Love rounding out the classified finishers, and Sebastien Amadio the only driver to retire from the race.
The S5000 Australian Drivers’ Championship returns to the track for two more races tomorrow at 8:30am and 11:55am.
Both races will be broadcast live on Fox Sports 506 and Kayo Sports.