Twenty-year old Kai Allen has become the first driver to win a Supercars race on the South Island of New Zealand, taking out today’s 120-kilometre opener at the ITM Christchurch Super 440.
It is Allen’s first career victory in Supercars in just his 47th race start. He becomes the 89th driver to win a Supercars/ATCC race.
The Mount Gambier native grabbed the lead on Lap 21 of 37 in today’s race, changing just two tyres on his mandatory pit stop while other leaders changed four.
The sophomore driver then kept his cool while holding off a rapidly closing in Brodie Kostecki and Ryan Wood to take a popular, hard-earned first career win.
It didn’t take long for drama to kick off in Ruapuna Raceway’s first race, with three cars clashing less than 100 metres off the line, taking out former Bathurst 1000 winner David Reynolds in his 500th Supercars race start.
The dust-kicking melee also caused confusion later in the opening lap, with marshals appearing to display yellow flags around the circuit, causing drivers to concertina unsure if conditions were green.
When the leaders emerged from their one mandatory pit stop, Allen was in front, and though Kostecki and Wood closed quickly, Allen held his nerve to take victory in front of an impressive Friday crowd.
By finishing second, Kostecki extends his championship lead to 55 points over Broc Feeney.
Meanwhile Wood also lengthens his advantage in the standings for the Jason Richards Memorial Trophy, now 40 points ahead of Kostecki at the halfway point of the six-race battle.
The driver who scores the most points across the Taupō and Christchurch events will be awarded the Jason Richards Memorial Trophy, named for beloved Kiwi driver Jason Richards who succumbed to cancer in 2011.
On-track action in Christchurch resumes tomorrow morning with Supercars Boost Mobile Qualifying from 10:05 a.m. NZST.
There are two more 120-kilometre Supercars races tomorrow, at 12:45 p.m. and 4:10 p.m.
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