Allan claims first 86 win with Taupo masterclass

Hugo Allan made it a trio of first-time winners in the final Toyota 86 race at Taupo Motorsport Park.

It was a dominant win, one you wouldn’t traditionally expect a rookie to execute, especially considering it was only a year ago when Allan first raced a car.

Allan started on pole, led every lap and eventually finished nearly three seconds clear of Ronan Murphy in second.

“I don’t think we had a great car at the start or end of the race, it was just solid for the whole race and the guys at International Motorsport did a great job in giving me a car like that,” he said.

“The tyre pressures, the set-up, everything has been spot on this weekend, and it’s great that it all came together for a win.

“I’m pretty stoked.”

Allan’s victory means all three races had first-time winners.

The trend started on Saturday with Zac Stichbury, before Marco Giltrap delivered the goods Sunday morning.

At one point, Allan had nearly five seconds in hand between himself and the next car.

But some rapid-fire laps by Murphy ensured the gap dwindled down to less than three with a few laps remaining.

While it wouldn’t be enough to knock Allan’s stride, it certainly got him playing defensive.

“I was a bit worried about Ronan at the end, you always are when you are defending a lead, but I’ve been in this situation before in sim racing.

“It’s all about managing the gap and doing what you have to do to stay in control.”

Giltrap’s fine weekend concluded with another podium, finishing three seconds behind Murphy in third.

Rowan Shepherd was the best-placed title contender in fourth, further cementing his grip on a repeat championship.

The No.1 was snapping at the heels of Giltrap but never looked to be comfortable enough to dare a move.

But with Simon Evans finishing back in eighth and another DNF for Justin Allen (mechanical), Shepherd had more to lose than he did to gain.

Dion Pitt has been a quiet achiever all weekend and wraps up a solid points haul with a top-five result.

Next up, the series heads to Hampton Downs in late April for the final round of the season.