Qualifying and Race 2 brought a dramatic close to the opening round of the Ferrari Challenge Australasia at Mount Panorama Circuit, held in support of the iconic Bathurst 12 Hour. With championship points on the line and tensions rising, Sunday delivered both dominance and controversy on the mountain.
Driving the Ferrari 296 Challenge for MC Corsa, Rick Armstrong put himself firmly in the fight for Race 2 honours by qualifying second. His best lap of 2:07.522s placed him 2.449 seconds shy of pole position, which was claimed by his teammate, Antoine Gittany.
Also representing MC Corsa, Richard Moore steered his Ferrari 488 Challenge EVO to seventh overall and, importantly, first in the TP4 class. Moore’s 2:08.665s effort left him 3.592 seconds off the outright benchmark but comfortably at the top of his class.
Michael Walker, piloting the Ferrari 296 Challenge for Zagame Autosport, did not record a lap time in the session. The 30-minute Race 2 proved to be Armstrong’s statement drive of the weekend.
Starting from the front row, Armstrong wasted no time asserting control. He swept into the lead at Turn 1 on the opening lap and immediately began to stretch his advantage. By the end of Lap 1, he had already built a 1.5-second buffer over Jim Pollicina, who slotted into second, with pole sitter Enzo Cheng dropping back to third.
Armstrong’s pace was relentless. With 19 minutes remaining, he had extended his margin to 4.6 seconds, effectively breaking the field. His fastest lap of 2:07.486 not only underlined his dominance but also stood as the fastest lap of the race.
The race ultimately concluded under Safety Car conditions, but there was no denying Armstrong’s authority. He crossed the line to claim victory, with Pollicina second and Rod Wilson rounding out the podium. David Trewern and Masahiro Taguchi completed the top five.
For Moore, Race 2 was far more combative. After starting seventh, he slipped back to eighth off the line and found himself locked in a prolonged battle with Japanese driver Masahiro Taguchi for position. At the same time, he was forced to defend from Australian driver Aemel Nordin. Within a handful of laps, Moore lost ground to Nordin and dropped to ninth.
The complexion of the race changed dramatically with nine minutes remaining. In a fierce battle for second, third and fourth, Enzo Cheng and Antoine Gittany collided. The contact sent Gittany airborne into the sand trap and heavily into the wall, immediately triggering the Safety Car in what could prove to be a pivotal championship moment. Gittany made his frustration clear, gesturing toward Cheng as the field circulated under caution.
The incident promoted Moore to eighth on the road. After the race, Cheng was handed a 15-second time penalty for the collision, dropping him to 11th in the final classification. As a result, Moore was elevated to seventh overall and secured the win in the TP4 class. He set a fastest lap of 2:11.7003s during the race.
“It’s pretty surreal, really. A couple of weeks ago, I wouldn’t have thought I’d be racing at Bathurst in a Ferrari, but here we are! It’s a pretty amazing place to be.” said Moore
Michael Walker was listed as a DNS for Race 2, capping a challenging weekend for the Zagame Autosport entry.
With the curtain falling on the opening round at Mount Panorama, the Ferrari Challenge Australasia season is now underway in emphatic fashion. Round 2 is scheduled for 27–29 March at Phillip Island, where the championship battle is set to intensify following a dramatic and incident-filled weekend on the mountain.
Header Image: Manuel Goria
