Bethune Wins Taupo GR86 Opener as Title Fight Heats Up

The Toyota GR86 Championship took a dramatic twist in the first race of the final weekend at Taupo with race winner Josh Bethune moving to just 44 points behind series leader Hugo Allan.

Hayden Bakkerus, who led the championship only two rounds ago – was left with an uphill battle with just two races remaining on Sunday after a crash towards the end of the race put him out.

This season’s rules allow drivers to drop their worst race result and once the dust settled, Allan completed the race in sixth with a 44 point lead over Bethune, who passed Bakkerus for second in the championship table.

Allan will still have to drop his worst race score – currently 26 points. Bethune though, has been racking up win after win in the second half of the championship and had a couple of poor races from the first half that he can use for his dropped score – and that won’t affect his current points tally.

It all leaves the Right Karts by M2 Competition driver in a strong position to challenge Allan on the final day of the championship on Sunday. “We’ve had a really, really good last couple of rounds and that’s certainly been a good back half to the championship after how we started,” he said afterwards. “I’ve got nothing to lose and we have a very fast car here so I’ll be going for it in the races tomorrow.”

Josh led away after a clean start and led fellow front row starter Zach Blincoe as they sped through the first infield corners. Behind them Cooper Barnes passed Ajay Giddy to assume third place while championship leader Hugo Allan settled into sixth behind Chris White.

Behind the top group Justin Allen, Australian Jett Murray, Cameron Hill and guesting Super 2 driver Cam McLeod completed the top ten. Bakkerus, second in the championship points, had a more problematic start and slipped back to 12th after the opening lap.

Bakkerus was the man to watch as he fought to get back into the top ten, duelling door-to-door with McLeod as early as lap two. He found a way by to go 11th and then set off after the cars in front.

Up ahead Allan also knew the significance of making places with Bethune in the lead and was engaged in his own battle with top rookie White Jr.

The order settled at the front for the second half of the short eight lap battle but it was all-on in the group behind as the laps counted down.

Unfortunately it all went wrong for Bakkerus at the end of lap six when there was a coming together at the final chicane when McLeod hit Bakkerus hard and sent both off and out of the race. Murray – an innocent victim in the chaos – was also spun but managed to re-join the race.

At the flag it was Bethune again for his fourth win of the season ahead of Blincoe, Barnes, Giddy, Allan, White, Justin Allen, Hill, top Master Simon Hunter and Arthur Broughan in tenth.

Sunday morning will see another 75 points up for grabs to the Race 2 winner – but the drivers will start in a reverse top ten grid order from today’s results. The final race of the season – formed by the drivers’ fastest times from Race 1 and Race 2 – takes place at 11.20am.

Race 1 Results:

Header Image: Bruce Jenkins (TGRNZ)