The Dunlop Super2 season has finished with a dramatic two races at the Adelaide 500, series leader Declan Fraser coming away with two wins to secure the 2022 title.
The Australian appeared to be the man to beat since early Friday, qualifying on pole for both races. He backed up this with wins in each race to secure round, and championship, honours with a perfect weekend.
New Zealander Matthew Payne entered the weekend with a chance to challenge Fraser and Zak Best to take the crown, setting up his weekend strongly in qualifying on the front row in Race 1 and sixth in Race 2.
Fraser was a class above, however, taking a shortened first run ahead of the Kiwi after two Safety Car interventions.
With a large field of Super2 and Super3 cars on a street circuit, it was a given there’d be drama. It took until Lap 6 when Aaron Seton was sent into the Turn 6 barriers by Cameron Crick. It was a massive impact which saw the rear of the car airborne before coming to a rest and triggering a Safety Car.
Payne was sitting second, behind Fraser, at this point which was where he remained when another caution came about following a hectic restart which saw a number of incidents across the circuit.
This includes Jason Gomersall losing control and careening into Zane Morse, Angelo Mouzouris hitting the rear of Jay Hanson into Turn 7, which sent Matt Chahda into a spin, and Crick being turned by Ryal Harris at Turn 6.
Time constraints came into play shortly thereafter, the Australian taking the win over the Kiwi.
Race 2 brought about more of the same, except Fraser had championship second-place sitter Best for company on the front row.
It was Chada who provided the biggest challenge for the win, however, the 29-year-old crossing the line first but with a five-second time penalty to his name for a Lap 1, Turn 4 collision with Fraser.
Fraser was henceforth promoted to the win whilst Chada dropped to second.
Payne rounded out the podium after Thomas Maxwell finished third but had a penalty applied for a Safety Car infringement.
That intervention came about after Cameron Hill lost control and went into the wall at Turn 8.
It was the incident before that, however, that proved more costly.
Kai Allen had been leading the Super3 field all year and was at the front again until he lost control at Turn 8. He was forced to withdraw whilst Brad Vaughan took over to lead the class.
The DNF hurt Allen, Vaughan pipping him on the table at the post to take the 2023 Super3 title.
The double victory also secured Super2 for Fraser, the 22-year-old not caving to the pressure to topple Best by 126 points and Payne by 174.
