Final-lap heroics hand Blincoe maiden victory at Hampton Downs

Zach Blincoe took his first overall race victory in style this morning at Hampton Downs, passing race leader Cooper Barnes at the start of the final lap to seal the deal.

It all looked like Australian Cooper Barnes would win after taking a comfortable lead at the start, but Blincoe had other ideas, taking second from Lee Zeltwanger at the halfway mark, then creeping up on Barnes before pouncing with a great move as they swept across the line to start the final lap. It was two wins out of two for Mackenzie Motorsport.

Barnes was satisfied with his pace and second place, while Toyota 86 Trophy Series winner Lee Zeltwanger grabbed his first ‘main game’ podium result with third.

The race, though, was all about an exceptional and patient drive by Blincoe as he moved through the field to the front.
 
“I’m stoked, I couldn’t be any happier,” said Zach afterwards.

“It was a bit of a shaky start and a bit dicey out there, but I just picked my way through and got there in the end.”
 
With the grid format a reverse of the top finishers from Saturday’s race, it meant pole position for Barnes. He had shown huge race pace on Saturday in his Right Karts by M2 Competition entry, moving from the back into the top ten, and that form continued in the morning’s race.
 
A perfect getaway at the start was the foundation of a commanding early lead for Cooper, but it was the race for the places behind him that grabbed the attention in the early stages.

Barnes and fellow front row sitter Zeltwanger were well ahead as they swept over the line to complete the first lap ahead of Ajay Giddy, Blincoe, Josh Bethune, Saturday winner Arthur Broughan, Chris White, reigning champion Hugo Allan, Harry Townshend, Cormac Murphy and the rest.

As the ten-lap race evolved, it became a race of two groups, particularly after Blincoe made the first of three crucial passes to take third from Giddy.

Ajay was left at the front of a multi-car dog fight that included the entire rest of the 15-car field in the early stages. Giddy was soon able to establish himself in fourth, but the battle behind him was intense.
 
Saturday winner Arthur Broughan and runner-up Josh Bethune were in the thick of that midfield battle, having busy races, both going off track during their scrap and conceding places to Harry Townshend and Cormac Murphy.
 
At the front, though, eyes were on Blincoe as he passed Zeltwanger for second and then set about catching Barnes, which he did with one lap to go. Cooper admitted afterwards he didn’t think Blincoe was close enough, but Zach swept by relatively easily and sped away to win.
 
Behind the top three, Giddy held on for an excellent fourth, while Chris White made solid progress after his Saturday penalty to take an impressive fifth.

Hugo Allan – another to cop a Saturday penalty – was sixth, while a smooth drive by Townshend saw him take seventh. A frustrated Bethune came home in eighth ahead of a strong Murphy and Broughan in tenth.

2025-2026 Bridgestone GR86 Championship Round 1 – Hampton Downs – Race 2 Result:

Header Image: Bruce Jenkins