George Miedecke and Rylan Gray have completed the perfect comeback to win the second race of the weekend for Round 2 of Monochrome GT4 Australia at The Bend driving the Miedecke Motorsport/Lubrimaxx Ford Mustang.
Following a post-race disqualification yesterday, it was a lights-to-flag finish for the duo as the Mustang scored its third win of the season.
Gray made the perfect start to lead into Turn 1, but there was pressure from the reigning Monochrome GT4 Australia series winner Shane Smollen in the Method Motorsport Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 MR CS and the stablemate Tom Hayman in yesterday’s victorious McLaren Artura GT4.
The race was neutralised after 10 minutes when Race 1 runner up in Am Cup Vince Gucciardo spun and hit the wall at Turn 6 causing front damage to the GB Galvanising Racing Porsche, but the driver emerged unassisted.
Restarted with 40 minutes on the clock, Gray and Smollen built a gap back to the pair of Method Motorsport McLaren Artura GT4s, with the Central West Prestige BMW M4 GT4 G82 of Tim Leahey in tow.
Outside of the top five was the leading Am Cup contender in Jacob Lawrence racing on his own for the first time this weekend as regular co-driver John Bowe was unavailable. Lawrence held position ahead of Zoe Woods in the TekworkX Motorsport Porsche, second place in pro-Am Jason Yu driving the Zagame Autosport McLaren Artura GT4, Mark Griffith’s Mercedes-AMG and the similar entry of Jake Camilleri.
Gray held a 3.2s lead at the front as the Method Motorsport McLarens and Leahey demoted Smollen to fifth as the pit window opened.
Entering pit lane first was Gray to hand over the Ford Mustang to George Miedecke and followed by Tom McLennan in the Method Motorsport McLaren doing likewise to Nathan Morcom, with the team entry staying out.
Hayman was building a margin for the overcut strategy as Leahey was 6.3s behind from Woods, Camilleri and Rob Rubis for Mackay Goodwin Lloyds Auctions in the Ginetta G55 GT4.
Once the pit stops had been taken for the leaders Miedecke held a 14.9s margin back to Leahey, Marcos Flack and Morcom in the two Method Motorsport McLarens. A further 10s back was Lachlan Mineeff from Woods, Camilleri, Lawrence continued to lead Am Cup in eight outright from Sam Brabham’s Love Motorsport Mercedes-AMG GT3 and Ryder Quinn completed the top 10 driving the Black Diamond Building and Construction BMW.
There was a change at the front as first Flack, then Morcom moved through on Leahey as a fast closing Mineeff continued to close now just 6s behind.
Josh Buchan having taken over the Zagame Autosport McLaren Artura GT4 was a driver to watch due to his record setting pace in seventh and second in Pro-Am.
The leader in Pro-Am Cup was Mineeff and he sat fourth outright after passing Leahey as he turned his attention to his Method Motorsport teammates ahead.
Miedecke continued to hold a comfortable 11s advantage to hold the McLarens at bay as the race neared its conclusion.
In the end the Miedecke/Gray Mustang took the outright and Silver Cup win from the Method Motorsport McLarens of Hayman/Flack and Morcom/McLennan.
Method Motorsport secured Pro-Am Cup courtesy of Smollen/Mineeff from Buchan/Yu and Steve Jakic/Quinn in the Black Diamond Building and Construction BMW.
Lawrence dominated Am Cup from Griffith and the second Randall Racing BMW of Peter Lawrence partnered by Jamie Augustine rounded out the podium.