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Lee Holdsworth takes opening race win in entertaining Symmons race
Lee Holdsworth has secured victory in the opening race of the 2021 Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series at Symmons Plains Raceway in Tasmania.
The Alfa Romeo driver started from pole, dropped back to second in the opening laps to Jordan Cox, but took the lead back to race on and keep his 100 percent Symmons weekend record in tact.
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Cox pressured Holdsworth until the end, forcing Holdsworth to drive to his limit to keep Cox behind, denying him a maiden TCR race win.
Holdsworth’s team-mate Jay Hanson finished an impressive third in his TCR debut, although his final result is under a cloud after he made contact with Chaz Mostert at the hairpin.
Mostert dropped to record a sixth place finish in what could have been a podium result.
Hyundai driver Josh Buchan claimed fourth place, and pending the result of the Hanson incident, could be elevated to third. Buchan was one place ahead of Peugeot star Aaron Cameron.
In seventh place was the Moutai MPC Audi of Luke King, just ahead of Hyundai driver Brad Shiels who was running higher up the field in the early stages, only to run wide on cold rear tyres.
Nathan Morcom (Hyundai) and James Moffat (Renault) completed the top 10.
Jason Bargwanna was 11th, while Michael Caruso’s 12th place was an burn from the stern after his car was jammed in gear on the start line, forcing an aborted start and Caruso forced to pit lane.
It was a day to forget for the Honda quartet, with a notable lack of straight line speed hampering their progress. Tony D’Alberto was best of the Civic Type R’s taking 15th.
Action continues tomorrow with two races at the Symmons Plains circuit.
POST RACE NOTE: Jay Hanson was penalised 10 seconds for the Chaz Mostert incident at the hairpin. The penalty drops him back to eighth place, promoting fellow debutant Josh Buchan (Hyundai) onto the podium.