‘So dangerous’: Bathurst champ fumes over rival’s 280km/h move

DARWIN: Kai Allen has driven to a dominant victory in a chaotic second Supercars race of the weekend at the Darwin Triple Crown.

But it was a clash between his teammate Matthew Payne and Friday’s race winner and pole sitter Cameron Waters that was the big moment of the race.

Payne was one of the first drivers to make his compulsory pitstop having been slapped with a five-second time penalty for jumping the start.

After serving the penalty, Payne emerged in clear air and drove like a man possessed to make up the time lost by the penalty.

By the time Waters stopped at the end of lap 26, Payne had made up the difference and the Waters was only just in front. Payne, at 280km/h down the 1.1km long main straight, looked to make a move around Waters, who started weaving to try and warm his tyres.

Payne then tried to dive down the inside, but was squeezed onto the kerb on the inside.

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“Man that was so dangerous!” Payne fumed on team radio.

In commentary for Fox Sports, former champion Garth Tander – who drove with Payne to victory in the Bathurst 1000 last year – said he could see why Payne was filthy with the move.

The stewards agreed and issued Waters a bad sportsmanship flag – effectively a warning – for moving under braking, but elected not to issue a penalty.

Meanwhile, Allen had also been making gains ahead of his pitstop, and when he emerged from his own stop a handful of laps later, did so right between Waters and Payne.

Allen immediately started reeling Waters in, and was then gifted the lead when Waters made a tiny error exiting the Valley and was never headed.

He crossed the like nearly nine seconds ahead of Waters and Brodie Kostecki. Payne ended up fourth.

It was Allen’s second race victory of the year, and his first at Hidden Valley. It was just his fifth start at the track.

“Me and this place just gel - it suits my style and (race engineer Riccardo Corte) made that thing a jet,” Allen said on the broadcast.

“I knew I had something early in the race … and then when I came out on those fresh tyres and got past Cam (Waters) I knew we were on for a good race.

“Hard work pays off … this Mustang was absolutely lit.”

After Waters won the ‘coldest’ ever race in Darwin on Friday, the weather was back to its usual self in the northern capital – 32C and clear skies. It meant temperatures in the cabin were well exceeding 50C.

Kostecki drove much of the race without a drink bottle after a pump failure, and was tended to by medical staff at the end of the race. He did not go up on the podium.

Tickford driver Thomas Randle was also seen by medics, possibly treated for burns to his feet.

Meanwhile, it was a tough day for the Toyota Supras. Kiwi Ryan Wood was the only retirement from the race, having suffered a mechanical failure after contact with Declan Fraser in the opening laps.

Wood’s car dropped oil all over the circuit, and it caught out teammate and defending champion Chaz Mostert – in his 400th race – who slid off the road on the exit of turn five.

“It’s pretty frustrating – we’re battling for 13th, and it felt like the world championship,” Wood said on the broadcast.

“It felt like we were pretty good in the opening laps … it’s the story of our day because it seems like (Mostert) ended up slipping on all our stuff, so sorry for that side and sorry to the team. It’s really gutting.

“I made a meal of (qualifying) this morning and that’s what you get for racing in the mid-pack.”

Supercars has another 200km race on Sunday afternoon to wrap up the weekend.

Damien McCartney is in Darwin as a guest of Tourism and Events Northern Territory.