Photo: JCR Multi Media
Noah Killion moved into the lead of AU4’s class for second-generation Formula 4 cars in round three at Phillip Island by winning twice.
In free practice one he set a 1m46.1997s to go fastest in tricky conditions, and Jensen Marold was his surprise closest rival in his first-generation car. There was a 0.6041-second gap between the two.
A representative pace got to be set in FP2, and Harrison Duske spent little time on track but with his final lap posted a 1m33.1802s to go fastest by 0.2822s over then-points leader Isaac McNeill. Cohen Kokotovich was third, 2.8522s off the pace.
Duske remained fastest in the first qualifying session, earning race one pole with a 1m30.6476s lap. Killin was just 0.1627s slower, and McNeill was 0.4377s beind in third. Brock Burton completed a top four covered by 1.2827s, and Marold claimed Gen1 pole for race one in seventh.
Laptimes were faster in Q2, and Duske improved to 1m30.3682s to deny Killion race three pole by 0.1631s. McNeill was a further 0.0233s behind, and Kokotovich was 0.8563s back in fourth. Marold repeated his Q1 performance.
Saturday ended with race one, and Duske did not have to worry about pressure on the opening lap as Killion had a bad start. But the pace advantage belonged to the chasing driver, and he went around the outside of Duske at the sweeping turn one on lap two.
Killion then built a gap, before a mistake brought Duske back into play, but he was able to distance himself again late on and won by 1.4204s.
McNeill had hoped to stay in contention for victory but did not have the pace, and was 6.8655s behind by the finish. Marold had a “straighforward” time dominating the Gen1 class, with rival Andrew Fitzpatrick over 14s behind him in eighth overall.
Killion started on pole for race two the next day and led lights-to-flag on a track that was damp in places.
He was 3.3s clear within a few laps as Duske and McNeill fought over second, with the latter ahead until a high-speed off at turn one that left him with a gap to Duske ahead. But a safety car period then brought them back together, and on the penultimate lap restart McNeill reclaimed the runner-up spot.
Killion finished 1.9121s clear and weaved across the finish line, but copped a five-second penalty that demoted him to fourth and put Imogen Radburn on the podium. Marold was Gen1 winner in fifth.
Duske lost the lead on lap one of race three, then was overtaken by McNeill on lap two. By the time he had recovered a spot, on lap eight when McNeill pitted, he then had to contend with Kokotovich behind him.
Killion won by 1.2848s over Kokotovich, as Duske got a five-second penalty. Fourth-placed Radburn and the lapped McNeill were also penalised, and Marold was class winner again in fifth.
Results round-up
Race 1 (16 laps)
1 Noah Killion AGI Sport 28m02.1112s
2 Harrison Duske Tim Macrow Racing +1.4204s
3 Isaac McNeill Volante Rosso +6.8655s
4 Cohen Kokotovich AGI Sport +9.6049s
5 Imogen Radburn AGI Sport +11.5994s
6 Brock Burton Tim Macrow Racing +13.5450s
7 Jensen Marold AGI Sport +54.7685s
8 Andrew Fitzpatrick Fitzpatrick Racing +1m09.0717s
9 JesseJames Samuels AGI Sport +1m20.8633s
10 Chloe Lane Tim Macrow Racing +1m20.8692s
Pole: Duske, 1m30.6476s
Fastest lap: Killion, 1m31.0265s
Race 2 (13 laps)
1 McNeill 26m39.5536s
2 Duske +0.5006s
3 Radburn +0.8276s
4 Killion +3.0879s
5 Marold +8.1045s
6 Fitzpatrick +11.9532s
7 Samuels +12.3547s
8 Koby Wilson AGI Sport +12.6286s
9 Lane +12.7437s
10 De’argo Stewart AGI Sport +14.1112s
FL: Killion, 1m31.2965s
Race 3 (11 laps)
1 Killion 27m17.4900s
2 Kokotovich +1.2848s
3 Duske +5.6343s
4 Radburn +8.1178s
5 Marold +14.9423s
6 Fitzpatrick +15.9817s
7 Wilson +21.9458s
8 Lane +30.8296s
9 Stewart +31.3182s
10 Lawrence Katsidis +53.4387s
P: Duske, 1m30.3682s
FL: Duske, 1m31.1516s
Championship standings
Gen2 1 Killion 175 2 McNeill 170 3 Duske 148 4 Radburn 123 5 Kokotovich 89 6 Burton 70 7 Georgia Morgan 36
Gen1 1 Marold 235 2 Fitzpatrick 142 3 Wilson 135 4 Stewart 90 5 Samuels 89 6 Lane 86 7 Katsidis 48 8 Nicholas Filipetto 20 9 Xavier Babbage Hocke 18