Photo: Bruce Jenkins/Toyota Racing Series
The battle for the Toyota Racing Series title will go down to the final race after Lucas Auer flew to victory in race two to maintain his chances of overhauling Nick Cassidy.
Auer started the race from fifth on the reverse grid, and it was race one winner Steijn Schothorst who made a lightning start to get up to fourth at the end of the first lap from eighth on the grid. An error dropped the Dutchman back a few places, while brother Pieter Schothorst stopped from third place.
Now third, Auer chased down and passed Bruno Bonifacio for second before an intervention from the safety car after Michael Scott went off at turn one. The race resumed with three laps to go and Auer pounced to snatch the lead from polesitter Felix Serralles. The Austrian went on to take the chequered flag two seconds clear of the Puerto Rican with Bonifacio third and Pipo Derani in fourth.
Cassidy finished fifth as he saw Auer slash his points advantage from 45 to 19 points with 75 left up for grabs. Auer however starts race three – the New Zealand Grand Prix – down in 13th after failing to set a time in Saturday’s opening qualifying session, while Cassidy starts alongside polesitter Alex Lynn, who finished 13th in race two after an early off, ending his own title hopes.
Ignazio D’Agosto passed Steijn Schothorst after the safety car to finish sixth ahead of the Dutchman, with Tatiana Calderon, Dennis Olsen and Jann Mardenborough completing the top ten.
Results to follow