THRILLS AND SPILLS APLENTY IN SUNDAY FINALE HI-TEC OILS SUPER SERIES

The Celsius soared for the final day of action in Round 1 of the Hi-Tec Oils Super Series Season 4 at Shell V-Power Motorsport Park.

Two red flags tested the AASA’s new pledge guaranteeing every race is run to the scheduled distance. Despite those stoppages and further Safety Car periods, that pledge was honoured clearing the first acid test of 2026.

Racing across all categories on Sunday was a mixture of close racing, perhaps too close on some occasions with the almost inevitable contact that followed.

It was certainly the case in the 2026 Yokohama AASA Australian Formula Ford Championship as Oliver Wickham, Isaac Demellweek, Seth Burchartz and Jamie Rowe all looked to stamp themselves as title contenders by leaving South Australia with the championship lead.

That competitiveness was restricted to that lead group with drivers throughout the grid reluctant to give an inch across Sunday’s two races.

Wickham made a quick start in Race 3 to grab the early advantage with Demellweek also breaking away from Burchartz, March and Rowe, but it was all to no avail after a clash of wheels further down the order resulted in Xavier Henderson spearing into the gravel at Turn 11.

The ensuing Safety Car brought the field back together for the restart, which saw Wickham maintain his lead from Demellweek and Burchartz to the chequered flag.

Teammates Rio Campbell and Bradley James came together for the second time of the weekend at Turn 12, with the contact eliminating Campbell a few hundred metres from the chequered flag. It also gave the Kobi Williams run team a matter of hours to repair two damaged cars.

Race 4 proved to be the most problematic of the weekend for many of the debutantes in the open wheel series.

The leader hadn’t reached the first turn when Jett Leicester and Lachie Mineeff locked wheels, launching Leicester towards Hunter Salvatore just ahead. Leicester’s Mygale climbed over the sidepods of the Versa Motorsport machine, ripping wheels from the #77 before both cars came to a halt on the edge of the track. That brought out the Safety Car for a lengthy clean up.

Racing resumed at the half-distance point with Wickham ahead of Demellweek, Rowe, Burchartz and Imbrogno. Demellweek set the fastest lap of the race as the pair opened up a 0.765 gap to Rowe in third.

The race was temporarily red-flagged on Lap 11 after a heavy crash for Xavier Henderson at Turn 1, saw the #8 Spectrum stopped in the gravel with three corners of the car destroyed and Henderson out of the car but in some distress.

Wickham’s time at the top came to an end in the final laps as Demellweek, Rowe and Burchartz all found their way past the early leader, finishing the race in that order.

Wickham at least had the honour of claiming round honours and the championship lead, from Rowe, Demellweek and Burchartz. Round two takes place at Sydney Motorsport Park in late April.

Jackson Rice set the ball rolling for the TFH Hire TA2 Muscle Car Series -Presented by Maritimo with pole position for the first of two scheduled races for Sunday.

He converted that early advantage into two race wins in what was a day to remember for the Geoprge Gambino owned Hi-Tec Oils Camaro.

Rice took the outside line at the start of Race 3 to sweep ahead of Cheney and Smith into Turn 1, with the trio remaining in those positions throughout the opening portion of the race.

The leader board soon lit up with a series of yellow and red card infringements throughout the field, with Smith the highest placed to receive a yellow cars as did Zabetakis, while Smerdon had a red card added to his name.

A spin for Josh Thomas dropped the TFH Racing Mustang well down the order, with Diesel taking the family honours in 7th. Problems for both driver left just one TFH Racing Mustang of Des Collier on the grid for the final race of the round.

Rice took the win from Cheney, Smith, Gomersall and Heinrich.

The fourth and final TA2 race of the weekend began with Rice holding off Smith and Cheney as the trio ran three-wide into Turn 1. Smith’s hopes for a second win fell away as the #116 Camaro ran wide at the turn 6 sweeper and brought up a dust storm for those behind.

Turn 1 proved troublesome for many as the mercury turned rubber into marshmallow, with the #76 of Clinton Rayner spreading gravel across the exit of the corner after an excursion through the gravel, while Stephen Wilson brought out the Safety Car after his car became beached near the end of the lap.

Joel Heinrich moved into second place and cut into Rice’s lead, drawing to within 0.5 seconds of the lead as the chequered flag waved. Cheney held onto third place with Brock Paine, Smith, and Alice Buckley.

Kody Garland recovered from his own off at Turn 1 to finish 7th, while Pip Casabene, Collier and Chris Smerdon completed the top 10.

A second 50 minute enduro and a final 12 lap dash was scheduled for the IRC cars on Sunday, though things didn’t quite go to plan.

Lee Stibbs suffered a rare mechanical failure having once again started from the pointy end of the field. That left Geoff Emery in the lead from John Goodacre until the leader took his pit stop under green conditions.

Moments later, Danny Stutterd backed his #702 IRC GT into the wall at the exit of Turn 7.

Th impact broke the stop valve on the rear mounted refuelling points, which affected the pressurisation of the fuel. With that safety measure broken, fuelling flowed back up and out of the rear of his car, igniting the fuel on the still hot exhaust.

A large fire broke out in the rear of the car, sending a plume of smoke high into the sky. Whilst soon extinguished, that fire caught the attention of a group of people at the near bye Go-Kart track and encouraged them to find out more about the event.

Stutterd was unhurt in the accident and later told Velocity Motorsport Magazine about the casue of the fire and to explain that the damage, whilst appearing to be severe was actually more cosmetic than structural.

The extended Safety Car period created havoc for pitstop plans, with new race leader John Goodacre amongst those who were unable to stop during the designated pit window.

That circumstance eventually led to the decision to call the race a non-event.

It was a result which proved beneficial to Lee Stibbs, who trailed Geoff Emery throughout the course of the final race. Emery took the win from Stibbs and Goodacre, with Stibbs declared the round winner from Emery and Goodacre.

Legend Race Cars returned to the track for a further three races on Sunday, with an inverted grid for the opening race.

Robert Hogan and Ryan Pring held sway at the head of the field and opened a gap to those behind. An ambitious passing move by Pring at Turn 1 saw contact between the pair, with Pring on two wheels after secondary contact between the pair left Pring’s car unable to move away.

Josh Thomas took the lead at the restart and was never headed to take a win on debut in the Legend Cars. Dylan Thomas was second with Dean O’Brien rounding out the top 3.

Dan held the early lead from O’Brien, Reed, Dylan Thomas and Tate before an early full course caution slowed the field. The return to racing on Lap 4 with a six car freight train set fighting for the race win.

Dan dropped back to fourth on Lap 7 of 10 as O’Brien, Tippett and Thomas all used the draft down the front straight to their best advantage. Dan wasn’t about to let his recovery go unrewarded and fought back to the lead on the final lap, taking the win from O’Brien, Dylan Thomas and Tippett.

Dylan Thomas won the round from Chais Tippett and Dean O’Brien.

Formula RX8 had a further two races on Sunday and were not immune from Turn 1 chaos.

Whilst front runners Stiaan Kriel, Cadel Ambrose, Matthew Boylett and Justin Lewis stayed clear of any trouble, it was a different story for Domenic Caminiti and James Dixon.

Caminiti appeared to suffer a mechanical issue on the approach to Turn 1, with a trail of oil from the #55 smearing the circuit. Caminiti spun as his rear tyres became covered in oil, but worse was to befall James Dixon, who followed soon after.

The #33 was caught out on the oil, slid, clipped the kerb and rolled onto its roof. Dixon emerged under his own steam, while the Safety Car made an extended appearance as the cars were recovered and the oil covered with absorbent materials.

It was Kriel taking the win in the final race, while Ambrose was fortunate to take second after a late race attack almost caught out the #94. Justin Lewis finally got the better of Matthew Boylett for third with Thomas Derwen rounding out the top 5.

Kriel also claimed round honours From Ambrose and Boylett.

The second round of the Hi-Tec Oils Super Series gets underway for the two Days of Thunder at Queensland Raceway May 1-3.

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