It was a Radical SR3 XXR 1-2-3 at Phillip Island today, with young gun Cooper Cutts taking the top honours ahead of second place Peter Paddon and Workhorse Am Class top finisher Ash Samadi in third.
Cooper Cutts picked up where he left off last season with a win in race one at Race Phillip Island today. The Terry Cutts Racing driver started fourth and quickly elbowed his way to the front of the field, where he would remain for most of the race.
The Ausnets entry of Terry Knowles / Barton Mawer was fourth, Ethan Brown and Arthur Abrahams were fifth and seventh, respectively, in their first First Focus Radical Cup Australia race, and Brad Russell split the debutantes down the middle in sixth.
Pole-sitter Peter Clare—driving alongside Josh Hunt—met trouble before the race began, slowing on the out lap and beginning the race from the back of the grid. Clare clawed the #47 back to as high as third before being shuffled back to 13th after the Safety Car was triggered just after the compulsory pitstop window opened.
Hunt went on to finish eighth, and Bill Medland was ninth.
Arise Racing’s Bryce Moore / Chris Reindler entry was in a strong position early in the race, even enjoying the race lead prior to the safety car and going on to finish the race in 10th.
The pair were caught out by the timing of the Safety Car and a radio issue that saw them in the lane twice.
Once racing resumed, it was a sprint race to the end, with Cutts taking advantage of his early pitstop to set a very comfortable lead ahead of Paddon.
In qualifying, it was a battle of the two Peters, with Clare and Paddon jostling for pole position right until the end of the session. Clare would secure pole with his 1m41.0889, just .008 seconds ahead of Paddon. Brown wasn’t far behind, with a 1:41.5449s to lock in third on the grid, and Russell was the top Workhorse Am Class qualifier in sixth outright.
The rain that was threatening all day on Friday finally delivered during the session, causing two red flag delays as teams made the necessary adjustments to their cars.
The First Focus Radical Cup Australia continues with one more race on Sunday at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit for day two of the Shannons SpeedSeries For Mustang 60 Years Race Phillip Island. Race two will be broadcast Live and Free on 7plus at 12pm AEST.