Nathan Morcom has won a dramatic second race around Albert Park as the CAMS Australian GT Championship supports the 2016 Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix.
As a damp track beckoned, Morcom was one of a handful of drivers who chose to start on slick tyres before a late race downpour shook up proceedings in the final stages.
Morcom and his TEKNO Autosport team-mates Grant Denyer and Elliot Barbour all opted for the dry Pirelli P-Zero tyres, as did the Vicious Rumour Racing Ferrari 488 GT3 of Benny Simonsen.
The quartet benefited as much of the field pulled into the pits at the end of the first sighting lap, switching to dry rubber at the sacrifice of their grid position.
Among the few who chose to stay out on wets, pole-sitter Scott Taylor headed the field to the flag but quickly lost out as his Mercedes-AMG GT3 found itself unable to match the slick-shod cars around him.
The same fate befell Peter Edwards and Max Twigg, both of whom had gained positions as the field pitted only to lose out as conditions favoured the slick rubber.
Promoted to an effective front-row start, Simonsen claimed an early lead before opening a sizeable advantage to Morcom, who made his way into second place in the early stages.
Simonsen’s advantage extended to more than six seconds midway through the race before a mistake as the rain began to fall allowed Morcom the opportunity to close the gap.
The TEKNO Autosports McLaren driver then harried the back of the race leading Ferrari but was unable to find a way through.
Morcom would cross the line second, little more than a car length behind Simonsen, but won the event once compulsory pit stop times were adjusted.
“We thought this would be our weakest link,” Morcom said of racing arond the Albert Park circuit.
“It’s a credit to the TEKNO Austosports crew and puts us in the best possible place for tomorrow.”
Grant Denyer and Geoff Emery shared an exciting battle, which saw the JAMEC PEM Audi get the better of the McLaren at the flag after running nose to tail for much of the race.
It was Denyer however who was classified ahead in the final results, the McLaren Melbourne car fifth with Emery’s Audi sixth.
The biggest mover was Klark Quinn, who dived into the pits before the race had started for a change of tyres before scything through the field to be classified third.
McLaren ended the race with four cars in the top five after Elliot Barbour also rose well through the field starting 15th, leaving the SLR Tekno Autosports McLaren is a strong position for Race 3 on Saturday.
The third 25-minute race of the weekend is scheduled for 12:05 on Saturday which will be broadcast live on Channel Ten as part of their coverage of the Grand Prix.
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