Cameron Hill has staged a strong recovery in the Toyota 86 Series opening round at Phillip Island today, charging from 35th on the grid to 15th in Race 2 and up to sixth in Race 3.
Cameron Hill charged through the Toyota 86 field on Sunday at Phillip Island.
After yesterday’s disappointment of being taken out of the race lead, Hill’s strong fightback ensured he pocketed a healthy bundle of points from the weekend.
In Race 2, Hill also re-set his own lap record from yesterday, underlining the strong pace of the Southern Star Truck Centre/National Capital Toyota/Anytime Fitness Toyota 86 at the event.
“Race 2 was tricky because there was so much traffic, but we had made some changes to the car overnight, and straight away I could tell it was a lot more stable in the fast corners so I had the confidence to overtake cars,” Hill said.
The final race was interrupted by a multi-car incident at Turn 4, which Hill was lucky to avoid.
“I could see a car launching into the air on the inside, so I headed for the outside of the track and I was fortunate not only to miss the incident, but also gain a number of positions,” Hill said.
“The race finished behind the Safety Car and it was a shame we couldn’t restart, because my pace was really good and I’m sure I could have made up some more places.
“However, to finish in the lead group after yesterday’s dramas was still a good recovery, and unlike a lot of others I’ve managed to come out of the weekend with an undamaged car.
“We clearly have a very fast package and even though we’re behind in points, there’s a lot less pressure on us now and I’m looking forward to fighting back to the top of the table throughout the remaining four rounds,” Hill concluded.
Hill was thankful to emerge from the weekend with a solid points haul.
The next round of the Toyota 86 Series is at Townsville, 7-9 July.
Toyota 86 Series Round 1 Results Summary
Qualifying: 1st
Race 1: 35th
Race 2: 15th
Race 3: 6th
Overall: 14th
Toyota 86 Series – Top 10 Points
1. Jimmy Vernon – 290
2. Warren Luff – 272
3. Dylan Thomas – 220
4. Damon Strongman – 220
5. Jason Bargwanna – 214
6. Trent Grubel – 214
7. Luke King – 190
8. Reid Harker – 188
9. Liam McAdam – 188
10. Arron Borg – 168
14. Cameron Hill – 134
