Pither wins Super2 title for GRM
Chris Pither has claimed a maiden Supercars title for Garry Rogers Motorsport, taking out the 2018 Dunlop Super2 Series.
Pither started the race with a 59-point advantage over Paul Dumbrell, while Garry Jacobson was also in an outside hope, 129 behind.
He was ahead when the race was red flagged after 10 of the 20 laps and not restarted, the outcome also the New Zealander's first Super2 crown.
"I’m over the moon to be honest, that race was going exactly to plan, obviously it would have been nice to have seen it out, but it sounds like Kristian [Lindbom] is alright, which is the main thing," Pither said.
"I’m over the moon for the entire team, there’s a lot of people that all play a role in putting a championship together, I’m just the lucky guy that gets to steer the car around the track.
"To join GRM in the Dunlop Series team this year and win this series is a credit to everyone involved and I’m looking forward to tonight.
"It is a credit to everyone that contributed to the whole program, our sponsors, First Security, Wilson, Pace, Paynter and Dixon, and everyone else that has really supported me over my whole career and put me in a position to be here today.
"Racing is my life, I put everything into this and I’ve had a few cracks along the years and haven’t, to be honest, put that many championships together.
"2015 was probably our best shot at it with Ice Break racing and we didn’t end up doing the final round when I joined Super Black [in the main game].
"To put the whole year together and get the job done is a bit of a relief and I big box ticked for me as a bucket list thing."
After losing the lead on the first lap on Saturday, Pither made no mistake 24 hours later.
The Wilson Security Commodore kept top spot from pole, and controlled the race through the early stages, leading Brodie Kostecki by 1.4 seconds on lap six.
That was the last before a Safety Car interruption, when Kristian Lindbom had a high-speed crash between Turns 10 and 11 in the Kali Motorsport Commodore.
After four laps behind the Vodafone Safety Car, the race was red-flagged on lap 10, with concrete barriers dislodged by the initial hit.
Drivers returned to pitlane but there was no resumption to the race, with no points to be paid.
Behind Brodie Kostecki in second, Dumbrell and Jacobson sat third and fourth, from Alex Rullo and Will Brown.
Kurt Kostecki, Macauley Jones, Jordan Boys and Bryce Fullwood rounded out the top 10 when the race was stopped.
In the series points, Pither, Dumbrell, Jacobson and Rullo were the top four, ahead of Brodie Kostecki and Brown.
Thomas Randle was the best of the rookies in 11th place.
