Vaughan fends off McLeod in thrilling Adelaide finale

Brad Vaughan has fended off a hard charging Cameron McLeod to claim his first win of the 2025 Dunlop Super2 Series in the final race of the season at the bp Adelaide Grand Final.

By virtue of winning the final race, Vaughan claimed his first ever Super2 round win, and also claimed Brad Jones Racing's first points-paying race win in 11 years, following Chris Pither's win in Townsville back in 2014.

Off the start Vaughan and Cameron McLeod got an even launch, with the South Aussie holding on with the inside line despite McLeod launching off both of the kerbs on drivers right.

As Vaughan and McLeod settled into line astern, three of Tickford Autosport's Mustangs went to battle, as Reuben Goodall lunged an aggressively covering Nash Morris at Turn 4, with champion elect Rylan Gray almost caught as an unwitting victim.

Looking for his first race and round wins of what has been a tough title defence, Zach Bates launched a move on McLeod at Turn 9, but went straight on into the tyres with what he reported as a stuck throttle.

Further back in the pack NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Jesse Love got two for the price of one with a big move at Turn 9 on the second lap, whilst the Andeerson Motortsport teammates collided at the last corner.

Ryan Tomsett was left facing backwards, with Ayrton Hodson picking up a 15 second penalty for his role.

After an aggressive start, Morris began to fade as the race progressed as he battled with illness, with Gray rattling his rear bar as they exited Turn 9, before the #222 ran wide at the final corner.

Morris would get a reprieve on Lap 12 when Goodall became the latest victim of the Turn 8 sweeper when he clipped the inside armco whilst chasing Jobe Stewart for fifth.

After being spat into the outside wall, the local Adelaide boy was a passenger as he was then fired back into the inside wall with no steering.

With that, his chances of claiming second for the series evaporated, with the #5 Mustang eventually claiming fourth in the final points standings.

It also relieved pressure on race leader Vaughan, who had his margin whittled down by McLeod from two and half seconds to just one second.

However, it also put the 2022 Super3 champion under even more pressure, as he had a late-race Safety Car restart to survive, with just eight minutes left on the clock.

Vaughan ran slightly wide at the final corner, allowing McLeod to rattle his rear bar, however Vaughan was able to survive the scare.

Further back Bates' climb back through the field was halted when he slapped the wall at the exit of Turn 3, with the reigning champion forced into retirement to conclude his difficult season.

McLeod had several cracks at Vaughan in the final laps, but was unable to dislodge the local driver from securing a homegrown win.

Lochie Dalton also fended off Gray in the final laps to claim third for the race, and also third for the round behind Vaughan and Gray.

All told, Gray led Dalton by 258 points at the end of the season, with Morris third 324 points back, and Goodall 393 behind. Vaughan finished the season as the top Holden in fifth.

Triple Eight's Ben Gomersall wrapped up the rookie of the year crown with a sixth place finish.

The 2026 Dunlop Super2 Series commences at the Sydney 500 from February 20-22.