Brad Vaughan claws back ground with crucial Bathurst win
BJR driver claims statement victory on the biggest stage
Vaughan beat points leader Lochie Dalton by three seconds
Brad Vaughan has claimed a statement victory on the biggest stage at Mount Panorama, dominating the Saturday afternoon sprint following a decisive move for the lead.
The #80 Commodore proved the dominant car, charging forward from fifth on the grid in the opening stages of the race to beat series leader Lochie Dalton by more than three and a half seconds.
The front row of Bailey Sweeny and Ryan Tomsett weren't even first or second by the time they reached Turn 1 on the opening lap, both cars tumbling through the field off the line.
Nash Morris and Vaughan split the middle to shoot into first and second, while Dalton took to the grass on the outside to get around the lagging Fords.
Tomsett had pace to burn however, and immediately put the pressure on the series leader as he looked to atone for his poor start, while Vaughan closed up on Morris in the lead.
By lap 4 he had closed right onto the rear bumper of Morris, and made his move with authority at Murray's Corner.
Vaughan faked to the outside before switching back to the inside on a diagonal line, taking to the kerb as Morris turned down.
But Vaughan wouldn't be denied, and pushed Morris out wide at corner exit for his trouble, promoting Dalton and Tomsett up to the podium.
That move proved to break the back of the race, Vaughan clearing out at the head of the field, and stretching out the margins of those behind him.
After qualifying a disappointed 10th, Reuben Goodall was another to benefit greatly in the opening stages of the race, carving through the field from 10th to fifth.
Whilst the action at the front of the field would die down, there was a great scrap between Bayley Hall and Jonathon Webb for ninth, Hall ragging his Eggleston Commodore across the top of the hill.
Webb would dive down the inside at Forrest's Elbow on lap 13, however Hall would force a mistake at The Chase that saw Webb off the road, and Hall back in front.
The pair then locked horns again on the run to Murray's Corner two laps later, as the battle began to turn nasty, but on the final lap Webb finally got the job done with a switchback from Murray's to Hell Corner.
But at the front of the field, Vaughan was in a league of his own, securing a maiden win at Bathurst, and closing his deficit to Dalton at the head of the points standings.
