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Anderson moves to title lead via Race 1 win
Michael Anderson has moved to the Dunlop Super3 Series lead after recording a solid victory in the opening race of Round 2 on the streets of Townsville.
Starting from pole, Anderson ceded the race lead to Nash Morris for the opening lap but was quick to work his way past his Ford-driving rival to take the lead on lap two.
RESULTS: Townsville 500 Race 1
He was never headed from there, surviving a late-race Safety Car scare to record his second win of the season and move to a clear championship lead for the first time in his V8 Touring Car / Super3 series career.
Anderson banked the fastest lap – a new Super3 lap record for the 2.8km Townsville circuit – on his way to a five-second win over Morris.
Reef McCarthy finished third for Image Racing, chased hard to the line by Brendan Strong.
The fight for the minors was highly competitive and was ultimately decided in the favour of former series champion Chris Smerdon, who finished fifth.
Smerdon dropped as low as ninth by mid-race, but was able to work his way forward as the race progressed.
Helped by close rivals Blake Fardell and Jason Gomersall’s troubles – both were not classified at the end of the race – the South Australian had climbed back to fifth by lap 16.
Steven Page and David Murphy, on his Series3 debut, completed the classified runners with Gary Collins, Fardell and Gomersall failing to be classified.
Anderson now moves to a 33-point lead over Brendan Strong and Reef McCarthy in the Dunlop Super3 Series standings, with one race remaining this weekend.
Race 4 of the 2021 series will be shown live on Fox Sports, Kayo and the Seven Network at 1:25pm AEST on Sunday afternoon.
A separate qualifying session will be held earlier in the morning, commencing at 9:30am.