Though the track may have then been wet, it wasn’t wet enough to warrant running without slicks and Baird and Richards were soon swallowed up by the other runners. They weren’t the only ones to make the wrong call, with quite a few other teams opting to bring in their steeds for a second stop to change to wets.
Ambrose on track seemed content to play the points game and certainly had his eyes set firmly on the championship. There was, however, no need to be worried, with both Jason Bright and Greg Murphy sufficiently behind him during the race.
Rick Kelly had certainly gained good advantage from his lighting stop, but Ambrose found himself right with the dicing Holdens of Steven Richards and Todd Kelly for second place. Richards had the second position but made a mistake and went long in his braking to allow Todd Kelly and very nearly Ambrose through too.
The elder Kelly brother was not to be long in this position however as he was soon to make his very own mistake and Richards was right there battling with the HRT car, only for Ambrose, probably not quite believing his luck, to take the both of them.
With the second place then his, Ambrose very nearly lost the position the very next time as he lost time in the hairpin, but ultimately the SBR reigning champ came home with a big smile after taking second place in his first ever race at his home circuit.
With just two laps the rain was certainly coming down harder, and it was time for the Skaife and Ingall show. The pair had been battling before in the race and this time it was for eighth, and it was to provide plenty of entertainment for the crowds. Symmons Plains is hardly a wide circuit and when there’s two drivers wanting the same piece of track it’s always going to be interesting. When those two drivers are Mark Skaife and Russell Ingall then wait for the fireworks.
