While Race 1 of the Tyrepower V8 SuperUte Series on Saturday at Symmons Plains Raceway went the way of Aaron Borg, the Race 2 result was four years in the making for Craig Woods, taking his first Series race win since Bathurst 2022.
In Saturday’s opening 20-minute race, Borg (#4 Team Motion Racing Isuzu DMax) took the lead from first-time polesitter Justin Ruggier (#88 Thrifty Western Sydney Motorsport Toyota HiLux) with the pair swapping the lead several times as two Safety Car periods played out. Race 2 was likewise punctuated by two Safety Car periods, and both races culminated in one-lap dashes to the chequered flag.
While Woods (#64 Thrifty Western Sydney Motorsport Toyota Hilux) commanded the reverse grid Race 2 showstopper from provisional pole, leading from start to finish and successfully keeping the lead at both restarts.
In Race 1, Borg held off a last-lap charge from Ruggier to open the Tyrepower Tasmania Super 440 with a win for Team Motion Racing. Borg got the better start off the line as Ruggier struggled to select the correct gear and took control from Turn 1. The field then bunched into the hairpin as Cody Brewczynski (#18 Thrifty Western Sydney Motorsport Mazda BT-50) locked a wheel, leaving him nursing a front-left flat spot for the remainder of the race. Despite it, Brewczynski ran close behind the two front-runners as they tangled for control.
By lap 3, Ruggier muscled past Borg with a clean move for the lead just before the first Safety Car, as Michael Sherwell (#55 Spanline Newcastle Mitsubishi Triton) speared into the wall after being tagged from behind while recovering from a moment on the exit of the final corner. Ruggier led on the restart and controlled the middle part of the race, but ran wide attempting to cover Borg on lap 8, surrendering the position he’d worked hard to take.
As the race unfolded, the Western Sydney Motorsport pair battled for the remaining podium steps, with Brewczynski narrowly surpassing Ruggier for second at the line. Third place is a personal-best Series result for Ruggier, who has been away from motorsport for 12 months while recovering from illness.
There was plenty unfolding in the mid-pack. Adam Marjoram (#15 Team Motion Racing Isuzu DMax) moved up two positions to finish fourth while managing clutch problems, after brake issues with the #15 had been fixed overnight.
David Sieders (#1 WeatherTech Mazda BT-50) rounded out the top five, ahead of Rossi Johnson (#333 Shorebarge / Apogee Motorsport Holden Colorado) in sixth. Johnson and Series rookie Ruben Dan (#111 Brown Commercial Building Mazda BT-50) are both doing double duties this weekend, each also running in the Aussie Racing Cars Series. A spin into the gravel at the harpin left Dan needing to be towed out, triggering the second Safety Car in the race’s final moments. He was classified 19th, two laps down.
Seventh through tenth were covered by Woods, Jack Westbury (#29 Jack Westbury Racing Mitsubishi Triton), Cameron Crick (#7 EFS 4×4 Accessories Isuzu DMax) and Jason Norris (#8 Auto Masters Racing Toyota HiLux). Woods delivered a solid run to seventh for the third Western Sydney Motorsport entry and raced hard against Sieders and Johnson, while Westbury ran a strong race in only his second Tyrepower V8 SuperUte Series outing.
Rookie Hudson James set the fastest lap with a time of 1m00.9282s in the #68 EFS 4×4 Accessories Mazda BT-50 and finished 11th, while fellow rookie Brock Stinson worked his way to 12th from the back of the grid. Stinson had missed qualifying by mere moments as his team raced to swap the engine in the #31 Anytime Finance Ford Ranger between Practice and Qualifying on Friday.
Tasmania is proving a track that delivers rough-and-tumble racing, with a number of V8 SuperUtes returning to the paddock well bruised after Race 1. Chris Formosa (#49 Uniden Ford Ranger) limped home in 13th with extensive radiator damage after being pushed into the car ahead. The damage proved too extensive to make Race 2.
Rookie Ashton Sieders (#3 Sieders Racing Team Mitsubishi Triton), debuting with the Series this weekend, found himself in the middle of a concertina at the hairpin and was classified DNF.
Race 2 delivered a sensational win for Woods – one of the Series’ most experienced drivers – but it proved a tale of highs and lows for Western Sydney Motorsport when Ruggier’s #88 rolled after contact at the hairpin. Upon exiting the vehicle, he was alert and immediately assessed by the on-site medical team before being taken to hospital for precautionary checks, as the team faced a massive night of repairs ahead.
Woods made a commanding start, drag racing Johnson almost to the hairpin on lap one before Johnson fell back, allowing Marjoram and Sieders through, with Johnson slotting in ahead of Brewczynski. Westbury and Richard Mork (#78 Wheelnutz Garage Toyota HiLux) had a brief tangle at the hairpin as Mork lost speed exiting the corner.
By lap three, Woods had established a small gap on Marjoram when a tank slapper from Ashton Sieders sent the #3 into the Turn 3 wall, making heavy contact with the armco and leaving the Mitsubishi Triton with significant left-front damage. Dan and Sean Evans (#33 Airbag Man Racing Mitsubishi Triton) narrowly avoided getting caught in the incident.
The race resumed with eight minutes to go, Woods under heavy pressure from the pack. The green flag flew for less than a lap before Ruggier found himself in trouble as the field checked up at the hairpin, rolling once and coming to rest on all four wheels.
Woods controlled the final restart as the clock wound to zero, leading Marjoram and Sieders across the line for the Race 2 podium. The top ten was completed by Johnson, Brewczynski, Crick, Borg, Norris, Westbury and Stinson.
Race 2 results are still preliminary pending a stewards hearing on Sunday morning.
Round 2 of the 2026 Tyrepower V8 SuperUte Series concludes on Sunday with Race 3 at 8.50am and Race 4 at 1.05pm. Both races will be broadcast live on FoxSports 506 and Kayo.