Red Star Raceway hosted the penultimate round of the 2024 Mobil 1 V8 Supercars Championship, where defending champion Julian Fameliaris overcame an opening race mechanical issue to claim third overall in extreme heat this past weekend.
Despite claiming another pole position, the Lube-Net-backed Chevrolet Corvette driver could not convert his pole into a win after suffering a clutch issue while leading the race comfortably. While not terminal at the time, the issue got worse on every lap, forcing Fameliaris to slow up, nurse the car home, and finish third in class.
Fameliaris, however, would be back to winning ways in Race 2 after starting third on the grid. With the issue resolved, he took an early lead in the race and managed his pace throughout to add another victory to his wins column. Despite the opening race challenges, Fameliaris maintained his lead in the championship with a round remaining.
“Not how we saw that first race panning out,” Fameliaris joked. “It was pretty nerve-wracking as the clutch started slipping on Lap 2 already and worsening. I hoped it wouldn’t cause me to stop completely, as I wanted to score the points on offer. But I managed to nurse the Chevy home, and once we got back to the pits, the team were straight on it. We definitely dodged a bullet today and head into the final round with our advantage still intact. Thanks to the team and those supporting for everything this weekend. Also a huge shoutout to the marshals who had to endure this heat all day. These guys deserve some praise.”
The final round of the championship heads to Zwartkops Raceway on 16 November.
Published by: Motorsport Fanatix
Picture Caption: Julian Fameliaris
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