Siercks, King Split Adelaide Victories

Week 3 of Season 8 produced exciting victories on the streets of Adelaide, with Chris Siercks prevailing in Race 1 and Josh King rebounding to take Race 2. Across both contests, the lead changed hands repeatedly, early incidents reshaped the order, and late-race pressure remained a factor through the closing laps

Race 1

A pace lap incident immediately altered the complexion of the opening race, dropping pole sitter Josh King and front-row starter Justin Mancherje down the order before the green flag conditions fully settled in. Chris Siercks emerged at the front in the opening moments, but the race continued to shift as Jeremy Toste moved into contention and then into the lead, while Kevin Cohen, Yonghwan Kim and Joe Baratta all figured prominently in the fight behind.

Toste then established control through the middle portion of the race, capitalizing as the battles behind him intensified. Cohen and Siercks exchanged positions in the fight for second, while Baratta remained in the mix despite an earlier incident. Further back, King began a determined recovery drive from the rear half of the field, climbing back toward the top five before another setback interrupted his progress. Adelaide’s tight, momentum-sensitive layout continued to punish even minor errors, and several drivers lost significant time or retired after contact with the walls.

The decisive moment came on the final lap. Siercks drew alongside Toste at the start of the lap, completed the pass for the lead through the opening sequence, and held the position through the remaining sectors despite immediate pressure from Toste and Cohen. Siercks took the checkered flag, with Toste finishing second after leading most of the race and Cohen securing third. Baratta finished fourth and first in AM, followed by Steve Hill in fifth.

Race 2

Race 2 began with King converting pole position into an immediate advantage after qualifying six hundredths of a second clear of Cohen. This time the start at the front was clean, allowing King to control the early phase while Siercks and Cohen contested second place. Joe Baratta soon joined that battle, and the front group settled into a four-car contest before the field began to spread.

While King built a margin at the front, the race remained active throughout the order. Justin Mancherje made an early move forward before spinning and retiring, while separate battles developed for fifth and deeper in the field. Baratta moved ahead of Cohen and later closed on Siercks, aided by a period in which Siercks lost time and King’s lead began to shrink in the closing stages. A prolonged fight between Dale Marshall and Luke Severance ended with both cars damaged, though both returned after repairs and resumed running.

In the closing laps, Baratta completed the move on Siercks for second, while Adam McNeil passed Steve Hill for fifth. King, however, remained far enough ahead to secure the victory despite late pressure building behind him. Baratta finished second and first in AM, Siercks completed another podium in third, and Cohen took fourth. McNeil rounded out the top five.

Event Summary

Week 3 delivered hard-fought races shaped by early incidents, late pressure and constant position changes. Chris Syrks claimed Race 1 after a final-lap pass on Jeremy Toste , while Josh King answered in Race 2 with a controlled drive from pole to victory. Across both races, Joe Baratta and Kevin Cohen remained central figures at the front, with Baratta also securing the AM class honors.