Championship leader Marley Mackenzie demonstrated all his title credentials to convert pole position into a hard-fought victory in a tense opening Junior Sportbike race.
Despite losing the lead off the line, Mackenzie produced a measured drive to reclaim top spot and seal the win over 10 breathless laps.
Early chaos off the line
When the lights went green, it was Luca Wilkinson who made the dream start from second on the grid, surging ahead to lead into turn one.
Ryan van Nieuwkerk capitalised on the frantic opening sequence to slot into second, pushing pole-sitter Mackenzie down to third in the opening exchanges.
However, the points leader kept his composure, picking his moments to carve his way back through the order before holding off the chasing pack to take the chequered flag.
Cumbermack battles in dense midfield
Further down the order, Bermudian racer Jediah Cumbermack fought through a tough ten-lap contest to cross the line in 12th place.
Cumbermack logged a total race time of 18:14.453 in a tightly contested midfield pack, securing valuable race distance and championship points.
Cumbermack said, “I started 12th and finished 12th. I just wasn't feeling quite right on the bike as I haven't been riding for 3 months. I start in 7th position tomorrow so, hopefully we can make some big moves from there.”
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