MOTORSPORT: Sickness sidelines Audi star…

Dylan O’Keefe has Frenchman VK Vernay to thank for his third carsales TCR Australia Series race win.

When the first-race winner scratched from pole position on medical advice this morning, the door was opened for O’Keefe… And the Alfa Romeo driver had zero trouble as he romped to victory in the second of three contests at Queensland Raceway.

O’Keefe won by 7.7sec in his Giulietta, as Russell Ingall improved from third on Saturday to the runner-up spot with his Audi RS3, passing Tony D’Alberto’s Honda Civic Type R after a mid-race stoush.

There were plenty of battles but not much passing as 17 cars raced through 21 laps, with even championship leader Will Brown unable to advance past 10th in his Hyundai i30N.

O’Keefe was smiling but not cocky after his win, even though he was never remotely threatened.

“It was easy for the first 10 laps. Then I just tried to hold a steady pace,” O’Keefe said.

“But the job’s not done. That’s just the first half.”

Ingall admitted he had gone the wrong way on car set-up after taking third on Saturday afternoon, and is frantically re-setting his car for the third contest.

“We’ve gone too far the wrong way. We have to change it back,” he said.

Aaron Cameron did well for third in his Volkswagen Golf and he intends to challenge O’Keefe in the decider.

“The thing is fast,” he says.

Aaron Seton, who jumped into Vernay’s Audi at the last minute, took his time adjusting to TCR cars and competition but still managed 14th place after a torrrid battle with Chris Pither’s ailing Renault Megane.

“I’m building up to it. They’re good fun,” third-generation racer Seton said.