HARPER LEADS AFTER NIGHT ONE OF THE GP!

Tasmania’s Callum Harper has dominated night one of the Gulf Western & Independent Oils Grand Prix at Gulf Western & Independent Oils Raceway in Latrobe to top the standings after the opening night of competition on January 27.

Victoria’s Mick Nicola kicked off his weekend with a win in the opening heat of the night. Nicola started from sixth and stormed through the field to take the lead on final circulation and took the win from Tasmania’s Robbie Bird who finished second. New South Welshman Tyson Moon rounded out the podium in third.

Harper was victorious in the second heat of the night, getting the best of Tasmanian veteran David Nichols who finished second. Aaron Dillon rounded out a Tasmanian trifecta in third.

New South Welshman Lachlan Onley was too good in heat three, leading home Tasmanian Corey Smith in second and Queensland’s Steve Jordan in third.

Harper left it late in heat four, but went two for two after railing the top of the track to go from third to the lead in the last two laps. Queensland’s Michael Hally would cross the line second, ahead of Moon in third.

New South Wales Champion Steve Latham scored the win in heat five. Smith would cross the line second, just clear of Nichols in third.

Tasmanian Champion Jamie Collins had a great battle with National Champion Matt Pascoe and won heat six. Pascoe finished second, comfortably clear of Western Australia’s Lee Aylett in third.

Queensland’s Brad Pascoe took a big win in the seventh heat of the night, crossing the line four and a half seconds clear of Hally in second. Harper would round out the podium in third.

Moon would narrowly claim the penultimate heat of the night, beating Matty Pascoe to the line by just 0.179 of a second. Nicola would cross the line third.

Collins would claim his second heat win of the evening, accounting for Queensland’s Sean Black in second, and Onley in third.

Collins would lead the field to the green in the evens feature with Nicola on his outside. Collins got the jump, with Nicola in second.

Nicola would hike the left hand side of the car in turns one and two allowing Pascoe to come fourth to second in two corners.

Pascoe set out after Collins running a much higher line than anyone else on the track.

Pascoe built the momentum up on the top side of the track and would lead at the stripe as the white flag came out.

Collins drove deep into turns one and two, a small mistake from Pascoe saw the two side by side down the back straight. Collins edged ahead into turn three with Pascoe again looking around the outside, but couldn’t quite get the move done the second time around, and Collins won by just 0.079 of a second.

Onley had a great view of all the action, crossing the line just behind in third. Jordan came through for fourth, and Nicola would round out the top five crossing the line fifth.

Harper started the odd feature from pole with Moon on his outside. Harper jumped away to the lead with Moon and Hally in pursuit.

Harper got away to a comfortable lead, but the battle for the minor placings was frenetic.

Black having started from sixth, stayed there for two thirds of the race before railing the top of the track to go from sixth to second in four laps.

Harper recorded a comfortable win, more than five seconds clear of Black in second. Moon held on for third, just clear of Hally and Smith in fourth and fifth respectively.

Photo: Flashback to Callum Harper, winner of Latrobe opening night GP, running in Sydney.