Young Kiwis star in Bathurst support acts

On debut at Bathurst, Christchurch driver Jack Milligan has been a revelation in the Australian Toyota 86 Racing Series. Photo / Matthew Hansen

The focus at the Supercheap Auto 1000 might be dominated by the headline Virgin Australia Supercars Championship, but New Zealand racers have also tasted success in the support categories.

The most notable of these drivers are Bathurst rookies Jack Milligan and Matt Spratt, who compete in the Australian Toyota 86 Racing Series and V8 Ute Series respectively.

Milligan, a debutant to Australian competition as well as Mount Panorama, qualified an impressive seventh for the first race of his weekend earlier this morning. He converted his speed into a fifth-place finish in race one, and then a stellar third place in race two - comfortably beating the other guest drivers.

"It was a good race. I'm obviously pleased, first time here and first time podium at Bathurst. It was a great race for the team and I can't thank them enough," he said.

"The first goal was to get in the top-10. We did that and obviously the next goal was a podium and we did that too. It's good for tomorrow's race then hopefully we can pick a couple off and go a bit better."

The Christchurch local, who won last year's Carevets Racing TR86 Championship scholarship in New Zealand, very nearly won the second race after diving around the outside of leader and ultimate winner Dylan Gulson. But the move didn't come off, and cost him second place to Jimmy Vernon.

"I don't think I'd try that one again! It felt alright to start with, but halfway round the outside I was going too quick."

Matt Spratt at the lead of the V8 Ute grid. Photo / Matthew Hansen

Meanwhile in the V8 Ute Series, Matt Spratt took victory for the Stoneman Race Tech squad - becoming the first Kiwi to win a race in the series since former champion Chris Pither. Though he's a frequent fixture in New Zealand's Portergroup V8 Ute series, like Milligan, Spratt is also a Bathurst rookie.

"I'm ecstatic. It's been a couple of hours, but it hasn't sunken in. People have been congratulating me. It's been a childhood dream to even get here and race here, let alone win, so I'm really rapt," he said.

"We've adapted really well. A big credit to Jake Stoneman, he's just built this ute. Last week it got finished. I couldn't even make the test because it wasn't quite finished.

"I came here, I hadn't even driven the ute, so it's been a little bit of a learning curve. I had to learn the car and learn the track."

Fellow Kiwi Peter Ward also scored a top 10, finishing 10th in his Ward Demolition Holden.

Spratt's win looked assured until a mid-race safety car bunched up the field. He momentarily lost the lead to Blake Sciberras, but then regained it at the end of the lap.

"I knew I had a couple of corners where I could pick him off. He out braked himself, I just turned into the apex and by the time I was down Conrod straight there was a two second gap behind me."

Both results come after fellow New Zealanders Andre Heimgartner and Jaxon Evans featured in Friday's opening Porsche Carrera Cup Australia race, finishing third and fourth respectively.