MAX VIDAU has claimed a remarkable home-town win thanks to a wet-weather tyre gamble that saw him in the right place at the right time to capitalise on a wet weather Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia Enduro in Adelaide.

He led home David Russell and Clay Osborne in a dramatic, wet affair that saw the race ultimately suspended and then stopped altogether following multiple cars crashing at the infamous Turn 8 mid-race.

The race was declared before the 75% required to constitute a full race, meaning half points were awarded.

Vidau’s path to his fourth career Carrera Cup win came in dramatic circumstances and relied on a gamble and possibly some local, home-town knowledge to perfectly time a switch to wet weather tyres.

With rain forecast but not falling at the time cars left the formation area, Vidau’s and his small family-run team opted to gamble for wet weather tyres on the basis that rain was likely.

When that rain fell as the cars drove to the grid, several other teams took to pit lane to fit wets while half the field gambled on a race start on slicks – one that would ultimately not pay off.

Officially starting 12th, Vidau’s decision to start on wets paid off as he charged through the field on the first lap.

The field was jumbled as several cars started from the lane before Dean Cook and Rodney Jane both spun at turn one, bringing out the Safety Car.

That allowed the remainder of the grid to fit wets and the race to eventually resume – with key contenders including polesitter Robert de Haan – right at the back of the field.

As the rain poured down Vidau led David Russell and Clay Osborne while Acronis Pro-Am leader Matt Belford found himself fifth outright and among the Pros on the restart thanks to the varying strategies playing out.

While he was shuffled backwards, Equity-One Pro contenders Dylan O’Keeffe and Harri Jones had a change of their respective fortunes from earlier in the day: Jones shuffled back down the field from his front-row start, while O’Keeffe’s early stop saw him climb up the order and well into the top 10.

The wet conditions were negotiated well right to the point where Lockie Bloxsom clipped the turn eight wall, which set of a series of events that unfortunately included Bayley Hall, Macro Giltrap and Robert de Haan.

That saw the Safety Car return to the circuit before the race was ultimately suspended – with the wall damage and clean-up required ultimately proving too much to repair prior to the race’s window ending.

As such the race was declared as the field sat with Vidau claiming his first win since July 2023 and the first for his part-time, family run team based in the Adelaide hills.

David Russell’s second position helped him edge away from Bayley Hall in their battle for third in the championship while Clay Osborne’s third represented the Porsche Michelin Junior’s best race result yet.

Dylan O’Keeffe splashed his way to an important fifth position which, coupled with Jones finishing seventh (sixth of those eligible to score points), provisionally extended his Equity-One Pro championship lead from 23 to 25 points with two races remaining and 120 points still up for grabs.

In Acronis Pro-Am, Rodney Jane provisionally holds a four point lead on corrected scores.

Today’s result also provisionally secured several key championship titles for season 2025.

Harri Jones claimed the Equity-One Pro Endurance Cup, while Matt Belford locked in the Acronis Pro-Am class Enduro Cup title.

Jones and Belford also claimed the TAG Heuer Pole Awards for the season while Garth Walden Racing have now provisionally claimed the prestigious Carrera Cup teams championship for the first time.

Action continues tomorrow with race two set for 1:20pm local time with live coverage on Fox Sports, Kayo, Sky NZ and Channel 7.