Ruggier sweeps first day of Aussie Racing Cars

Justin Ruggier has taken two wins from two on the first day of racing in the new Aussie Racing Cars season at a wet Baskerville Raceway.

Blake Sciberras bagged pole in an ultra-challenging qualifying session which saw three red flags, with Ruggier making for a Race 1 front row lockout for Western Sydney Motorsport.

Sciberras, however, made a poor start and was only 14th by the end of the opening lap at the Hobart circuit.

Ruggier established a lead of nearly a second over Kyle Ensbey on the standing lap, and his advantage was another half a second greater by the time Adam Gowans passed Ensbey on Lap 2.

Gowans chipped away at the gap over the 10 laps which followed, but the local driver and former series winner ran out of time to pass Ruggier and finished 0.36s adrift.

Joel Heinrich was third, Kel Treseder came from 14th on the grid to take fourth, Reece Chapman finished fifth, and Ensbey ultimately took the chequered flag in sixth, one position ahead of Sciberras.

Dry conditions finally greeted the field for Race 2, at which time Ruggier made it 24 laps led out of 24 for the day.

Treseder moved into second on Lap 1 and remained there for the duration.

Finishing third through fifth were Heinrich, Gowans and Sciberras.

Charlotte Poynting made steady progress from 19th on the grid after a Race 1 DNF to finish the second encounter in 10th.

There will be a warm-up session and two further races tomorrow.