Kai Allen wrote his name into Australian touring-car history at Ruapuna on Friday, outduelling reigning champion Brodie Kostecki on older rubber to take his maiden Supercars victory at just 20 years old.
The Penrite Grove Racing driver became the 89th different race winner in ATCC/Supercars history, holding off Kostecki's relentless late charge to win by 0.74 seconds in the opening leg of the ITM Christchurch Super 440.
"It is amazing. I am lost for words. I have been dreaming of this moment since I was a little boy watching on TV," Allen said after stepping out of the #26 Mustang.
Starting fourth, Allen jumped teammate Cameron Hill on the opening lap before Grove's strategists pulled the trigger on an aggressive undercut, bringing him in on lap 16 for a two-tyre change. Kostecki pitted a lap later and took four fresh tyres, emerging with a significant grip advantage but more than five seconds to find.
"I knew the two tyre stop would be powerful. Riccardo (Corte) did a great job," Allen said, nodding to his race engineer Riccardo Corte, the former Ferrari F1 man who joined Grove Racing earlier this year after previously working with Lewis Hamilton.
"Coming from Ferrari, it's quite a different place over there... he's done really well, I think," Allen added. "The biggest thing for him and I was to bond with each other and to understand, not the language, but to understand each other."
The pair spent Easter together in Allen's hometown of Mount Gambier in South Australia. "I showed him where I grew up, so he understands my family and how I operate," Allen said. "We're becoming really good mates" and "we're slowly getting better and better."
"On a normal track I would have been fourth, but knew if I fought hard and put the car in the right spots it could work," he reflected. "I am blown away."
Ryan Wood completed the podium in third for Walkinshaw Andretti United.
The drama started before the lights went out. Three cars were collected in a first-lap accident at the Ruapuna kink, with veteran David Reynolds a frustrated bystander on his 500th Supercars start.
"Does that even count as a start? I got an average start and then some guy spun in front of me. I don't know who. It was all happening, and my car is damaged. It is just a write off isn't it," Reynolds vented.
The victory caps a remarkable early chapter for Allen, who is only 10 rounds into his main-game career after graduating from Super2. Grove Racing team owners Stephen Grove and son Brenton have backed him since his karting days.
"I am so thankful for Stephen and Brenton to give me a shot at a young age," Allen said.
Attention now turns to Saturday's Race 12 at the same 2.3km circuit, where Matt Payne takes pole after a sensational qualifying effort. Kostecki, now chasing his fourth win of the year, will be hungry for revenge.