The grid was set to be a reverse top eight from Race 1, but a number of penalties jumbled the order, leaving Jackson Walls on pole with Petr Ptáček alongside him.

Walls started well, and kept his lead from the Czech driver throughout the first lap, as the pair pulled away from the squabbling field behind them.

Liam Lawson bested championship rival Igor Fraga, and the Brazilian lost valuable race position as Yuki Tsunoda and Ido Cohen followed Lawson down the inside.

Walls and Ptáček were locked in a battle for lap time, while third-place Franco Colapinto had to drive at his limits against the chase of Liam Lawson.

Lawson showed his brilliance, attempted to position himself on the inside of Colapinto at the end of each of the long Pukekohe straights, but the Argentinian was able to keep him at bay.

Yuki Tsunoda looked to be a challenger from fifth, but Fraga was on the recovery, dispatching Cohen and then Tsunoda on his drive to hold the slim lead of the championship.

Past the halfway point, and Fraga had caught Lawson, taking the pressure off Colapinto as it was now the young kiwi’s turn to go on the defensive.

Walls’ pace was unbeatable, and he lead across the line from Ptáček, with Colapinto in third followed by Lawson and Fraga.