The first stage of the Manufacturer Series got underway on June 9th.
Two drivers took part in every single race: Mercedes-Benz's Nik_Makozi and Jaguar's AE_Kenomos. Neither driver had given an inch going into the stage's final race, both posting very competitive points totals.

The first stage's final race was a showdown between Gr. 4 cars on Sardegna Road Track B, and to say it was eventful would be an understatement.
Mercedes-Benz's Nik_Makozi had been in the lead when he suffered network trouble, and had to leave the race. It was a tragic moment for him, as he had previously been dominant in the Oceania region, but now had to relinquish his crown. As a result, Jaguar were able to end the first stage at the top of the pile.

It may have been misfortune that led to Nik_Makozi losing out, but it would be incorrect to say that AE_Kenomos was lucky to win the first stage. He has displayed great skill in both the Manufacturer Series and the Nations Cup, proving to be a constant thorn in the side of Nik_Makozi, the undisputed king of the region.
After such a dramatic denouement to stage one, the next stage promises to be absolutely fascinating. Will there be a dramatic turnaround? Will the king be able to mount a comeback? We will have to wait and see...

Rank	Driver	DR	SR	Rd. 1	Rd. 2	Rd. 3	Rd. 4	Rd. 5	Rd. 6	Rd. 7	Rd. 8	Rd. 9	Rd. 10	Total
1	Jaguar AE_Kenomos	S	S	2369	2307	2674	1822	2616	2195	2318	2027	2472	3053	8343
2	Mercedes-Benz Nik_Makozi	S	S	2230	2596	2392	2663	2325	2490	2608	2607	2099	1968	7878
3	Lexus TRL_holl01	S	S	2137	2430	1433	-	-	1550	1746	2317	-	2882	7629
4	Ford Adam_2167	S	S	2509	2451	2533	1541	2470	2066	1724	1882	2379	2542	7584
5	Toyota sidawg2	S	S	1951	2163	2345	2059	2460	1808	289	1997	686	2712	7517
6	Ferrari Lion-Face	S	S	1543	1790	260	2522	1889	2075	2463	1198	2334	1861	7319
7	Porsche MINT_GTR	S	S	1781	1973	-	2188	0	2325	-	-	-	2372	6885
8	Audi DoubleH	S	S	-	2302	2214	-	2201	2351	1159	1989	2197	2091	6867
9	Subaru CAR_Bass	S	S	2018	2046	-	2317	1821	-	1970	2172	-	2214	6703
10	Peugeot AE_schnickoman	S	S	-	-	1823	2382	1165	1420	2028	1404	2060	1691	6470