GARRY’S THE BEND SHANNONS NATIONALS WRAP – SUNDAY

Max Vidau won both of today’s Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge races – Photo: Rhys Vandersyde

Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge

IN TAKING out the first round of the Porsche Michelin GT3 Cup Challenge, Max Vidau won a thrilling third race at The Bend’s Shannons Nationals opening round. It was an epic battle after he and Cooper Murry had wins earlier and the pair diced throughout.

It was Vidau who won out while Jimmy Vernon had his best result of the weekend in third place from Simon Fallon, who placed third for the round. Luis Leeds had a horror final race, having to visit the pits after losing a front wheel. But he did manage to snare fourth in the Pro class from Vernon, Chelsea Angelo and Dan Day.

The feel-good story was the Pro-Am battle victory that went to Sam Shahin at the circuit he founded. Two second places and a first place saw him finish ahead of Danny Stutterd and Ben Stack.

Richard Bloomfield was the best of the Class B performers, taking class win in the opening two races before placing second to Christian Pancione in the final race.

Most of race two, the first of two sprint races, was behind the safety car. On the opening lap, Graham Williams, Michael Loccisano, Phil Morriss and Andrew Goldie were involved in an incident out of the second last corner.

Prior to that, Vidau got the jump on Murray and had the lead when the race came under the cautionary period. Fallon was third ahead of Vernon, Angelo, Shahin and Boulton. Stutterd fired off and fell well down the order while Marcel Zalloua and Williams tangled early at the first corner.

Hot Wheels Prototype Series

The start of the Australian Prototype Series race – Photo: Rhys Vandersyde

PETER PADDON emerged from round one the overall winner after late dramas ended Darren Barlow’s chances after a win in the lead up to race three. Barlow was leading the finale’ before his engine blew just after half-distance.

Paddon’s race three win in his Radical SR3 came after an huge dice with Barlow (Stohr).  They were wheel to wheel in an enthralling exchange.

John-Paul Drake (Wolf) finished second overall, after battling with the leaders in the finale. The consistent Phil Hughes finished third overall, accumulating valuable points at every possible occasion in his SR3.

Jason Makris also scrapped with the leaders but had a spin at turn 18 when challenging Paddon. Makris finished fourth for the round with Scott Mackay in his West.

Race two for the most part was a strong four-way contest where Barlow withstood the challenge from Paddon. Barlow took the win but only managed some breathing room when Paddon came under fire from Makris.

The duo diced until the latter had a half loose out of the final corner on lap six, and a full spin at turn 6 on the next lap. He dropped to fifth behind Hughes and ahead of Mackay and Mark Short (Prince LSR).

Skye Sands Sports Sedan Series

Tony Ricciardello took out the Sports Sedan round win – Photo: Rhys Vandersyde

IMPROVING FROM a second in race two, to victory in the last has given Tony Ricciardello the opening round victory. The Alfa/Chev driver won overall ahead of race two winner Steven Tamasi (Calibra Chev) while third went to Jake Camilleri in a MARC 2 V8,

It was a torrid weekend for Jack Perkins who had the second race in hand until the engine broke on the Audi/Chev. Likewise, Tom Randle had dramas with the SAAB/Chev in the second race after starting rear of grid.

Making good progress and getting to eighth on the opening lap, Randle had to retire with a broken driveshaft. Miraculously he made the final race and came through from another rear of grid start to place second.

Behind the top three for the weekend were Shane Woodman (BMW/Chev) in fourth place ahead of Myles Bond (Ford Escort Turbo), Keith Kassulke (MARC 2 V8), John Goodacre (MARC Mazda 3 V8), Steven Lacey (Chev Camaro) and Randle.

Heritage Touring Cars

Jack Le Brocq charged from the back of the field to win in Heritage Touring Cars – Photo: Rhys Vandersyde

HAVING MISSED race two due to concerns about sand getting into the internals of the ex-Colin Bond Ford Sierra, Jack Le Brocq was off the back of the grid for the third encounter. He wasted little time in forging his way through to the front and winning.

Second went to Adrian Allisey in the ex-Garry Willmington/John Leeson/Tom Watkinson Holden Commodore VL who held on in a great three-way dice with Bill Cutler (ex-Schnitzer BMW M3) and the Gibson Motorsport Nissan Skyline driven by Mark Eddy. David Towe was in that mix, briefly sampling the lead until his ex-JPS BMW expired.

Behind the Group A cars came Ed Singleton (Holden Commodore) was the first of the Group Cs, heading Tony Sawford (Holden Torana A9X), Adrian Brady (BMW 635i) and John Mina (Ford Falcon XD).

The next race was for Group C cars only and the lead was contested between Singleton and Sawfood with Woollard third. But Singleton fell by the wayside and the Ford Falcons driven by John Mina and George Nittis came through for first and second ahead of Sawford, Woollard and Shaun Tunny (Torana).

Le Brocq was back for the last race, for the combined Groups, and led all the way. Allisey had second until a little moment allowed Eddy to get through. Fourth went to Cutler ahead of Mina and Adrian Brady (BMW 635i).

Gulf Oils Australia Group S Production Sports

TWO MORE wins made Wayne Seabrook and his Porsche 911 Carrera the best combination among the historic sporties. He was an all-the-winner in race three where Rusty French, his DeTomaso Pantera a DNF in the previous race, started at the back and came through for second.

Third went to the Porsche 911 driven by Doug Barbour ahead of the similar Carrera driven by James Calvert-Jones. In sixth was John Harrison (Shelby GT350) from Simon Meyer (Austin Healey Sprite) and Tom Walstab (Porsche 928).

Seabrook had to fend off French in the last, leading the DeTomaso until it retired with an alternator failure. Barbour didn’t get through the first lap, leaving Calvert-Jones second ahead of Walstab, Harrison and Dale Ashby (Alfa Romeo).

Radical Australia Cup

Chris Perini won the second Radical race at The Bend – Photo: Rhys Vandersyde

THE SECOND leg of round two, another 50-minute enduro, was won by Chris Perini, crossing the line ahead of the Yasser Shahin/James Winslow shared entry with Kim Burke getting past Simon Haggarty, virtually in the shadows of the post.

Form pole position Shahin had to relinquish the lead to Peter Paddon going into the first corner. Shahin soon regathered the front running as Paddon struck an issue with his paddle shift and had to pit and retire.

Burke held second ahead of Perini leading up to the first pit visits for the mandatory stops, brought about early with a safety car period to retrieve the disabled Rowan Ross and Michael Whiting.

Shahin continued without stopping, building up a handy margin before handing over to Winslow. Sue Hughes was the front runner briefly before she stopped, and Perini had the lead to the flag.

Keep your eye on the Auto Action website and social media, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for daily updates and the Auto Action #1734 for a full weekend roundup.