GARRY’S PHILLIP ISLAND SHANNONS NATIONALS WRAP – SATURDAY

Action at the front of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge races – Photo: InSyde Media

PORSCHE MICHELIN GT3 CUP CHALLENGE AUSTRALIA

IN PORSCHE Michelin GT3 Cup Challenge Australia at the Shannons Nationals, three drivers are locked on equal points following race two, the Jim Richards Endurance Trophy race. Aaron Love, Max Vidau and Harri Jones each has 108 points while Christian Pancione and Ryan Suhle are tied for fourth.

It was a thrilling start to race one earlier in the day with Vidau, Love and Jones each sampling the lead by the time they arrived at turn 4. There was an early safety car, deployed as a result of Sam Shahin had contact with Brett Boulton.

Vidau ultimately won by half a second over Jones while Ryan Suhle held off Pancione, and they were followed by fellow Pro driver Cameron Crick. Best of the TAG Heuer Pro Am runners Shane Barwood in seventh ahead Ross McGregor, and just behind them, Andrew Goldie in tenth was the best of Class B.

In the enduro over 26 laps, Jones gamely held off every attempt by Vidau to get past until the later fired off the road at turn 4 on lap 11, just as they were negotiating lapped traffic. Then the race leader came under an intense barrage from Love who eventually found a way through on lap 18.

Love won the race from Jones with Vidau fighting back to third after falling to sixth. Pancione just got the better of Suhle while Crick finished sixth ahead of Pro Am winner Boulton, Tom Taplin, Shahin and McGregor. Goldie again led Class B with David Greig and Tony Martin filling the class minors.

PAYCE AUSTRALIAN FORMULA 4 CHAMPIONSHIP

Formula 4 had four different winners in four races – Photo: InSyde Media

OVER FOUR races on Saturday that constituted the final two races of round three and the opening two of round four, there were four different race winners.

The day started with a reverse grid where Lachie Hughes broke through for the win while Luis Leeds worked his way through to finish second ahead of Harry Hayek. Jackson Walls and Ryan Suhle both failed to finish after a clash on lap five.

Suhle came back to win the next race, holding off Leeds by just 0.0059s as Antonio Astuti finished a close third. The battle for fourth was furious as well, and went to Emerson Harvey by three tenths over Walls as Harry Hayek fell away in the closing stages. Hughes was to be a late starter but wasn’t allowed out as the field had completed their first lap.

Leeds enjoyed the front running throughout the third race of the day and won ahead of Hughes. Suhle was third for all bar the last lap where Astuti was able to relegate him to fourth. Close behind came Hayek and Walls.

The fourth race began with another inverted grid where Suhle quickly jumped to the lead, established a suitable lead to take the win. Leeds foraged through to second while Astuti was third. In the battle for fourth, Christian Mansell in his debut weekend, was fourth having bested Wall and Hughes. Hayek was in the battle for tenth but fell down the order when he lost his rear wing on lap eight.

AUSTRALIAN ENDURANCE CHAMPIONSHIP

Fraser Ross and Ryan Simpson will start the Australian GT race from pole position – Photo: InSyde Media

THE NEW McLaren 720S GT3 is set to start the opening round on pole position, based on combined times from two sessions, after Ryan Simpson went faster in the second qualifier than what qualifier one pace-setter Jamie Whincup did earlier.

Simpson’s teammate Fraser Ross was third fastest in his qualifying run while Yasser Shahin was fifth when it was his turn. Second in the opening qualifier was Daniel Gaunt in Tony Quinn’s Aston Martin Vantage before the owner circulated to seventh when it was his turn.

Second in the later outing was Peter Hackett (Mercedes Benz AMG) after Dom Storey was eighth earlier. Max Twigg and Tony D’Alberto, also sharing a Mercedes, were fourth fastest in their sessions while Garth Tander and Geoff Emery (Audi R8 LMS) were fifth and third respectively.

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