GARRY’S DARWIN TRIPLE CROWN SUPPORT WRAP – SATURDAY
Cameron Hill earned his first Carrera Cup win in Darwin – Photo: InSyde Media
PORSCHE PAYCE CARRERA CUP AUSTRALIA
AN ENTERTAINING and at times wild Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia prefaced the BetEasy Darwin Triple Crown, race 15 of the Virgin Australia Supercar Championship.
After taking his first pole position in the exotic one-make series, Cameron Hill came through to win the endurance race one ahead of the Sonic Racing trio of Michael Almond, Jordan Love and Dale Wood. In the TAG Heuer Pro-Am Adrian Flack was the winner, ahead of Liam Talbot and Sam Shahin.
Almond was the race leader from the outset, showing the way to Hill for the first 10 laps ahead of Wood, David Wall, Nick McBride, Warren Luff, Cooper Murray, Thomas Maxwell and Love in ninth.
Tim Miles’s damaged rear wing – Photo: InSyde Media
On lap 11, Tim Miles who already had a damaged rear wing, made a move on Shahin at turn one before spearing off at turn three and crashing early. That produced the safety car for several laps before racing resumed.
Hill seized a chance at the resumption to slip by Almond at turn one and then go on to establish a winning break. Luff improved to fifth as Wall fell away to sixth because of radiator damage and finished sixth ahead of McBride, Richards, Flack and Duvashen Padayachee. Maxwell recovered from an early incident to take 11th.
AUSSIE RACING CARS
Justin Ruggier took out both Aussie Racing Car races – Photo: InSyde Media
JUSTIN RUGGIER won both of Saturday’s races in round three but only just. In the first which was marred by a safety car when Grant Thompson heavily crashed his Mustang, team mate Ruggier had to fight doggedly to hold off Joel Heinrich (Cruze) who led early, with the pair just 0.16s apart at the chequered flag.
Third spot went to Kel Treseder (Camaro) ahead of Blake Sciberras (Mustang) and Paul Morris (Altima) with Jos Anderson (Camaro) and Craig Woods immediately behind them.
Grant Thompson crash heavily in the opening race – Photo: InSyde Media
Thompson’s crash occurred on lap two at turn three where slight contact between he and Jonathan Bloxsom, caused Thompson’s Mustang to rollover and career into the armco barrier. He was taken to hospital with suspected broken ribs.
Contrary to the poor getaway in race one, Ruggier led from the outset, firstly fending off Heinrich and then Treseder to win by 0.24s. Heinrich held onto third ahead of Morris and Anderson with a healthy gap to Leigh Bowler (Camaro), Woods, Reece Chapman (Camaro) and Sciberras who lost early momentum with an oil leak.
IMPROVED PRODUCTION/COMMODORE CUP
Ray Hislop took two wins in Improved Production – Photo: InSyde Media
DESPITE BEING beaten away in both races today, Tasmanian Ray Hislop recorded two dominant victories in his Ford Falcon BF.
On each occasions the combination was out dragged off the start by WA’s John Callegari in his Holden Commodore VN who in the first race, held the front running over the first lap before Hislop blasted past and into the distance.
Callegari maintained second throughout and was just ahead of NT’s Tim Playford (Mazda 808 Turbo) who won his dice for third over Rod Jessop (Commodore VE). The scrap for fifth raged all race long and ultimately went to Keven Stoopman (Mitsubishi EVO 7), over Rob Braune (BMW E30) and the Under 2.0-Litre front running Ford Escort piloted by Peter Cusato.
Zac Hudson (Mazda RX7) had an early off-road excursion and dropped to 24th before fighting back to ninth ahead of Bryce Fullwood in the first of the Commodore Cup cars.
In the second outing, Hislop retrieved the lead under brakes at the first corner. Hudson continued his comeback, finishing just behind Callegari. Playford was next as Stoopman again headed Braune and Cusato, Tony Isarasena (RX7), Barry Smith (Commodore) and Fullwood.
HQ HOLDENS
Jack Harrison withstood the challenge in HQs – Photo: InSyde Media
OUT OF the two races held today, Jack Harrison from NSW, withstood the challengers to win. The first ahead of Shaun Boland (NSW) and Adam Butler (WA), and the second in front of Butler and Graham Francis (Vic).
Harrison led the first initially from Butler and Boland before the latter was able to move in to the lead by the end of the second lap. Harrison relegated Boland the next time around and maintained the lead for the duration.
Behind the close-knit trio there evolved another three-way scrap where Frances emerged ahead of fellow Victorians Phil Aitken and Andrew Lorgelly. Luke Harrison held fourth for a period until low oil pressure forced him to join Tony Moloney (head gasket), Steven Ling (melted points) and Marian Bujnowski (bent valves) on the sidelines.
Boland was the early leader of the second race, surrendering the lead on lap three and retiring three laps later with a blown head gasket. Behind Butler and Francis, it was Aitken from Peter Brown and Lorgelly.
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