GARRY’S SUNDAY SHANNONS NATIONALS WRAP: QUEENSLAND RACEWAY
Harri Jones took the round win in Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge – Photo: InSyde Media
PORSCHE MICHELIN GT3 CUP CHALLENGE AUSTRALIA
BY WINNING the third and final race of the Porsche Michelin GT3 Cup Challenge Australia, Harri Jones took the overall Pro points ahead of Christian Pancione and Aaron Love at Queensland Raceway.
On a full program of Shannons Nationals supports, Jones had to withstand constant pressure from Pancione while Love led the battle for third over Ryan Suhle, Max Vidau and Tom Taplin. Suhle put a last lap turn 4 move on Love that seen the latter lose two places with Suhle crossing the line third ahead of Vidau.
Suhle received a 15s penalty for the indiscretion which dropped him to 11th outright and moved Vidau to third ahead of Taplin and Cameron Crick. Seventh-placed Sam Shahin picked up the Pro-Am ahead of Brett Boulton, Michael Hovey and Scott Taylor but it was Boulton who won the round. In Class B it was Andrew Goldie’s victory over David Greig that gave him the round honours.
MRF TYRES PRODUCTION CAR SERIES
Beric Lynton and Tim Leahey completed their domination of the Production Cars – Photo: InSyde Media
IN THE second leg of the MRF Tyres Production Car Series third round, it was again Beric Lynton and Tim Leahey who showed the way in their Class A1 BMW M3. Two safety cars and a late drive-through penalty did little in the way of stopping the team on its way to outright victory.
Second went to Grant and Iain Sherrin (BMW M4) who finished 1min 3s behind, battling brake issues and overcoming a 15s penalty that saw them finish just in front of Coleby Cowham and Lindsey Kearns in their Class A2 Ford Mustang GT.
The battle for fourth was also tight with four cars finishing two laps behind the leaders. Chris Lillis and Nathan Callaghan (Class AM1 HSV Clubsport) edged out Dimitri Agathos and Matt Boylan (Class B1 Subaru Impreza WRX STi) by less than a second with Brad Carr and Ash Jarvis (Class A2 BMW M3) just behind.
On the same lap, Klae Eckhardt and David Ayres (BMW 135i) were second in Class B1 while Class C1 honours went to Jake Camilleri and Scott Nicolas (Mazda 3 MPS), a lap up on Frank Mammarella and Kaden Olsen (Hyundai i30N). Chris Holdt and Tom Needham (Mazda 3 SP23) won Class D.
The first safety car was early when the Andrew Fisher/Anthony Soole M4 ran out of brakes and hit the turn 3 tyres and the second when the Darren Forrest/Paul Razum Holden Commodore rolled at turn 6 late in the race.
DEA PERFORMANCE NATIONAL SPORTS SEDANS
Tony Ricciardello went three from three in Sport Sedans – Photo: InSyde Media
AS HE did yesterday, Tony Ricciardello led race three of round three from start to finish in his Alfa/Chev, winning ahead of Jordan Caruso (Audi/Chev). Third was up for grabs between the Trans Am cars driven by Shane Bradford (Chev Camaro) and Phil Crompton (Ford Mustang).
Bradford held sway for several laps despite an engine oil pressure drama. Unfortunately, it only worsened and not only did Crompton get past, but so did Shane Woodman (BMW/Chev) which meant Crompton would finish third for the round. Colin Smith (Monaro/Chev) followed ahead of Warren Wedley (TA2 Mustang). Michael Robinson (Monaro/Chev) was a non-starter due to a suspected blown head gasket.
QLD SERIES X3 EXCEL
The intense battle for the lead in the Hyundai’s – Photo: InSyde Media
THE THIRD and final race of round three was another cracker with Cam Wilson leading initially before he was passed by Cameron Bartholomew before the first lap ended. On the second circuit the latter had a wild moment between turns 1 and 2 which dropped him to fifth.
Wilson retook the lead while Bartholomew meticulously grafted his way back into contention, finally wrestling his way back to the lead with a lap to go. Wilson endeavoured to retrieve the front running at the final corner but locked a brake, overshot slightly and allowed Tyrone Gautier to slip by. Close behind in fourth and fifth were Mark Goldspink and Darren Whittington with a gap to Scott Green and Brett Parrish.
QLD IMPROVED PRODUCTION CHAMPIONSHIP
Improved Production rounded out the weekend at Queensland Raceway – Photo: InSyde Media
THE LOCAL championship category had to wait until the end of the day for race thee of round three. Troy Marinelli (Nissan 200SX) led from the outset, only losing out to Zak Hudson (Mazda RX7) on the penultimate lap, following a safety car. On the last lap in the charge to the flag, Marinelli was first to the line by a very narrow 0.2s. But he was penalised for the jumped start and relegated down the order.
Hudson was the race winner ahead of Aaron Lawrence (Nissan Silvia), Simon O’Dell-Fontana (RX7), Kyle Organ-Moore (Holden Commodore VS) and Steven Jukes (BMW M3). Marinelli was classified sixth ahead of Ashley Isarasena (RX7) and Justin Wade (BMW 135i).
PROTOTYPE SERIES
Action at the front of the Prototypes – Photo: InSyde Media
JASON MAKRIS literally stole race two of round three. Trailing David Barram (Chiron), Don Gonzalez (Wolf Tornado) and John-Paul Drake (Wolf) from the outset, Makris (Wold) passed Drake and became involved in a three-way fight for the lead.
On the last lap, Gonzalez tried to out brake Barram at turn 3, but hit the back of the Chiron and deposited both cars into the gravel trap. Makris picked up the win ahead of Drake with Paul Trengrove (West WR1000) third ahead of the recovering Mark Laucke (Wolf) who spun earlier, and Carmelo Bonaventura (Radical SR3).
Barram and Gonzalez started the last race off the back of the grid. The former made it all the way to second by mid-race but fired off the road between turns 1 and 2 to take no further part. Gonzalez went one better, grabbing the lead and winning comfortably. Second was much tighter where Laucke was able to hold on ahead of Makris. Trengrove chased the Wolfs until eventually was overwhelmed by Drake.
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