BUMPER FIELD FOR TOURING CAR MASTERS RETURN TO SYDNEY

Bumper field for Touring Car Masters return to Sydney – Photo: InSyde Media

THE BIGGEST Paynter Dixon Touring Car Masters field of the season to date will help celebrate a milestone weekend in the history of the category at Sydney Motorsport Park this weekend.

29-cars have entered for the category’s first event at the Western Sydney venue since 2015 as the stars and cars of Touring Car Masters headline the Paynter Dixon Sydney MasterBlast event, featuring the Australian Muscle Car Masters.

The 300th Touring Car Masters race will be contested within a five-race program – the most the category has ever featured in a single weekend.

The bumper entry comes as the championship builds to a competitive finish with just 58 points covering the top four in the series standings with three rounds remaining.

Steven Johnson’s streak of three consecutive round victories came to an end at his home circuit last time out in Ipswich, a round won by third-generation driver Aaron Seton.

Johnson’s 1969 Ford Mustang now leads John Bowe (Holden Torana) by just 44 points heading to Sydney.

Bowe, in turn, is being chased by a pair of Chevrolet Camaro SS runners who are both proving their title credentials.

EFS Racing’s Ryal Harris finished second in Queensland and sits third in the standings while Adam Bressington is fourth, just one point further back.

Seton, who has now contested two of the four rounds this year, sits ninth in the championship and another maximum score in Sydney could see him edge his way even closer to title contention.

Between Bressington and Seton sits a tight battle for Pro-Am class honours, led by Jim Pollicina.

The Sydneysider leads a gaggle of Holden Torana drivers, with a 99-point margin over sixth-placed Bruce Williams and an even larger margin over Ryan Hansford.

Following the impressive debut of his new, Allan Moffat-tribute Mustang in Queensland, Newcastle’s Cameron Mason will be keen for another strong round to improve on his eighth-place in the championship.

With Seton ninth, part timer Adam Garwood sits 10th – Marcus Zukanovic just behind hoping to work his way into the top-10 via a strong performance in Sydney.

The 29-strong Sydney field includes several names returning to the category following several rounds on the sidelines.

The experienced Bernie Stack steps back into the No. 85 Whiteline Racing 1970 Camaro while Aaron McGill returns his Ranger Ford Falcon GT to the track for the first time since the Adelaide 500.

Karl Begg (Holden Torana) will make his second TCM start following his Queensland debut while the popular and potent Ford Capri Perana of Jeremy Gray also returns to add further spice to the mix of marques and models on track.

Following unofficial practice on Friday, the Paynter Dixon Touring Car Masters series cars will be on track a staggering five times alone on Saturday.

After qualifying in the morning, the Dometic Trophy Race commences proceedings.

After that, the 14th race in the 2019 championship will double as the 300th in series history later on Saturday afternoon.

The field then qualifies again that evening on the shorter, Druitt circuit ahead of the first ever night race in category history on the same layout later that evening.

Races 15 and 16 of the 2019 season conclude the program on Sunday.

TCM has competed on all three major Sydney Motorsport Park layouts previously, however last raced on the shorter, Druitt circuit in 2013 while supporting the Top Gear Festival.

This year marks the 12th visit to the Sydney circuit, the third most of any venue.

TOURING CAR MASTERS – ENTRY LIST: 

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