GARRY’S MT PANORAMA 500 WRAP – DAY 3
Garry’s Mt Panorama 500 wrap – Images: InSyde Media
The final day of racing at Bathurst this weekend for the Mt Panorama 500 support categories featured the second race for Super 2/Super 3, two races each for Touring Car Masters and Toyota 86s, and the last for Aussie Racing Cars.
DUNLOP SUPER 2 & SUPER 3
Jordan Boys in his Image Racing Holden Commodore VF survived a Matt White Motorsport Nissan Altima onslaught to win race two of the combined category first round.
Both Tyler Everingham and Jayden Fraser were unrelenting over several laps. Ojeda had a moment at Murrays Corner on lap 11 after he lost third to Broc Feeney (Triple 8 VF). That enabled Feeney to finish just behind the leading duo.
Zak Best (Tickford Ford Falcon FG/X) was fourth, in front of Matt Chahda (FG/X) and the VFs driven by Jaylyn Robotham and Matt McLean. Ojeda recovered to place ninth behind teammate Declan Fraser. The team’s fourth car was sidelined after wall contact at Forest Elbow.
In Super 3, Jon McCorkindale (Falcon FG) was set for his second win for the weekend until after the safety car when Michael Anderson (FG) overtook him at the Chase on the final lap.
Brendan Strong (Commodore VE) was third with Reef McCarthy (FG) fourth. McCarthy surrendered second when he went off at the Chase on the first lap. Jim Pollicina (VE) was fifth in front of the Falcons of Jason Gomersall and Ray Hislop.
Nash Morris (FG) held second for several laps until he spun on oil and bunkered at Murrays Corner on lap seven which caused the safety car period.
GULF WESTERN OILS TOURING CAR MASTERS
Peters Motorsport scored a double victory after Ryal Harris and Ryan Hansford took race wins in the two outings. Harris (Chev Camaro) doubled up after his triumph in the opening sprint race on Saturday with victory in the morning’s second outing before Hansford (Holden Torana A9X) scored in the last.
Johnson grabbed the lead at the start the second race where he led Harris, Zukanovic, Bowe, and Tilley, and continued in front until Harris slipped by on lap three. Shortly after Zukanovic went to second and then challenged for the lead.
He and Harris ran side-by-side up Mountain Straight on the last lap, but the Falcon lost grip at turn two which almost spelled disaster. He recovered to hold second ahead of Johnson who had Bowe and Tilley in tow.
They were followed by Hansford and Adam Garwood (Camaro) from the back, Andrew Fisher (Falcon XY GT) and Jim Pollicina (A9X). Johnson was excluded for finishing underweight.
The afternoon race was another thriller with initial leader Harris, Zukanovic, Hansford, and Garwood all in contention. Of the foursome only Garwood did not have the opportunity to lead as a misfire caused him to retire.
Zukanovic led for a couple of laps, then it was Hansford, Harris again and finally Hansford when it countered. The latter crossed the line ahead of Harris with Zukanovic just in front of Bowe.
Next were Fisher from Pollicina, Cam Mason (Mustang) and Jeremy Gray (Ford Capri Perana). Johnson charged to fifth from the back until a puncture forced him to limp home a lap down.
TOYOTA GAZOO RACING AUSTRALIA 86
Cameron Crick capped off the weekend with another two wins to score maximum points for the weekend. He leads the series after three races ahead of James Holdsworth and Aaron Borg.
Twice he lost the lead, but Crick came back to win race two. Holdsworth won the drag to the first corner and led until Crick went around the outside of him at Griffin Bend. There was a safety car at the end of the opening lap to recover Kody Garland who had a bump with Brad Vaughan and ended up in Forest Elbow tyres.
After the resumption Holdsworth shot into the lead at the Chase and Crick hit back at Murrays Corner. This time he held the lead in the shortened race with Borg, Lachlan Gibbons and Chris Pither chasing the pair across the line.
Crick was not going to let Holdsworth get the better of him in race two and basically led throughout. He was aided with team mate Borg able to slip past Holdsworth as did Pither, but the latter’s third place was only a brief one.
Back in the pack Harrison Gray had a big lose at Sulman Park however he was missed by all and sundry and the race remained green. It was not the same story for Craig Thornton who crashed in the Cutting.
That brought about a safety car before a one-lap flyer where Crick won from Borg. Holdsworth was next as Van Herwaarde and Gibbons slipped past Pither for fourth. Behind them it was Jarrod Whitty, James Wilkins, George Miedecke, and Warren Luff.
BATTERY WORLD AUSSIE RACING CARS SUPER SERIES
A tooth and nail battle with Craig Woods in the third and final race, went the way of Nick Simmons who was overall winner of the opening round.
The two Mustang-bodied drivers exchanged the lead on a couple of occasions with Simmons on top when it mattered – at the chequered flag. In their shadows were third placed Heinrich (Cruze), Kody Garland (Mustang) who started tenth, and Josh Anderson.
Kyle Ensbey (Mustang) hung with the four for several laps before he dropped away. The latter was still a comfortable fifth and well clear of a race-long battle where John Steffensen (Mustang) held off Leigh Bowler and Adam Clark in their Camaros.
Tenth was Tom Hayman (Camaro) after Tony Quinn (Mustang) was penalised five seconds for a start line infringement and relegated to 14th.
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