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GARRY’S SHANNONS SYDNEY MOTORSPORT PARK WRAP – DAY 2

By Garry O'Brien

For the second day, racing carried through into the night under the Sydney Motorsport Park lights at the Shannons Motorsport Australia National Championships second round.

NATIONAL TRANS AM SERIES

The winners of the two races were Owen Kelly and Nathan Herne but not until they overcame the strong challenges from Aaron Seton in both.

Kelly took full advantage of regaining his fastest lap time from qualifying, started on the outside of the front row and led all the way to win race one. Confusion over several penalties resulted in the Mustang driver’s fastest lap being reinstated.

Kyle Gurton (Mustang) held the third spot before he was overtaken by Nathan Herne (Challenger). Then followed Nash Morris (Mustang) and Brett Holdsworth (Camaro). Seventh went to Ben Grice (Challenger) who edged out Dylan Thomas (Mustang). Tim Shaw (Camaro) was next ahead of Hugh McAlister (Mustang) and the Camaros driven by Zach Loscialpo and Aaron Tebb, the latter finishing with a broken tailshaft.

Oil down caused late spins at Turn 7 for Mustang drivers Chris Pappas and Ian McAlister. Tim Brook (Mustang) held seventh early before dropping to 18th with a misfire.

From the second row, Herne made a brilliant start to race two, fired down the inside of Kelly and took the lead. The latter and Gurton both came off at Turn 1, with Kelly stopped by the tyre wall as Gurton resumed well outside the top ten.

After a safety car, Herne continued ahead of Seton and they finished 0.19 seconds apart with Morris closing in. Grice was fourth ahead of Holdsworth, Thomas, Brook, Gurton, and Tim Shaw (Camaro).

After no laps in qualifying, and a troubled race one, Edan Thornburrow (Mustang) placed tenth. Several speared off at Turn 1 on the last lap and included Hadrian Morrall (Mustang), Chris Formosa (Challenge), Craig Scutella (Camaro) and Adam Hargraves (Camaro).

PORSCHE MICHELIN SPRINT CHALLENGE AUSTRALIA

A brilliant start put Christian Pancione in the box seat to take out the first race in the second-string Porsche series. In the Mobil Pro class, he led from lights-out to flag fall, assisted by the intense battle for second between Ryan Suhle and Callum Hedge.

The former took the honours while Bayley Hall showed the way to Courtney Prince. Then followed Sergio Pires and Sam Shahin and behind there was a four-way scrap where Sergio Pires held off Madeline Stewart, David Greig and Ross McGregor. Michael Hovey stalled at the start, resumed, and ultimately pulled off at Turn 3 a couple of laps in.

Pancione won the start of race two – the Jim Richards Enduro – and led Suhle and Hedge. Back in the pack, Matt Belford and Marcel Zalloua spun off at Turn 1 but were able to continue.

Pancione led throughout with Suhle never too far away and 0.6 seconds in the end. Hedge was third from Hall and Prince. Taplin was sixth until his car expired at Turn 6 on lap 20. That elevated Morris Finance Pro-Am leader Shahin to sixth ahead of class rivals Pires, Greig, and Hovey.

GULF WESTERN OILS TOURING CAR MASTERS

The first race was for full points and was taken out by Ryan Hansford. Later it was the part reverse grid Trophy race which allocated start and finish points only and that was won by Jim Pollicina.

Steve Johnson (Ford Falcon XD) led the first race ahead Ryal Harris (Chev Camaro) with Hansford (Holden Torana X9X) just behind along with Jamie Tilley (Ford Mustang). Jeremy Gray was the first casualty, his Ford Capri Perana contacting the wall out of Turn 5 after a touch with Pollicina (A9X Hatchback).

Harris grabbed the lead shortly after and then Hansford slipped passed Johnson as well. Hansford made a bid for the lead later, and there was enough contact between them to cause a puncture for Harris. Hansford won ahead of Johnson, Tilley, Marcus Zukanovic (XD), Adam Bressington (Camaro), Cam Tilley (Valiant Pacer) and Pollicina.

In the Trophy race Pollicina led every lap but had to repel a late charge from John Bowe (A9X) to secure the win. Next was Bressington who was follow home by Gerard McLeod (Holden Commodore), Mark King (Camaro), Hansford, Tony Karanfilovski (Mustang), Jamie Tilley, Johnson, and Mason.

AUSSIE RACING CARS

With three races rather than the usual four, race two featured a top ten reverse of the first race result. Craig Thompson (Mustang) led initially and until his teammate Craig Wood slipped by at the start of lap two. By the end of the lap, Nick Simmons (Camaro) was in front until Kody Garland (Mustang) overtook him at Turn 2 on the eighth of nine laps.

Garland held on for the win ahead of Simmons with Woods a close third. Just behind them, it was Tom Hayman (Mustang) in fourth as he passed Joel Heinrich (Cruze) on the final lap.

Reece Chapman (Camaro) shadowed them across the line and clear of Brett Osborn (Camaro) who was hit with a 5s penalty that placed him eighth behind Thompson. Series leader and race one winner Josh Anderson stopped at Turn 6 as his Camaro had blown the clutch basket on lap three.

PROTOTYPE SERIES

As the sun set in the west race one began with Mark Laucke (Wolf Tornado) shooting away in front while John-Paul Drake had difficulty in getting his Wolf F1 Mistral away and trailed the field substantially.

Phil Hughes had drama too. He was vying for space but because of the stalled car, was squeeze into the pit wall. His Radical SR8 stopped around the first corner with front end damage, which brought out the safety car.

Blake Purdie (Wolf Thunder) was a decisive victor even though at the end of the first lap he languished in tenth spot. He wasted little time in going forward and led by half distance.

Second place went to Jason Makris (Tornado) with Paul Trengove (West WR1000) next. After the dramas at the start, Drake was able to come through for fourth with Laucke next. Radical teammates and rivals Peter Paddon and Chris Perini finished ahead of Stephen Champion (Radical), Ian Eldridge (Stohr) and Glen Stallbaum (Wolf GB08).

RADICAL AUSTRALIA CUP

In the first of two 50-minute races, Chris Perini smoked his rivals on his way to a big win. It was daylight to second placed Siegfried Fuhrmeister with Peter Clare home in third position

Perini led from the outset over Paddon, Fuhrmeister, Champion, Clare, and Max Medland. Kostinken Pohorukov pitted on the start lap and resumed a lap down while Warwick Morris had a poor start and trailed the rest.

Perini and Paddon were the first to do their pitstops while Fuhrmeister was in the last group to do the mandatory stop. When all the stops were out of the way it was Perini in front by 26.2 seconds over Fuhrmeister with over five seconds to Paddon who was looking for a way past Clare.

Paddon slowed in the latter part and conceded places to Champion and Susan Esselmont to finish sixth and the last car on the lead lap. Craig McLatchey was seventh ahead of Greg Kenny and Bill Medland.

MRF TYRES PRODUCTION CARS

The first of four races was taken out by Shane Smollen in his BMW M3 after leading all the way. Second for the most part was Dyane West until his HSV GTS expired and stopped out of Turn 2 a couple of laps from the end.

The race went safety car and was finalised one lap short of the scheduled distance. That meant Cem Yucel (Volkswagen Golf R) was second and James Keene (Golf R) picked up third spot after he passed
Jake Camilleri (Mazda 3 MPS). Fifth was Chris Holdt (HSV Astra) and followed by the Mini JCW Coopers of Michael Sloss and Richard Luff, and Allan Jarvis (Suzuki Swift Sport).

Despite a 5s penalty Smollen still had a handy margin at the end of the second race. Yucel was second and Camilleri third. Then followed Keene, Holdt and Luff. A lap down were Sloss and Jarvis.

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