GARRY’S BATHURST 1000 SUPPORT WRAP – DAY 2

Wednesday represented day two of track action at the Repco Bathurst 1000 at Mt Panorama with support categories on track and included races for some.

DUNLOP SUPER2/SUPER3

After two practice sessions Jordan Boys and Reef McCarthy were the respective fastest in Super 2 and Super 3.

Boys posted a best lap of 2 minutes 06.7642 seconds in the second outing which was cut short when Declan Fraser crashed his Nissan Altima on top of the mountain. His teammate Jayden Ojeda was second fastest with his first session effort while Aaron Seton (Commodore VF) was third overall.

Previous round winner Tyler Everingham (Altima) was fourth ahead of series leader Broc Feeney (Commodore VF), Matt Payne (Altima) and Zak Best (Ford Falcon FG/X).

In the meantime McCarthy (Falcon FG) edged out Blake Fardell (Commodore VE) who had been the pacesetter in P1 and most of the second session. Third was Nash Morris (FG) the points leader ahead of Michael Anderson (FG), David Murphy (FG) and Jim Pollicina (VE).

PORSCHE PAYNTER DIXON CARRERA CUP

Aaron Love set the pace in Carrera Cup – Image: InSyde Media

The single 40-minute practice session for rounds four and five saw Sonic Racing’s Aaron Love head the time sheets with a quick 2 minutes 06.6044 seconds which was only four tenths off the lap record.

Second fastest was David Wall in front of Cameron Hill, Harri Jones, David Russell and Dale Wood. Next was Matt Payne ahead of Max Vidau, Cooper Murray, Simon Fallon, Craig Lowndes, Christian Pancione, Nick McBride, Jackson Walls and Callum Hedge.

Behind the Mobil Pro drivers, the best of the Morris Finance Pro-Ams was Geoff Emery from Tim Miles, Sam Shahin with a gap to Ben Stack, Dean Cook, Indiran Padayachee, Marc Cini and Scotty Taylor.

TOYOTA GAZOO RACING AUSTRALIA 86

Zach Bates led the way in Toyota’s – Image: InSyde Media

It was day one for the one-make series with a pair of practice sessions before rolling into qualifying on Thursday. Zach Bates was the fastest overall with a time of 2 minutes 39.3123 seconds which came in the early morning outing.

Cameron Crick who put in the best time of the afternoon session was second overall four tenths adrift while Lachlan Gibbons was next ahead of Lachlan Dalton, Kai Allen, Brad Vaughan, Bailey Sweeny, Hayden Jackson, Jobe Stewart and Toyota guest driver Harry Bates.

Rossi Johnson brought about red flag in session one when he skidded off into the Chase sand trap. Despite a clash at the Chase, Jarrod Hughes and Holly Espray which caused damage to both, the second session remained green.

SHANNONS S5000 TASMAN SERIES

Aaron Cameron dipped below 2mins in S5000 – Image: InSyde Media

Just one session for the open wheelers and it was a tense qualifier for race one grid positions. Throughout the session Nathan Herne, Joey Mawson, James Golding and Aaron Cameron vied to be the first to break 2 minutes despite the engines being nobbled for horsepower.

At the end of the session it was Cameron who broke through with a 1 minute 59.9340 second flyer to beat Golding and Mawson by 0.15 seconds. The latter two split by 0.0059 seconds. Fourth was Herne ahead of John Martin, Roberto Merhi, Tim Macrow, Luis Leeds, Blake Purdie and Luis Leeds. Yoshiaki Katayama missed the session due to being in quarantine but will be okay to race on Thursday.

TURTLE WAX NATIONAL TRANS AM

Nathan Herne wrapped up the Trans Am title – Image: InSyde Media

With victory in the first 16-lap, 100-kilometre race of round six, Nathan Herne has won the championship. The Challenger driver won the start and was never headed and had a 6.0 second advantage at the end.

“It is a massive weight off my shoulder to get the #1 on the door,” Herne enthused. “It stokes my confidence and strokes my ego!”

Pole sitter Tim Brook (Mustang) was outpointed in the run up the hill by Ben Grice (Mustang) but retrieved second a couple of laps later. Kye Gurton (Mustang) finished third when he relegated Grice later. A lengthy dice, Edan Thornburrow (Mustang) managed to gain the upper hand over Dylan Thomas (Mustang) to finish fifth.

Aaron Tebb (Camaro) was seventh ahead of Mustang teammates Hugh McAlister and Matt MacKelden while 10th and 11th went to Zach Loscialpo (Camaro) and Mark Crutcher (Mustang) after Craig Scutella (Camaro) was penalised 5.0 seconds for shortcutting at Turn 12.

SUPERCHEAP AUTO TCR AUSTRALIA

Chaz Mostert claimed the TCR title – Image: InSyde Media

Although he finished the opening ninth, Chaz Mostert (Audi RS3) scored enough points to win the series. The race went to Aaron Cameron after he passed fellow Peugeot pilot Ben Bargwanna on the fifth of the 16-lap journey.

Bargwanna never gave up and was 0.095 seconds off a victory. Third place went to Michael Caruso (Alfa Romeo Giulietta) who had Brad Shiels (Hyundai I30) for many laps. Next was Jordan Cox (Alfa) who charged from the rear of the grid to fifth. James Moffat (Renault) was next while Luke King (Audi) made a late move on John Martin (Honda Civic Type R) to snare seventh.

Qualifying was traumatic for Cox and Hanson with turbo issues, and Lachlan Mineef who went off at Hell Corner and was caught in the sand trap. Later in the second part of qualifying King had a big moment when he fired off in the Chase and nearly had a rollover.

Ben Bargwanna was fastest in both sessions, but it was the second that counted towards earning pole position for race one. Caruso was second ahead of Martin, Cameron, Moffat, Shiels and Jason Bargwanna while Mostert did not complete a lap.

FANATEC GT WORLD CHALLENGE AUSTRALIA

Two qualifying sessions for GT World Challenge Australia – Image: InSyde Media

There were two parts to qualifying with the prime driver in the first and the co-driver (if they had one) in the second. Liam Talbot (Audi) headed the first a 2 minutes 06.4514 second lap ahead of Yasser Shahin (Audi) and Hobson (Nissan Nismo). Mark Rosser (Audi) was fourth in front of Stephen Grove (Porsche), Ibrahim (Mercedes AMG), James Koundouris and Schumacher in Audis.

In the second Brenton Grove pulled out a late 2 minutes 04.8162 in the Porsche to beat Peter Hackett (Mercedes), Fraser Ross (Audi), Paul Stokell (Audi), Garth Waldon (Mercedes) and Roberto Merhi (Audi).

GULF WESTERN OILS TOURING CAR MASTERS

Steve Johnson took out the opening TCM race – Image: InSyde Media

Race one of the final round of the Gulf Western Oils Touring Car Masters went to Steve Johnson in his Ford Falcon XD but only when fellow XD driver Marcus Zukanovic had a tyre failure after he had taken the lead.

A similar disaster befell George Miedecke (Whiteline Racing Chev Camaro) just after he had taken third off Ryan Hansford (Holden Torana A9X).

Hansford finished a close second to Johnson while John Bowe (Torana) was third ahead of Adam Bressington (Camaro). Dean Lillee (Torana) was next after starting his Torana at the back of the field and passed Cam Mason (Mustang) on the final lap.

Jamie Tilley parked his Mustang before the start. Brad Tilley pulled his smoky Falcon XY GT off after Forrest Elbow. Tony Karanfilovski was another with a right front blowout. Then on the last lap a front suspension failure put Andrew Fisher’s Falcon into the wall on top of the mountain.

The Trophy race was won by Zukanovic. He started from sixth and worked his through to take a narrow 0.13 second victory over Miedecke. Pole sitter Mason finished third just in front of Hansford who started seventh.

Bressington shadowed the pair to the line and was clear of Bowe, Johnson and Lillee. Jamie Tilley started on the front row and briefly led before slowed with engine dramas and finished ninth. He was ahead of Jim Pollicina (Torana) and Karanfilovski who were barely separated throughout.

HALTECH SUPERUTES

Ryal Harris took the SuperUtes win – Image: InSyde Media

Ryal Harris reduced Aaron Borg’s title lead by four points after taking out the first race at the final round. Harris (Mazda BT-50) led from the outset, resisted Borg’s (Toyota Hilux) attempts to pass and finished 0.9 seconds ahead.

Close behind was Cameron Crick (Mitsubishi Triton) who briefly glimpsed second on the charge up Mountain Straight on the first occasion, was third clear of his teammate David Sieders. Ben Walsh (Hilux) was next across the line, but a 5.0 second penalty relegated him a spot to teammate Craig Woods.

Michael Formosa (Ford Ranger) had dramas on the out-lap and Jaiden Maggs had a meeting with a concrete wall when he lost control in his Triton at the Chase on the first race lap.

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