TCR AUSTRALIA SERIES – FRIDAY WRAP
Jordan Cox swept the TCR Australia Series practice sessions at Mount Panorama today, as Peugeot’s dominated proceedings.
In the morning, Cox set a 2m 17.076s in his Garry Rogers Motorsport Peugeot 308 TCR to lead the field, before improving in the afternoon to a 2m 14.584s.
Hot on his heels tomorrow will be Aaron Cameron, who ran second fastest in both sessions in his GRM Peugeot.
The margin between the two was just 0.166s, as no other driver dipped below the 2m 15s mark.
Third fastest was reigning Bathurst polesitter Ben Bargwanna, who made it a Peugeot 1-2-3 on the timesheets.
Michael Caruso had a mixed day at the office, his Ashley Seward Motorsport Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce TCR suffering engine issues early in the day before returning healthy to run fourth fastest for the day.
A familiar marque took fifth, Dylan O’Keeffe on the pace in his GRM Peugeot, while leading privateer Zac Soutar was sixth in his Honda Civic Type R TCR.
Nathan Morcom was the quickest of the HMO Customer Racing Hyundai i30 N TCR drivers in seventh.
Series debutant Tim Slade scored eighth in his Stan Sport backed Honda, ahead of Brad Shiels in the Royal Purple Racing Hyundai i30 N TCR.
Jay Hanson was forced into the use of the spare Melbourne Performance Centre Audi RS3 LMS TCR machine following a heavy shunt in the morning, still sneaking into the top 10.
Series leader Tony D’Alberto was just behind in 11th, followed by Josh Buchan and the returning Luke King in his Moutai Zip entry.
Will Brown and Lachlan Mineeff rounded out the top 15 in an Audi and Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR, respectively.
Two red flag spells were required in Practice 1 – Hanson’s smash at The Cutting the cause of the first before a second was needed when Mineeff’s suspension failed.
Tomorrow’s TCR Australia action starts at 12:20pm AEST.
Hi-Tec Oils Bathurst 6 Hour event coverage commences exclusively live, ad-free and on demand on Stan Sport tomorrow.
