GARRY’S BATHURST 1000 FRIDAY SUPPORT WRAP
The rain came on in droves on day two of the Repco Bathurst 1000, affecting much of the support category running, with the Heritage cars and SuperUtes getting the only dry races, AUTO ACTION’s Gary O’Brien reports.
PORSCHE PAYNTER DIXON CARRERA CUP AUSTRALIA
The very wet first race of the penultimate round was not a bother for Aaron Love who produced a masterly performance to win by 3.9 seconds over Max Vidau with Dylan O’Keeffe, 5.8 second further away and ahead of a feisty group.
The race started with three laps behind the safety car before they were let loose. Love immediately pulled a gap as O’Keeffe held off Dale Wood, Harri Jones, Max Vidau, Simon Fallon and David Russell. The safety car re-emerged when Scotty Taylor and Marc Cini spun in the Chase and the latter was stranded.
Max Vidau pinched P2 ahead of Dylan O’Keeffe with a brilliant move coming out of the esses: EDGE Photographics
With the resumption, Love bolted away to a comfortable win while Vidau who had snared third previously, was able to take second away from O’Keeffe. Jones came through for fourth ahead of Wood, Russell, Fallon and Callum Hedge.
In Morris Finance Pro Am, Geoff Emery was the early leader before Liam Talbot passed him and took the class. Sam Shahin also passed Emery for a period before ended up fourth behind Emery and Adrian Flack and ahead of Dean Cook.
TOYOTA GAZOO RACING AUSTRALIA 86 SERIES
The heavens opened as the first race of the final round started with Jobe Stewart able to wrestle the lead off pole sitter Ryan Casha. But at the sodden Chase the first time, Stewart was off. He wasn’t the only one as David Shultz copped a hit from behind, bounced off the wall and bunkered. Meanwhile Craig Thornton also had wall contact.
After the safety car, Ryan Wood passed Stewart and he also went off the Chase, as did Lachlan Gibbons who had progressed from ninth to third. He managed to regain the track, but Sam Christison was too far into the sand pit. As the race remained green, Bates was the new leader and he held it together to win ahead of Ryan Gilroy, Casha, Campbell Logan, Harrison Gray, Bailey Sweeney and Gibbons.
HATLECH V8 SUPERUTES
The opening race of round five was a one-two result for the Sieders Racing Team. David Sieders (Mitsubishi Triton) seized the lead off pole sitter and points leader Aaron Borg (Holden Colorado) on the run up the hill the first time and was never challenged from there to the end of the six laps.
David Sieders takes victory over teammate Aaron Borg in Race 1 of the SuperUtes. Photo: Tamara Jade Media
Likewise, Borg was a comfortable second, aided in part by the battle that raged throughout for third place. Ultimately Craig Dontas (Colorado) repelled the challengers put out by the Western Sydney Motorsport Toyota Hilux steerers Ben Walsh and Craig Woods.
HERITAGE REVIVAL
There were many position changes in the first of three races which finally saw a Ford one-two-three. First across the line was Terry Lawlor (Group C Ford Falcon XD) ahead of Greg Keam (Group A Ford Mustang) and Glenn Gerstel (Group C Falcon XE).
Doug Barbour (Group S Porsche 911 Carrera) was next ahead of brothers Jack and Luke Harrison in their Group N Mustangs. Nathan Gordon (Group N Holden Monaro HQ) was with the leaders and led at one stage before he slipped back to tenth.
The Morris/O’Brien XD Falcon took out a thrilling Heritage Revival Race 1, driven by owner Terry Lawlor
The second race basically didn’t happen. On the out-lap there was an oil slick across the top of the mountain which caught out Rod Hatfield who spun his four-door Group C Torana at Forrest Elbow and was hit by Chris O’Connor in his Group C Toyota Corolla. The race started behind the safety car and concluded after one lap.
