D’Alberto, Moffat, Zukanovic show Bathurst speed, Giltrap crowned champion

Tony D’Alberto has set a hot pace in his new Honda to be the standout TCR Australia competitor after the opening day of running at the Supercheap Auto Bathurst International.

D’Alberto was the class of the domestic drivers, leading TCR Australia honours in both practice sessions, while the TCR World Tour drivers found more speed as the day went on, getting used to the iconic Mount Panorama circuit.

At the end of practice two international driver Yann Ehrlacher emerged on top with the fastest time of 2:14.6698.

It was an impressive effort by the Frenchman in the Lynk & Co having been unable to post a single lap in the first practice session, which led to an engine change.

The most consistent driver of the day was D’Alberto, who took a liking to the track he sealed his 2022 championship at last year.

The #1 Wall Racing Honda was the only driver to compete with Ehlarcher and join him in the 2:14s window.

The brand new Honda Civic FK7 TCR showed great speed at Mount Panorama straight away by setting a scorching pace in the first practice.

D’Alberto was seven tenths better than the rest of the field after that half-hour of running where it was the locals who held the high ground.

However, the tables turned in the afternoon as the internationals had come to grips with the mountain and D’Alberto was the only Australian inside the top six.

The reigning TCR Australia champion was closely followed by his World Tour Honda counterpart Nestor Girolami.

Then it was a train of Lynk & Cos with Santiago Urrutia, Frederic Vervisch and Q H Ma rounding out the top six.

The second highest Australian driver was Will Brown in seventh place, while Aaron Cameron was in ninth.

There are only 29 points separating HMO Customer Racing teammates Bailey Sweeny and Josh Buchan at the top of the TCR Australia standings and little is between them after the first day at Bathurst.

Less than a tenth is between them, but Sweeny managed to keep Buchan outside the top 10 in practice 2.

Things get serious on Saturday where qualifying takes place at 12.35 AEDT before the opening race at 16.15 AEDT.

A heavily interrupted qualifying session has left the makeup of the grid for the opening Touring Car Masters race at Bathurst up in the air.

Only Marcus Zukanovic could register a respectable time in the 20-minute qualifying session as the rest were frustrated by red flags.

The first stoppage was due to Tim Dawson’s Ford Falcon XE grinding to a halt at the top of the Mountain, while any hopes of having a crack before the chequered flag were denied when the Valiant Charger of Tony Galbraith had an incident.

The result sheet shows Zukanovic on top with a 2:18.5191 by the crazy margin of 29s over Ryan Hansford and Cameron Tilley.

But due to the heavily reduced track time, it is more likely the grid for Saturday morning’s Trophy Race will be based on the practice results where Zukanovic also set the fastest time.

Tilley and Hansford also completed the top three followed by Andrew Fisher, Danny Buzadzic, John Bowe and Steven Johnson.

The Trophy Race is at 10.25 AEDT Saturday morning.

James Moffat is the short-priced favourite to end his wait for a national crown and become Trans Am champion at Bathurst and he has started the season finale perfectly.

Moffat was the class of the Trans Am field in both Bathurst practice sessions.

The first was straight forward with the #34 GRM Mustang the only car to lap a 2:13s time.

Moffat’s 2:13.5714 was seven tenths clear of nearest challengers Eden Thornburrow and Lochie Dalton.

The margin closed dramatically in practice two, but Moffat once again reigned supreme with a 2:13.1933.

This was just 0.04s better than Thornburrow who had started strong, while Ben Grice beat Dalton for third.

Josh Webster had a tough start, bringing out a red in the opening session and having limited running in the afternoon.

Qualifying awaits for Trans Am at 9.25 AEDT.

Marco Giltrap is officially the 2023 Porsche Sprint Challenge champion thanks to a podium finish in the Bathurst opener Nash Morris.

Giltrap’s advantage at the top of the table was so strong heading into the finale all he needed to do was finish 17th in the first race to lock away the title.

The Team Porsche New Zealand/Earl Bamber Motorsport driver did much more than that in race one by finishing third.

Morris marked his return to the Porsche Sprint Challenge with another win ahead of Marcos Flack in a heavily interrupted 15-lap affair.

Due to Tim Wolfe, Caspar Tresidder, Harrison Goodman and Eric Constantinidis failing to finish, two Safety Car periods greatly limited the race.

Two more races follow at 12.05 and 14.50 AEDT tomorrow.

In V8 Touring Cars Ryan Simpson edged out newcomer Cameron McLeod by 0.02s in the opener, before McLeod hit back in practice two, going a huge 2s faster than the rest in the ex SVG SBR Falcon.

The Australian Production Cars/Invited field went qualifying and Tim Leahey in the BMW G82 M4 was in a class of his own.

He took pole by eight tenths as the only driver in the 2:16s window, while best of the APC brigade was Grant Sherrin.

The Supercheap Auto Bathurst International resumes on Saturday with a big schedule of racing below.

Coverage will be on Stan Sport from 12.00 AEDT.

Main image by RACE PROJECT

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