DFH and Bargwanna take spicy TCM opener

Jude Bargwanna has won on his Touring Car Masters debut at the SMP Trophy Race at the Sydney 500, steering the Duggan Family Hotels VB Commodore through the field to a barnstorming victory.

Main Image: James Smith

It was only the Trophy Race -10 points to finish across the field – but in good signs for the weekend to come, none of the classic machines were held back in a very entertaining affair.

After leading most of the race, Danny Buzadzic in the #3 Torana got into a great scrap with Bargwanna at the death, but he couldn’t hold off the ’24 championship winning machine with its fresh young charger behind the wheel, who threw everything at it, taking advantage of the Torana going wide several times in the final few laps.

Both the Tilley’s in the Mustang and fan favourite Valiant were also involved everywhere, but it was Marcus Zukanovic in the Falcon that held third.

The other DFH car driven by Scott Cameron, was also in the thick of the action, with both teammates throwing it down, but the VB was just a bit too toey for the heavier Chevrolet, and Bargwanna’s track positioning was strong throughout.

Race 1 begins at 4pm AEDT, with the Jesus Racing Torana of Andrew Fisher on pole, who will enter the opener proper with some clutch dramas.

Here’s how the Trophy Race went down…

The first TCM Trophy race of the season kicked off with the Falcon/Torana pairing of Zukanovic and Buzadzic on the front row, with the Falcon getting the jump, with Karanfilovski and C.Tilley in pursuit of the jump away front two.

Hansford took damage early from the Chevy Monza in his Multispares Torana with a brief safety car deployed, with the Tilley Valiant moving into third over the Chevrolet, whilst pole sitter for Race 1 Andrew Fisher had to pit with apparent braking issues.

At the green flag with Buzadzic having taken the lead back, the two Tilley’s were Locked in a battle for third, whilst Bargwanna’s Commodore was making spots up the field into sixth with six minutes to run.

Cameron then swamped the Tilley Mustang, whilst Bargwanna got involved in a three car switch up, moving into fifth over his DFH Chevy teammate, with he Mustang somehow holding onto fourth.

But that didn’t last long as the VB Commodore took both Tilley’s into third with three minutes left, as the ex-championship car looked spot on the money again for ’25.

The Torana still led the Falcon but only by under one second, as Bargwanna caught the rear of the leaders.

With two laps remaining, Bargwanna moved into second place in his TCM debut, with the injection of youth in a fast classic proving bloody entertaining.

The Torana went wide into Turn 8, and a drag to enter the last lap saw a great battle ensure, going side by side before Buzadzic went wide again, letting in the Commodore for the eventual win by +0.490, with Zukanovic holding off the Tilley’s for third.

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