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2010 Winton Preview – Old Warriors Number Up
After struggling for entries in the opening two rounds at Symmons Plains and Mallala where just the grids touched four and half a dozen respectively fourteen of the venerable tin tops are slated to do battle at the rural Garden state circuit.
V8TC_GroupFormer Development Series drivers Terry Wyhoon and Tony Evangelou have battled intensely through the opening rounds sharing race wins exclusively in their BA Falcons with the score at 4-2 in favour of Wyhoon’s ex Larkham Motor Sport Ford.
Currently they are separated by just five points with Evangelou’s better performances in the unique Time Attack enabling the pilot of the former Ford Pickford Racing Falcon to keep the pressure on the series leader. Meanwhile the inaugural series winner from 2008 Chris Smerdon remains a strong threat and can bite into the 34 point deficit this weekend in his ex Stone Brothers Racing Falcon AU before moving to a later BA model from the same outfit.
Mallala’s second round saw the addition of two new runners to the national series in Matt Hanson in a Prancing Horse Racing built AU and Dean Kovacevich in a Perkins Engineering constructed VY Commodore. Both are from West Australia and will be back for a Victorian debut although Kovacevich will vacate his seat for car co-owner Isidoro Ambrosio.
Michael Bartsch missed the opening round in his ex Steve Ellery Racing AU while Mark Sheppard skipped the second after using Terry Wyhoon’s SBR AU at the Tasmanian April round one. They are scheduled to join the Winton rollout along with V8TC_Group2another former Development Series regular Dean Neville who is making a SHANNONS V8 TOURING CAR NATIONAL SERIES debut in his BA Falcon.
Competitors from last year will also be out for the first time in 2010 including Steve Ingwersen in his Mike Quinn built VS Commodore Leigh Moran in a former Dick Johnson Racing EL Falcon and John Vergotis’ FPR AU. The latter will have a team mate this year in category rookie Chris Delfsma aboard a Howard Racing AU that has been fettled by Vergotis.
Ben Eggleston who has several Holdens and occasionally competes in the Development Series is also slated to have his first run of the year behind the wheel of a VX model. That Commodore will be joined be a VY out of the former DV8S Sydney Star Racing stable for Aaron Tebb.
National Series Points (after two rounds)
1-Terry Wyhoon 242 2-Tony Evangelou 237 3-Chris Smerdon 203 4-Michael Bartsch 89 5-Dean Kovacevich 69 6-Dean Hansen 66 7-Mark Shephard 33.
2009 V8 Touring Car National Series Winner Adam Wallis (Holden Commodore VT)
2008 V8 Touring Car National Series Winner Chris Smerdon (Ford Falcon AU)