September 2, 2015 | General

TCM TORQUE – MUSCLE CAR TOURIST TROPHY

ANOTHER BUMPER round of the ENZED Touring Car Masters awaits fans and racers this weekend at Sydney Motorsport Park in New South Wales with the series returing to the Muscle Car Masters this year after missing the fathers day event in 2014.

There’s plenty to play for too. Not only is the championship finely poised at the pointy end but there’s a big milestone for John Bowe ahead the debut of Neil Crompton and we’ve also hatched a plan to introduce.. well.. a hatchback to the series for the first time.

So get your copy of Australian Muscle Car Magazine get your tickets to the Australian Muscle Car Masters and get on out to Sydney Motorsport Park to catch a bumper round of ENZED Touring Car Masters action.

BOWE’S 1000^th AWAITS.. AS DOES THE SEARCH FOR 200 WINS

JOHN BOWE looks set for a remarkable milestone in his lengthy and successful career during the sixth round of the 2015 ENZED Touring Car Masters series this weekend at Sydney Motorsport Park.

According to online motorsport database www.driverdb.com Bowe will record his 1000^th career national or international-level race start in race two this weekend – to be staged on the Sunday morning of the popular Muscle Car Masters event at the Sydney venue.   

With Bowe verifying the databases’ accuracy this weekend is set to be an important milestone in his career in a category in which he has been able to enjoy sustained success in recent years despite hanging up the full-time helmet from V8 Supercars competition in 2008.

His 998 starts currently recorded are the most by any Australian circuit racer.

In another notable feature of his weekend ahead Bowe will seek to record his 200^th race victory in the same weekend as his 1000^th start milestone.

Since joining the category in 2008 Bowe has recorded 72 race victories in the ENZED Touring Car Masters Series a majority of them driving his own Ford Mustang nicknamed ‘Sally’.

His wins this season have come driving a Holden Torana SL/R 5000.

Should results go his way the three Touring Car Masters races on the Muscle Car Masters program this weekend could see him take that tally to 202 by the end of the weekend. Should results go his way the three Touring Car Masters races on the Muscle Car Masters program this weekend could see him take that tally to 202 by the end of the weekend.

To do so he will need to beat a strong field of his career-long rivals including five drivers whom he spent a majority of his professional Touring Car Career battling.

Jim Richards Glenn Seton Andrew Miedecke and Neil Crompton will all compete in the Touring Car Masters field this weekend – Crompton making his debut in the category driving Bowe’s own Mustang. Steven Johnson – the son of JB’s long time team owner and friend Dick – will also be on track having won three rounds of the TCM series already this season.

Bowe’s other major victories include the 1989 and 1994 Bathurst 1000 races and two wins in the Bathurst 12 Hour in 2010 and 2014.

Bowe is also a double Australian Drivers Champion and the 1995 Australian Touring Car Champion.  

HATCHING A PLAN

WITH two-door Holden Torana’s set to become eligible into the category next season Touring Car Masters fans will get a taste-tester of the Hatchback variety of Holden’s 1970s rocketship this weekend.

David Falvey will debut his 1975 Holden Torana SS Hatchback this weekend in the TCM invitational class in something of a ‘soft-launch’ for the two-door Torry in TCM competition.

Falvey’s SS is prepared and run by Melbourne-based Savy Motorsport who also look after the TCM entries of Gavin Bullas Glenn Seton and Keith Kassulke – amongst others.

He’s also got a strong link to the category thanks also to his role as Will Falvey-Vining’s Dad – Will having raced the Thunder Road Racing Team Austraia Ford Mustang last season.  

TCM’s invitational class allows for period vehicles complying to TCM safety and build standards to compete on invitation from TCM organisers even if they don’t quite fit the series technical regulations.

The IROC Challenge Porsche’s run under this class when they compete at selected TCM rounds.

BACK TO THE TRACK

• Brett Youlden returns to the series for the first time since Winton’s round in May this year. Youlden is a dab hand at Sydney Motorsport Park having enjoyed success at the venue as recently as last year: his Bright green Holden HQ Monaro GTS 350 storming home to an impressive victory in the reverse grid race.

  Youlden also qualified second at Sydney Motorsport Park in the 2008 TCM round at the venue when it was known as Eastern Creek.

• Popular Sydneysider Cameron Tilley looks likely to make a return to the series this weekend in his equally popular six-cylinder Hemi Pacer despite a hefty crash in the same car at Queensland Raceway in August. The team has undertaken significant repairs on the blue beast in order to return it to the track this weekend at a venue where the ‘Tilley Clan’ has had plenty of success.

  Tilley qualified third at the venue in 2013 (at Muscle Car Masters) and recorded two fourths across the three races. He also finished third in the second race of the 2011 round there.

• Also returning this weekend: Defending ProSports champion Chris Stilwell (1968 Ford Mustang) Ford Falcon XA GT racer Tony Edwards E55 V8 Charger-mounted Garry Treloar Camaro racer Paul Freestone Graham Alexander in his HT Monaro GTS and Wayne Mercer in his popular blue Falcon XY GTHO.

 

QUALIFYING PREDICTION

THAT John Bowe and Andrew Miedecke will qualify 1-2 this weekend. They’ve done that at Sydney Motorsport Park – in that order – for the last three straight years. The year prior 2011 Bowe edged Jim Richards out for pole with Miedecke just behind in third place.

John Bowe’s domination of qualifying in the ENZED Touring Car Masters is no more apparent than at Sydney Motorsport Park / Eastern Creek Raceway. He’s scored seven of a possible eight pole positions at the venue. The only other driver to score pole there is Steve Mason in 2007 – when JB wasn’t racing!

SYDNEY MOTORSPORT PARK TRACK FACTS

QUALIFYING RECORD: John Bowe: 1m39 94s
RACE LAP RECORD: John Bowe: 1m41.2736s.

The ENZED Touring Car Masters has visited Sydney Motorsport Park / Eastern Creek Raceway more times than any other circuit. 2015 will mark the 9^th visit to the venue with 24 races having been contested there since the first visit in 2007.

8 drivers have won those races Bowe having 11 of them to his credit.

Steve Mason (3) Andrew Miedecke (3) and Gavin Bullas (3) are the other three multiple race winners with Eddie Abelnica Jim Richards Bill Pye and Brett Youlden each having scored one race win apiece at the venue.

By virtue of all Bowe’s success Ford holds sway in number of race victories at the circuit too. Mustang Sally’ has won 11 times at the venue whilst Jim Richards Falcon Sprint (1) Eddie Abelnica’s Falcon (1) and Gavin Bullas’ Mustang (3) also help the ledger in the way of the blue oval with 16 in total.  

For Chevrolet there’s three wins each to Steve Mason and Andrew Miedecke whilst Porsche has a single win thanks to the late Bill Pye’s success in 2013.

The venue has provided three winners from three races in the last two years – whilst the feat has been achieved three times in total. Bowe Youlden and Miedecke won the three races at SMSP last year respectively whilst in 2013 – the series last turn at Muscle Car Masters – Bowe Pye and Miedecke shared the honours. Bowe Richards and Gavin Bullas split the wins in 2009.

Bowe has won all three races in the round at Sydney Motorsport Park twice – in 2012 and 2010 – whilst Steve Mason achieved the sweep once in 2007.

ENTRY LIST
MUSCLE CAR TOURIST TROPHY
Presented by ENZED Shannons and Rare Spares.

ÂÂ	Sponsor Name	Driver Name	State	Year	Make	Model	Colour	Cap
2	Shannons Insurance	Jim Richards	VIC	1972	AMC	Javelin	Grey/Green	5890cc
4	Skye Sands	Rusty French	VIC	1970	Ford	Mustang Fastback	Black	5800cc
6	Chris Stillwell Racing	Chris Stillwell	VIC	1968	Ford	Mustang Trans Am	White/Blue	5000cc
7	PAYCE/Wilson Security	Neil Crompton	NSW	1969	Ford	Mustang Trans Am	Blue/Yellow	5800cc
11	Lion Mill Solutions/Ultra Performance Products	Tony Edwards	VIC	1973	Ford	Falcon XA GT	Violet	5768cc
12	Giraffe Civil Contracting	Adam Garwood	TAS	1974	HoldenÂÂ	Torana SL/R 5000	White	6000cc
15	Hercules Engines / F3 Motor Auctions	Cameron Mason	NSW	1971	Chevrolet	Camaro SS	Blue/White	5800cc
17	TIFS – Warehousing & Distribution/PAYCE	Steven Johnson	QLD	1971	Ford	Falcon XY GTHO	White/Orange	5800cc
18	Dunlop Super Dealers/ Wilson Security/ PAYCE	John Bowe	VIC	1974	HoldenÂÂ	Torana SL/R 5000	Blue/Yellow	5047cc
20	Storage King	Ian Palmer	QLD	1970	Pontiac	Trans-Am	White/Blue	5800cc
21	Treloar RosesÂÂ	Garry Treloar	VIC	1973	Chrysler	Charger E55	Yellow/Black	5570cc
25	Freestones Transport/Freestones Roadhaven	Paul Freestone	VIC	1968	Chevrolet	Camaro SS	Blue	5800cc
30	Thunder Road Racing Australia	Glenn SetonÂÂ	QLD	1964	Ford	Mustang Coupe	Black/Gold	5000cc
35	iseek RacingÂÂ	Jason Gomersall	QLD	1974	HoldenÂÂ	Torana SL/R 5000	White/Blue	5047cc
46	THD Motorsport	Leo Tobin	VIC	1972	HoldenÂÂ	HQ Monaro	Orange	5810cc
48	Sydneys Cheapest Cars	Eddie Abelnica	VIC	1974	Ford	Falcon XB Coupe	Red	5800cc
56	Gabriel Shock Absorbers	Brett Youlden	VIC	1972	HoldenÂÂ	HQ Monaro Coupe	Green	5800cc
57	Corio Auto Parts	Graham Alexander	VIC	1968	HoldenÂÂ	HT Monaro	Orange	5819cc
60	Glennan Transport / Tilley’s Racing Equipment	Cameron Tilley	NSW	1969	Valiant	Pacer	Blue	4390cc
74	Lyndways Builders	Wayne Mercer	VIC	1971	Ford	Falcon XY GTHO	Blue	5800cc
76	Falvey Bros / Savy Motorsport	David Falvey	NSW	1975	HoldenÂÂ	Torana SS	Orange	5800cc
85	Whiteline Transport Racing / King Springs	Mark King	QLD	1970	Chevrolet	Camaro RS	Red/Black/White	5800cc
88	TIFS – Warehousing & Distribution	Tony Karanfilovski	NSW	1969	Ford	Mustang Trans Am	Orange	5800cc
95	Whiteline Transport Racing / Lubrimaxx	Andrew Miedecke	NSW	1969	Chevrolet	Camaro SS	Black/Blue	5800cc