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UPDATE: RITTER ON DEBUT TCM POLE
UPDATED:
GREG RITTER has sensationally taken pole position for the final round of the 2015 ENZED Touring Car Masters Series after qualifying was declared a non-event.
In the original quaifying session Steven Johnson edged out John Bowe in a shortened outing where a majority of drivers only got two flying laps thanks to an early red flag – when Rusty French crashed his Ford Mustang at Siberia in slippery conditions.
A half dry half wet circuit greeted drivers ahead of qualifying with most choosing slick tyres in anticipation of it drying – howvever when the Skye Sands Mustang made hefty contact with the tyres at turn six the session was red flagged the impact badly damaging the car and the wall in the process. French escaped unharmed.
Because majority of the field had only time to complete one flying lap before the session was called officials of the meeting declared the results void and instead elected to determine the grid based on combined times from the two practice sessions held earlier in the day.
“Due to delayes resulting from accident damage to Tyre Walls the Touring Car Masters Qualifying has been declared and Practice 1 & 2 results will be combined to provide a grid for Touring Car Masters Race 1” noted a statement from the Event Secretary.
As such Ritter will start from pole on his TCM debut: the result also the first pole for a Chevrolet Monza in TCM competition.
The long-time V8 Supercars co-driver starred in the two earlier wet practice sessions comfortably topping both despite never having driven the Sunliner RV Chevrolet Monza prior to the first practice on Friday morning. His practice best of 1m53.2090s ultimately ended up 1.6s quicker than anyone in the tricky conditions.
On the ajusted results John Bowe will start his Torana from second – the first time he’s failed to score pole in his four attempts at racing TCM at Phillip Island – and Tony Karanfilovski third.
Eddie Abelnica will start his home race fourth in front of Steven Johnson.
Johnson had topped the qualifying session and was one of only eight drivers who managed more than one flying lap in the abbreviated session.
Jason Gomersall will start race one sixth and Championship leader Jim Richards seventh. Richards was the big winner out of the officials decision to revert to practice times: The AMC Javelin was only 17th fastest in the qualifying session having been unable to bank a representative time prior to the red flag.
Richards leads Bowe by just five points in the ProMaster standings ahead of the three races this weekend.
Andrew Fisher Sven Burchartz and Brett Youlden completed the top 10 though Youlden will be relegated to the rear of grid after passing cars under the red flag.
The first two of three races in this weekend’s Rare Spares Phillip Island Trophy weekend will be contested tomorrow at the Phillip Island Grand Prix circuit.
STARTING GRID – COMBINED PRACTICE TIMES
Pos Car Competitor/Team Driver Vehicle Cap CL Fastest...Lap Gap1 10 Sunliner RV Greg Ritter Chev Monza 2+ 2 5800 P2 1:53.2090* 2 18 Dunlop Super Dealers / Wilson John Bowe Torana SLR 5000 5047 P2 1:54.9031 0:01.69413 88 TIFS Warehousing & Distributio Tony Karanfilovski Mustang Trans Am 5800 P2 1:54.9852 0:01.77624 48 Melbourne's Cheapest Cars Eddie Abelnica Ford Falcon XB 5800 P2 1:54.9875 0:01.77855 17 Payce / Wilson Security Steven Johnson Mustang Trans Am 5800 P2 1:55.5237 0:02.31476 35 iseek Racing Jason Gomersall Torana SLR 5000 5047 P2 1:57.0907 0:03.88177 2 Shannons Insurance Jim Richards Javelin 5890 P2 1:57.2803 0:04.07138 9 Jesus Racing Andrew Fisher Falcon XY GTHO 5800 P2 1:57.4772 0:04.26829 90 Kalus Kenny Itelex Sven Burchartz Porsche 911RS 3600 P2 1:58.1526 0:04.943610 56 Gabriel Shock Absorbers / PIAR Brett Youlden Monaro HQ 5800 P2 1:58.2211 0:05.012111 12 Giraffe Civil Contracting Adam Garwood Torana SLR 5000 5047 P2 1:58.3130 0:05.104012 11 Lion Mill Solutions /Ultra Per Tony Edwards Ford Falcon XA GT 5768 P2 1:58.4303 0:05.221313 60 Glennan Transport / Tilleys Ra Cameron Tilley Valiant Pacer 4390 P2 1:59.6462 0:06.437214 46 THD Motorsport Leo Tobin Monaro HQ 5810 P2 2:00.4861 0:07.277115 4 Skye Sands Rusty French Mustang Fastback 5800 P2 2:01.2852 0:08.076216 95 Whiteline Transport Racing / L Andrew Miedecke Chev Comaro SS 5800 P2 2:02.1259 0:08.916917 7 Red Rock Winery Rohan Little Porsche 911 3600 P2 2:03.1884 0:09.979418 75 Quest Roofing Andy Clempson Mustang Trans Am 5800 P1 2:03.3710 0:10.162019 74 Lyndways Builders Wayne Mercer Ford Falcon XY GT HO 5800 P2 2:08.0676 0:14.858620 57 Corio Auto Parts Graham Alexander Monaro HT 5819 P2 2:08.1029 0:14.893921 85 Whiteline Transport Racing / K Mark King Chev Camaro RS 5800 P2 2:08.3496 0:15.140622 52 Angliss Meats Brett Curran Mustang Shelby 5800 P1 2:11.2960 0:18.087023 24 RPM Electrical Repairs Royston Evans Pontiac Trans Am 6899 P2 2:21.7648 0:28.5558 81 Tarosa Stairs Angelo Taranto Camaro SS Tans Am 5800
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PRACTICE TWO
Pos Car Competitor/Team Driver Vehicle Cap CL Laps Fastest...Lap Gap1 10 Sunliner RV Greg Ritter Chev Monza 2+ 2 5800 10 5 1:53.2090* 2 18 Dunlop Super Dealers / Wilson John Bowe Torana SLR 5000 5047 10 6 1:54.9031 0:01.69413 88 TIFS Warehousing & Distributio Tony Karanfilovski Mustang Trans Am 5800 10 10 1:54.9852 0:01.77624 48 Melbourne's Cheapest Cars Eddie Abelnica Ford Falcon XB 5800 7 7 1:54.9875 0:01.77855 17 Payce / Wilson Security Steven Johnson Mustang Trans Am 5800 8 5 1:55.5237 0:02.31476 35 iseek Racing Jason Gomersall Torana SLR 5000 5047 8 4 1:57.0907 0:03.88177 2 Shannons Insurance Jim Richards Javelin 5890 8 6 1:57.2803 0:04.07138 9 Jesus Racing Andrew Fisher Falcon XY GTHO 5800 8 7 1:57.4772 0:04.26829 90 Kalus Kenny Itelex Sven Burchartz Porsche 911RS 3600 10 8 1:58.1526 0:04.943610 56 Gabriel Shock Absorbers / PIAR Brett Youlden Monaro HQ 5800 9 9 1:58.2211 0:05.012111 12 Giraffe Civil Contracting Adam Garwood Torana SLR 5000 5047 9 9 1:58.3130 0:05.104012 11 Lion Mill Solutions /Ultra Per Tony Edwards Ford Falcon XA GT 5768 7 6 1:58.4303 0:05.221313 60 Glennan Transport / Tilleys Ra Cameron Tilley Valiant Pacer 4390 6 3 1:59.6462 0:06.437214 46 THD Motorsport Leo Tobin Monaro HQ 5810 9 9 2:00.4861 0:07.277115 4 Skye Sands Rusty French Mustang Fastback 5800 8 4 2:01.2852 0:08.076216 95 Whiteline Transport Racing / L Andrew Miedecke Chev Comaro SS 5800 8 7 2:02.1259 0:08.916917 7 Red Rock Winery Rohan Little Porsche 911 3600 9 6 2:03.1884 0:09.979418 74 Lyndways Builders Wayne Mercer Ford Falcon XY GT HO 5800 8 8 2:08.0676 0:14.858619 57 Corio Auto Parts Graham Alexander Monaro HT 5819 6 4 2:08.1029 0:14.893920 85 Whiteline Transport Racing / K Mark King Chev Camaro RS 5800 4 4 2:08.3496 0:15.140621 24 RPM Electrical Repairs Royston Evans Pontiac Trans Am 6899 3 2 2:21.7648 0:28.5558
PRACTICE ONE
Pos Car Competitor/Team Driver Vehicle Cap CL Laps Fastest...Lap Gap1 10 Sunliner RV Greg Ritter Chev Monza 2+ 2 5800 9 9 1:53.2303* 2 18 Dunlop Super Dealers / Wilson John Bowe Torana SLR 5000 5047 8 7 1:55.1766 0:01.94633 88 TIFS Warehousing & Distributio Tony Karanfilovski Mustang Trans Am 5800 8 4 1:56.1353 0:02.90504 17 Payce / Wilson Security Steven Johnson Mustang Trans Am 5800 5 5 1:56.5413 0:03.31105 48 Melbourne's Cheapest Cars Eddie Abelnica Ford Falcon XB 5800 7 2 1:56.6600 0:03.42976 35 iseek Racing Jason Gomersall Torana SLR 5000 5047 8 8 1:58.4616 0:05.23137 90 Kalus Kenny Itelex Sven Burchartz Porsche 911RS 3600 8 8 1:58.5136 0:05.28338 2 Shannons Insurance Jim Richards Javelin 5890 8 8 1:58.6445 0:05.41429 12 Giraffe Civil Contracting Adam Garwood Torana SLR 5000 5047 8 7 1:59.0370 0:05.806710 60 Glennan Transport / Tilleys Ra Cameron Tilley Valiant Pacer 4390 5 3 1:59.8648 0:06.634511 46 THD Motorsport Leo Tobin Monaro HQ 5810 7 6 2:01.4969 0:08.266612 4 Skye Sands Rusty French Mustang Fastback 5800 5 5 2:02.8535 0:09.623213 75 Quest Roofing Andy Clempson Mustang Trans Am 5800 7 7 2:03.3710 0:10.140714 95 Whiteline Transport Racing / L Andrew Miedecke Chev Comaro SS 5800 5 5 2:03.5184 0:10.288115 9 Jesus Racing Andrew Fisher Falcon XY GTHO 5800 6 6 2:03.7542 0:10.523916 7 Red Rock Winery Rohan Little Porsche 911 3600 8 7 2:03.9524 0:10.722117 57 Corio Auto Parts Graham Alexander Monaro HT 5819 7 7 2:08.9146 0:15.684318 85 Whiteline Transport Racing / K Mark King Chev Camaro RS 5800 3 3 2:10.4999 0:17.269619 52 Angliss Meats Brett Curran Mustang Shelby 5800 5 4 2:11.2960 0:18.065720 24 RPM Electrical Repairs Royston Evans Pontiac Trans Am 6899 2 2 2:30.0909 0:36.860621 74 Lyndways Builders Wayne Mercer Ford Falcon XY GT HO 5800 3 1 2:32.8625 0:39.6322 81 Tarosa Stairs Angelo Taranto Camaro SS Tans Am 5800
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