News
FALCON GTHO DOMINATES IN THE TOP END
STEVEN JOHNSON has claimed back-to-back Touring Car Masters round victories at Hidden Valley Raceway storming to victory in the Shannons Thunder in the Valley in his Falcon GTHO this weekend.
Johnson brilliantly won races one and two driving the Synergy Race Engines Falcon before finishing 10th in the Waeco Trophy Race late on Sunday to seal the round result and close to within nine points of John Bowe in the ProMaster class championship.
Meanwhile Wayne Mercer stormed to victory in the 10-lap reverse-grid Trophy encounter late on Sunday afternoon recording his first ever TCM race victory.
The win etched the popular Victorian driver into the record books as the 8th different winner from 12 races this season – the first time there has been more than 7 winners in a single TCM season.
The Darwin round also marks the first time all three races of a single round have been won by Ford’s famous XY GTHO Falcon.
Having won the opening race on Saturday Johnson repeated his supreme defensive performance in race two repelling attack after attack from John Bowe first and then Glenn Seton later in the race.
Bowe shadowed his former teammate for the early stages of the race before an attempted overtake around the outside of turn one went awry and he ran off the road – ultimately finishing fifth.
With two laps remaining Seton then took up the mantle of aggressor working over the rear bumper of Johnson’s Ford in a classic battle to the flag though Johnson was good enough in defence to hold on for a narrow victory.
With Seton second Eddie Abelnica finished a strong third and Jason Gomersall fourth.
The Holden Torana A9X racer had started the race ninth and despite a slow start was quickly able to work his way back to the front of the field setting the fastest lap in the process.
With Bowe fifth Jim Richards finished sixth Andrew Fisher seventh with Mark King Adam Garwood and Greg Garwood completing the top 10.
Wayne Mercer led from pole position in the Waeco Trophy Race but the race turned out to be another thriller that required a Falcon GT to defend from several leading combatants.
Tony Karanfilovski was the main attacker working his way to second behind the blue Falcon by mid-race. The pair battled side by side for several laps before making his move with two laps remaining.
Unfortunately the yellow Mustang ran wide and off the road the Sydney driver recovering to finish 10th after a strong performance.
Rusty French ultimately finished second while Glenn Seton stormed from 14th to 3rd to continue his strong run of reverse-grid form.
Adam Garwood finished fourth ensuring the young Tasmanian has finished inside the top six in every Trophy race this season. Greg Garwood completed the top five having led the race early in his Ford Capri Perana.
John Bowe had looked a likely winner of the Trophy race however pulled to the side of the road on lap four with no power in his Holden Torana.
Johnson’s superb performance at Hidden Valley closes him to just 9 points of the ProMaster class series lead at the halfway point of the 2016 TCM series the Falcon driver’s 608 points trailing Bowe’s 617.
Eddie Abelnica remains the model of consistency and retains third in the standings while Glenn Seton now sits just 97 points from the series lead in fourth.
Just 158 points – less than a full round – split first to sixth in the ProMaster Class.
Jason Gomersall edged out his lead over Andrew Fisher in the ProAm class Holden Torana leading Ford Falcon in ProAm as it does in ProMaster.
The margin between the pair stands at 74 points with Tony Karanfilovski third.
Adam Garwood continues to top the ProSports standings in his Sunliner RV Holden Torana SL/R 5000.
The next round of the 2016 Touring Car Masters series – the Rare Spares Queensland Tourist Trophy – will be contested at Queensland Raceway on July 22-24 with the Supercars Championship.
RACE 2
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Pos Car Competitor/Team Driver Vehicle Cap CL Laps Race.Time Fastest...Lap1 17 Synergy Race Engines Steve Johnson (QLD) Ford Falcon XY GTHO 5800 10 12:36.3206 6 1:14.6569 2 30 Thunder Road Racing Team Austr Glenn Seton (QLD) Ford Mustang Coupe 5000 10 12:36.6629 2 1:14.0706 3 48 Darwin's Cheapest Cars Eddie Abelnica (VIC) Ford Falcon XB Coupe 5800 10 12:38.2700 6 1:14.7475 4 35 iseek Racing Jason Gomersall (QLD) Holden Torana A9X 5000 10 12:38.7842 5 1:13.7878*5 18 Wilson Security/PAYCE John Bowe (VIC) Holden Torana SL/R 5 5047 10 12:39.1894 2 1:14.6341 6 2 Shannons Insurance Jim Richards (VIC) AMC Javelin 5898 10 12:40.1253 5 1:14.4959 7 9 Jesus Racing Andrew Fisher (NSW) Ford Falcon XY GTHO 5800 10 12:43.6581 7 1:15.1913 8 85 Whiteline Racing/King Springs Mark King (QLD) Chevrolet Camaro RS 5800 10 12:43.8541 8 1:14.5558 9 12 Giraffe Civil Contracting Adam Garwood (TAS) Holden Torana SL/R 5 5047 10 12:51.1919 9 1:15.6870 10 21 Giraffe Civil Contracting Greg Garwood (TAS) Ford Capri Perana 5000 10 12:51.4432 4 1:15.9798 11 4 Skye Sands Rusty French (VIC) Ford Mustang Fastbac 5800 10 12:52.7260 10 1:15.8435 12 74 Lyndways Builders Wayne Mercer (VIC) Ford Falcon XY GTHO 5800 10 12:54.7708 7 1:15.8404 13 95 Whiteline Racing/CAV Power Bob Middleton (SA) Chevrolet Camaro SS 5800 10 13:05.8426 5 1:17.0918 14 22 Aussie Muscle Car Run/PRT Fa Nigel Benson (SA) Holden Monaro GTS 5800 10 13:14.7351 8 1:17.8876 15 19 Tincone Industrial Services Darren Beale (QLD) Holden Monaro GTS 5800 10 13:37.6369 6 1:19.6042 16 65 Cannon Trailers Michael Cannon (QLD) Ford Falcon XY GTHO 5800 10 14:32.6908 6 1:19.3708 17 88 TIFS - Warehousing & Distribut Tony Karanfilovski (NSW) Ford Mustang Trans A 5800 8 12:54.6562 8 1:15.2703 DNF 43 Treloar Roses/Mick Wilson Plum Mick Wilson (VIC) Ccrysler Charger RT 4390 4 5:47.3669 2 1:21.5943 DNF 60 Glennan Transport/ANGLOMOIL Lu Cameron Tilley (NSW) Valiant Pacer 4390 2 2:42.4278 2 1:16.2346
RACE 3
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Pos Car Competitor/Team Driver Vehicle Cap CL Laps Race.Time Fastest...Lap1 74 Lyndways Builders Wayne Mercer (VIC) Ford Falcon XY GTHO 5800 10 13:42.0309 6 1:16.1017 2 4 Skye Sands Rusty French (VIC) Ford Mustang Fastbac 5800 10 13:42.4734 4 1:15.9913 3 30 Thunder Road Racing Team Austr Glenn Seton (QLD) Ford Mustang Coupe 5000 10 13:42.7212 5 1:15.4683 4 12 Giraffe Civil Contracting Adam Garwood (TAS) Holden Torana SL/R 5 5047 10 13:43.5587 10 1:15.8353 5 21 Giraffe Civil Contracting Greg Garwood (TAS) Ford Capri Perana 5000 10 13:44.4207 4 1:16.2567 6 48 Darwin's Cheapest Cars Eddie Abelnica (VIC) Ford Falcon XB Coupe 5800 10 13:44.9005 5 1:15.1762 7 85 Whiteline Racing/King Springs Mark King (QLD) Chevrolet Camaro RS 5800 10 13:45.4192 3 1:15.7930 8 2 Shannons Insurance Jim Richards (VIC) AMC Javelin 5898 10 13:46.1899 5 1:15.0985 9 9 Jesus Racing Andrew Fisher (NSW) Ford Falcon XY GTHO 5800 10 13:48.4241 9 1:15.6510 10 17 Synergy Race Engines Steve Johnson (QLD) Ford Falcon XY GTHO 5800 10 13:51.8838 2 1:15.6775 11 88 TIFS - Warehousing & Distribut Tony Karanfilovski (NSW) Ford Mustang Trans A 5800 10 13:51.9271 6 1:15.1460 12 22 Aussie Muscle Car Run/PRT Fa Nigel Benson (SA) Holden Monaro GTS 5800 10 13:52.5662 5 1:17.5170 13 65 Cannon Trailers Michael Cannon (QLD) Ford Falcon XY GTHO 5800 10 13:53.4620 10 1:17.8716 14 19 Tincone Industrial Services Darren Beale (QLD) Holden Monaro GTS 5800 10 13:59.9352 10 1:19.3871 15 35 iseek Racing Jason Gomersall (QLD) Holden Torana A9X 5000 10 14:07.7417 3 1:18.9638 DNF 18 Wilson Security/PAYCE John Bowe (VIC) Holden Torana SL/R 5 5047 4 5:33.4447 3 1:15.0728*
ÂÂ