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HILLS ALIVE WITH THE SOUND OF MUSCLE
JOHN BOWE and Glenn Seton topped the times after the opening day of practice for the Wilson Trans-Tasman Challenge at Mount Panorama and the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 today.
The first full-field experience for TCM and New Zealand Central Muscle Car competitors went incident free with both 20-minute sessions held today running without stoppage or damage.
While Kiwi runners ran without timing in the opening session a full 49-car field completed the day’s running – filling the Mountain’s 6.213 kilometres with an enormous array of classic metal.
Aussies filled the top 10 positions today however the Kiwi’s impressed with their measured approach to learning the circuit and the Aussie conditions.
Bowe set the fastest time of the day late in the second practice session his 2m18.63s lap just 0.5s behind Steven Johnson’s existing TCM qualifying record set last year.
Glenn Seton was second his Thunder Road Racing team Ford Mustang banking a 2m19.46s lap to shade his long-time rival.
Bowe and Seton are both former Touring Car Masters race winners at Mount Panorama including Bowe taking two of the three available race victories last year.
Brett Youlden (Gabriel Shock Absorbers HQ Monaro GTS 350) ended the day third Adam Bressington (Whiteline Racing Chevrolet Camaro) fourth and Steven Johnson fifth in his Synergy Race Engines GTHO Falcon.
Kim Jane deputised for a sick Eddie Abelnica and pushed the Melbourne’s Cheapest Cars Falcon XB Coupe to sixth outright in front of Mark King (King Springs Camaro) Jim Richards (Shannons Insurance AMC Javelin) Adam Garwood (Ford Capri Perana) and Jason Gomersall.
Gomersall’s iSeek Racing team changed engines between practice one and two but otherwise performed strongly.
Current 2015/2016 Central Muscle Cars Champion Dean Perkins led the Kiwi charge ending the day 14th outright in his Ford Falcon XD.
Perkins’ best of 2m24.32s puts him within 3 seconds of the top four drivers in today’s running with more improvements to come in qualifying tomorrow.
John Midgley (XE Falcon) was 15th (2m25.43s) and David Hopper third of the Kiwi Brigade his Camaro posting a 2m25.79s and finishing 17th outright.
Bruce Anderson shared a Group A Ford Mustang with brother Wayne in the 1985 and 1986 Bathurst 1000 races made his Bathurst return today ultimately finishing fourth of the NZ runners and 20th outright in his ’69 Mustang Fastback.
Charger runner Tony Galbraith was 21st his 2m30.63s lap enough for fifth of the Central Muscle Cars brigade.
A 30 minute session tomorrow (Friday) morning will set the grid for the three races this weekend with race one to be contested later in the afternoon.
Friday’s action will be shown live on FOX Sports (506) Australia and Sky Sports New Zealand.
The Waeco Fridges Trophy Race will be contested on Saturday while the Wilson Trans-Tasman Challenge race – which will see the Aussie cars line up on one side of the grid and the Kiwi’s on the other – will be held on Sunday morning as a precursor to the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000.
Races two and three will be shown on FOX Sports Sky Sports NZ and also Network Ten on free-to-air around Australia.
RESULTS – P2
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Pos Car Competitor/Team Driver Vehicle Cap CL Laps Fastest...Lap Gap1 18 Wilson Security / PAYCE John Bowe (VIC) Holden Torana SL/R 5047 AUS 7 6 2:18.6382* 2 30 Thunder Road Racing Team Austr Glenn Seton (QLD) Ford Mustang Coupe 5000 AUS 7 4 2:19.4633 0:00.82513 56 Gabriel Shock Absorbers Brett Youlden (VIC) Holden Monaro GTS C 5800 AUS 7 4 2:21.3229 0:02.68474 95 Whiteline Racing / Fabre Austr Adam Bressington (NSW) Chevrolet Camaro SS 5800 AUS 7 4 2:21.4537 0:02.81555 17 Synergy Race Engines Steve Johnson (QLD) Ford Falcon XY GTHO 5800 AUS 8 4 2:21.5965 0:02.95836 48 Melbourne's Cheapest Cars Eddie Abelnica (VIC) Ford Falcon XB Coupe 5800 AUS 6 4 2:21.6387 0:03.00057 85 Whiteline Racing / King Spring Mark King (QLD) Chevrolet Camaro RS 5800 AUS 7 4 2:22.3556 0:03.71748 2 Shannons Insurance Jim Richards (VIC) AMC Javelin 5898 AUS 7 7 2:22.5628 0:03.92469 21 Giraffe Civil Contracting Greg Garwood (TAS) Ford Capri Perana 5800 AUS 7 3 2:22.7089 0:04.070710 35 iseek Racing Jason Gomersall (QLD) Holden Torana A9X H 5000 AUS 7 5 2:22.9074 0:04.269211 60 Glennan Transport/ANGLOMOIL Lu Cameron Tilley (NSW) Valiant Pacer 4390 AUS 6 5 2:23.6668 0:05.028612 88 TIFS - Warehousing & Distribut Tony Karanfilovski (NSW) Ford Mustang Trans A 5800 AUS 6 5 2:23.6814 0:05.043213 52 Outbound Racing / wheels.com.p Keith Kassulke (QLD) Holden Monaro GTS C 5800 AUS 6 4 2:23.6883 0:05.050114 175 Perkins Racing Team Dean Perkins (NZ) Ford Falcon 5800 NZ 7 1 2:24.3269 0:05.688715 119 Central Muscle Cars NZ John Midgley (NZ) Ford Falcon 6735 NZ 7 5 2:25.4341 0:06.795916 25 Maxi-Trans Trailers Paul Freestone (VIC) Chevrolet Camaro 5800 AUS 8 5 2:25.4864 0:06.848217 160 Hopper Car Construction David Hopper (NZ) Chevrolet Camaro 6000 NZ 7 3 2:25.7955 0:07.157318 74 Lyndways Builders Wayne Mercer (VIC) Ford Falcon XY GTHO 5800 AUS 6 6 2:26.8749 0:08.236719 10 Sunliner RV Tony Hunter (VIC) Chevrolet Monza 2+2 6000 AUS 6 3 2:29.8475 0:11.209320 169 Pinepac E Frame Bruce Anderson (NZ) Ford Mustang Fastbac 5866 NZ 7 5 2:30.0970 0:11.458821 43 Wasn't Me Racing Tony Galbraith (NZ) Valiant Charger 6555 NZ 7 6 2:30.6362 0:11.998022 4 Skye Sands Rusty French (VIC) Ford Mustang Fastbac 5800 AUS 4 1 2:30.7207 0:12.082523 44 Colin Meadows Racing Team Colin Meadows (NZ) Chevrolet Camaro SS 6000 NZ 6 3 2:31.1781 0:12.539924 49 Clarke Machine Hire Paul Clarke (NZ) Ford Mustang 6000 NZ 7 2 2:31.2237 0:12.585525 66 Vernon & Vazey Truck Parts Steven Ross (NZ) Holden Commodore VK 6653 NZ 7 7 2:31.4655 0:12.827326 97 Johns Furniture Removals Allen Boughen (QLD) Mercury Comet 4736 AUS 7 7 2:31.6612 0:13.023027 27 Burger Fuel Wellington Tristan Teki (NZ) Chevrolet Camaro 6700 NZ 4 2 2:31.8002 0:13.162028 46 THD Motorsport Leo Tobin (VIC) Ford Boss Mustang 5000 AUS 5 1 2:31.8830 0:13.244829 77 Dirty Boys Just Dig It Duane Ingley (NZ) Dodge Challenger 5800 NZ 7 6 2:31.9062 0:13.268030 165 GDM Retail Systems Michael Eden (NZ) Ford Falcon 6000 NZ 7 2 2:32.9001 0:14.261931 22 Aussie Muscle Car Run / PRT Fa Nigel Benson (SA) Holden Monaro GTS C 5800 AUS 5 3 2:34.0751 0:15.436932 65 Cannon Trailers Michael (Blu) Cannon QLD Ford Falcon XY GTHO 5800 AUS 6 2 2:34.1321 0:15.493933 121 Steve Hildred Motors Steve Hildred (NZ) Holden Monaro 6000 NZ 7 7 2:34.3691 0:15.730934 168 Case IH Mark Holland (NZ) Chevrolet Camaro 6718 NZ 6 4 2:35.0787 0:16.440535 33 Class Harvest Centre Otago Steve Scoles (NZ) Chevrolet Camaro 6000 NZ 7 7 2:35.1228 0:16.484636 15 Nautech Electronics Andrew Turner (NZ) Holden Commodore VH 6700 NZ 7 4 2:36.5090 0:17.870837 167 PPG Steve Noyer (NZ) Ford Mustang 5000 NZ 6 6 2:38.1962 0:19.558038 70 Ray White Real Estate Brendan Mason (NZ) Chevrolet Camaro SS 6600 NZ 6 6 2:38.5896 0:19.951439 19 Tincone Industrial Services Darren Beale (QLD) Holden Monaro GTS C 5800 AUS 7 6 2:41.4773 0:22.839140 118 Chesters Greg Holden (NZ) Ford Falcon 5625 NZ 7 6 2:42.9255 0:24.287341 130 Team West Cam Crawford (NZ) Ford XA Hardtop 6100 NZ 7 7 2:43.3278 0:24.689642 7 Syke Sands Dave Roberts (VIC) Chevrolet Camaro SS 5800 AUS 1 1 2:43.7648 0:25.126643 117 Dannevirke Honda Greg Cuttance (NZ) Ford Falcon 6718 NZ 6 3 2:53.0074 0:34.369244 02 Hawk Brake Pads Dave Roberts (USA) Chevrolet Camaro SS 5800 US 6 3 2:56.4717 0:37.833545 13 Kumeu Village Medical Centre John Elliott (NZ) Holden Torana XU1 3310 NZ 6 6 2:58.7529 0:40.114746 26 STL Sean Fowler (NZ) Holden Torana SL/R 6000 NZ 5 5 3:04.3363 0:45.698147 135 Central Muscle Cars NZ Grant Dalton (NZ) Chevrolet Camaro Z28 6500 NZ 1 1 4:12.4532 1:53.8150 622 Tony Barrow Racing Tony Barrow (NZ) Holden Commodore VK 5700 NZ 888 TDM Calvin Andrew (NZ) Holden Commodore VK 5000 NZ
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