News
BOWE SEALS FIFTH TITLE AS JOHNSON TAKES FINAL RACE
JOHN BOWE sealed his fifth Touring Car Masters ProMaster championship today at Sydney Olympic Park while Steven Johnson stormed from the back of the field to win a thrilling WAECO Trophy Race to cap off the season.
Bowe’s title came by virtue of a storming lights-to-flag win in Sunday morning’s second race of the weekend – aided by the fact fellow front-row starter Johnson was slow away thanks to an electrical problem.
Bowe’s clear road ahead saw him build a comfortable margin over the pack and ultimately record his eighth race win of the year – and seal the round result.
Bowe’s title backs up previous successes in 2011 2012 2014 and 2015. His results also ensure that 2016 is the first time in TCM history that the one model of car – a Holden Torana – has won all three class in the same season.
Bowe ultimately sealed the ProMaster championship by 80 points Glenn Seton edging Eddie Abelnica for second and third by just nine points after a see-sawing battle between the pair all weekend.
Steven Johnson ended his year fourth overall and Mark King fifth.
Jason Gomersall sealed the ProAm Championship ahead of Tony Karanfilovski and Rusty French while Tasmanian teenager Adam Garwood sealed his first major championship by taking the Pro Sports title ahead of TCM newcomer Darren Beale and Graham Stewart.
Sunday’s racing proved highly entertaining with Bowe’s victory in race two the most clear-cut performance of the day.
Behind him Glenn Seton finished second in race two with Eddie Abelnica rounding out the top three though both had to storm their way through the field after being delayed behind Johnson’s slowing GTHO Falcon at the rolling start.
Tony Karanfilovski was fourth Mark King fifth and Adam Bressington sixth in a remarkable comeback for the Whiteline Racing team – both cars being repaired overnight following damage in race one on Saturday.
Jason Gomersall Cameron Tilley Jim Richards and Rusty French completed the top-10.
With the championship decided the WAECO Trophy race later in the day was an absolute thriller Steven Johnson storming his way through in the reverse-grid race to take his second race win of the weekend.
Johnson edged out Cameron Tilley’s Anglomoil Valliant Pacer the Sydney driver having led the race for several laps mid-way through the race.
The six-cylinder Pacer held Johnson out for as long as he could but ultimately was unable to resist the bigger horsepower V8 on the long Sydney Olympic Park straights.
Tilley settled for second his best result of what has otherwise been a challenging season for the hemi-powered team.
Bowe capped off his season with third storming his way from the back of the grid to just trail Tilley’s Valliant to the line.
Mark King was fourth and Eddie Abelnica fifth in the XB Falcon Coupe.
As usual the reverse-grid race had a multitude of different leaders including a stunning first lap from Wayne Mercer who barrelled his GTHO Falcon from sixth to first on the run from the green flag to turn one.
The Melbourne driver led the first few laps before ultimately being overhauled by the pack.
Touring Car Masters acknowledges and thanks the support of the drivers teams crews and supporters who have made the season a great success.
In particular the series would like to extend their thanks to Shannons Insurance Rare Spares TOTAL Lubricants and Hoosier for their ongoing support of the category.
The 2017 TCM season kicks off on the streets of Adelaide at the iconic Clipsal 500 next March.
RACE 2
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Pos Car Competitor/Team Driver Vehicle Cap CL Laps Race.Time Fastest...Lap1 18 Wilson Security / PAYCE John Bowe (VIC) 1974 Holden Torana 5047 9 14:39.9317 2 1:36.8400R2 30 Thunder Road Racing Team Austr Glenn Seton (QLD) 1964 Ford Mustang Co 5000 9 14:54.2933 4 1:37.4982 3 48 Sydney's Cheapest Cars Eddie Abelnica (VIC) 1974 Ford Falcon XB 5800 9 14:56.4770 3 1:38.5541 4 88 TIFS - Warehousing & Distribut Tony Karanfilovski (NSW) 1969 Ford Mustang Tr 5800 9 15:04.9366 7 1:39.5770 5 85 Whiteline Racing / King Spring Mark King (QLD) 1970 Chevrolet Camar 5800 9 15:06.7186 6 1:39.1702 6 95 Whiteline Racing / Fabre Austr Adam Bressington (NSW) 1969 Chevrolet Camar 5800 9 15:07.1909 6 1:38.5933 7 35 iseek Racing Jason Gomersall (QLD) 1978 Holden Torana 5000 9 15:10.9487 4 1:39.0428 8 60 Glennan Transport/ANGLOMOIL Lu Cameron Tilley (NSW) 1969 Valiant Pacer 4390 9 15:11.3774 9 1:39.1535 9 2 Shannons Insurance Jim Richards (VIC) 1972 AMC Javelin 5898 9 15:29.8221 4 1:39.8583 10 4 Skye Sands Rusty French (VIC) 1970 Ford Mustang Fa 5800 9 15:45.6001 7 1:44.2219 11 28 Tilley Auto Garage Brad Tilley (NSW) 1964 Ford Mustang Co 4735 9 15:45.9178 4 1:43.8535 12 46 THD Motorsport Leo Tobin (VIC) 1969 Ford Boss Musta 5000 9 15:46.0987 4 1:43.5799 13 19 Tincone Industrial Services Darren Beale (QLD) 1972 Holden Monaro 5800 9 16:05.4127 9 1:44.5853 DNF 17 Synergy Race Engines Steve Johnson (QLD) 1971 Ford Falcon XY 5800 3 9:51.1885 3 1:40.1058 DNF 74 Lyndways Builders Wayne Mercer (VIC) 1971 Ford Falcon XY 5800
RACE 3
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Pos Car Competitor/Team Driver Vehicle Cap CL Laps Race.Time Fastest...Lap1 17 Synergy Race Engines Steve Johnson (QLD) 1971 Ford Falcon XY 5800 9 14:56.6122 4 1:37.5318 2 60 Glennan Transport/ANGLOMOIL Lu Cameron Tilley (NSW) 1969 Valiant Pacer 4390 9 14:58.3602 4 1:38.8040 3 18 Wilson Security / PAYCE John Bowe (VIC) 1974 Holden Torana 5047 9 14:58.7357 7 1:37.4799*4 85 Whiteline Racing / King Spring Mark King (QLD) 1970 Chevrolet Camar 5800 9 15:17.0293 9 1:41.1077 5 48 Sydney's Cheapest Cars Eddie Abelnica (VIC) 1974 Ford Falcon XB 5800 9 15:17.3253 9 1:40.3521 6 30 Thunder Road Racing Team Austr Glenn Seton (QLD) 1964 Ford Mustang Co 5000 9 15:18.7530 9 1:40.3020 7 74 Lyndways Builders Wayne Mercer (VIC) 1971 Ford Falcon XY 5800 9 15:22.9749 4 1:41.1532 8 95 Whiteline Racing / Fabre Austr Adam Bressington (NSW) 1969 Chevrolet Camar 5800 9 15:23.2421 2 1:41.4132 9 88 TIFS - Warehousing & Distribut Tony Karanfilovski (NSW) 1969 Ford Mustang Tr 5800 9 15:24.1350 3 1:41.7315 10 28 Tilley Auto Garage Brad Tilley (NSW) 1964 Ford Mustang Co 4735 9 15:27.2001 5 1:40.9206 11 35 iseek Racing Jason Gomersall (QLD) 1978 Holden Torana 5000 9 15:27.4692 7 1:38.3905 12 4 Skye Sands Rusty French (VIC) 1970 Ford Mustang Fa 5800 9 15:52.4624 3 1:42.9236 13 19 Tincone Industrial Services Darren Beale (QLD) 1972 Holden Monaro 5800 9 16:39.3238 5 1:45.4356 DNF 2 Shannons Insurance Jim Richards (VIC) 1972 AMC Javelin 5898 8 13:39.1366 6 1:41.3819 DNF 46 THD Motorsport Leo Tobin (VIC) 1969 Ford Boss Musta 5000 7 12:20.3101 2 1:43.8789