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PRO SPORTS BATTLE TO HEAT UP AT SANDOWN
ALL THE attention may well be on the Bowe-versus-Johnson fight at the front of the Paynter Dixon Touring Car Masters Series but there’s an even more competitive Torana-versus-Mustang fight underway in the TCM series.
Just one point splits ProSports class leader Jim Pollicina and 2015 class champion Leo Tobin in an absorbing battle for their class championship.
After five rounds Pollicina leads Tobin 463-462 heading into a critical month of racing.
The pair also sit just outside the top-10 in the overall standings with Pollicina 11th and Tobin 12th.
Tobin pulled an early margin in the championship with victories in Adelaide and Tasmania while Pollicina fought back with a narrow win at Winton in round three.
Both played second fiddle to Ian Woodward in Darwin however Tobin outscored Pollicina as the pair completed the class podium.
Both had challenging weekends in the series first visit to Townsville with Leo Tobin failing to score a single point after an engine issue ruled him out before the weekend really got underway.
Though Pollicina had a challenging weekend the 37 points he scored elevated him to the narrow one-point margin he now enjoys at the top of the class standings.
Complicating matters for the pair will be the injection of competition into the ProSports class this weekend with several regular names returning to the series to tackle Sandown’s 3.1 kilometres.
Tobin has been a regular fixture in TCM for the last five years starting with an Orange HQ Monaro GTS before upgrading to his current 302 Ford ‘Boss’ Mustang.
The experienced Pollicina is in the midst of his first full-time TCM campaign having acquired the ex-Adam Garwood Holden Torana for his campaign this year.
The Sydney driver recently wrapped up the ‘Kumho Cup’ title in the V8 Touring Cars national series in their final round held recently.
Action gets underway this Friday at Sandown with practice and qualifying.