August 27, 2019 | General

BUMPER FIELD HIGHLIGHTS SYDNEY TCM RETURN

THE BIGGEST Paynter Dixon Touring Car Masters field of the season to date will help celebrate a milestone weekend in the history of the category at Sydney Motorsport Park this weekend.

29-cars have entered for the category’s first event at the Western Sydney venue since 2015 as the stars and cars of Touring Car Masters headline the Paynter Dixon Sydney MasterBlast event featuring the Australian Muscle Car Masters.

The 300^th Touring Car Masters race will be contested within a five-race program – the most the category has ever featured in a single weekend.

The bumper entry comes as the championship builds to a competitive finish with just 58 points covering the top four in the series standings with three rounds remaining.

Steven Johnson’s streak of three consecutive round victories came to an end at his home circuit last time out in Ipswich a round won by third-generation driver Aaron Seton.

Johnson’s 1969 Ford Mustang now leads John Bowe (Holden Torana) by just 44 points heading to Sydney.

Bowe in turn is being chased by a pair of Chevrolet Camaro SS runners who are both proving their title credentials.

EFS Racing’s Ryal Harris finished second in Queensland and sits third in the standings while Adam Bressington is fourth just one point further back.

Seton who has now contested two of the four rounds this year sits ninth in the championship and another maximum score in Sydney could see him edge his way even closer to title contention.

Between Bressington and Seton sits a tight battle for Pro-Am class honours led by Jim Pollicina.

The Sydneysider leads a gaggle of Holden Torana drivers with a 99-point margin over sixth-placed Bruce Williams and an even larger margin over Ryan Hansford.

Following the impressive debut of his new Allan Moffat-tribute Mustang in Queensland Newcastle’s Cameron Mason will be keen for another strong round to improve on his eighth-place in the championship.

With Seton ninth part timer Adam Garwood sits 10^th – Marcus Zukanovic just behind hoping to work his way into the top-10 via a strong performance in Sydney.

The 29-strong Sydney field includes several names returning to the category following several rounds on the sidelines.

The experienced Bernie Stack steps back into the No. 85 Whiteline Racing 1970 Camaro while Aaron McGill returns his Ranger Ford Falcon GT to the track for the first time since the Adelaide 500.

Karl Begg (Holden Torana) will make his second TCM start following his Queensland debut while the popular and potent Ford Capri Perana of Jeremy Gray also returns to add further spice to the mix of marques and models on track.

Following unofficial practice on Friday the Paynter Dixon Touring Car Masters series cars will be on track a staggering five times alone on Saturday.

After qualifying in the morning the Dometic Trophy Race commences proceedings.

After that the 14^th race in the 2019 championship will double as the 300^th in series history later on Saturday afternoon.

The field then qualifies again that evening on the shorter Druitt circuit ahead of the first ever night race in category history on the same layout later that evening.

TCM has competed on all three major Sydney Motorsport Park layouts previously however last raced on the shorter Druitt circuit in 2013 while supporting the Top Gear festival.

This year marks the 12^th visit to the Sydney circuit the third most of any venue.

ENTRY LIST – 2019 PAYNTER DIXON SYDNEY MASTER BLAST feat. MUSCLE CAR MASTERS

No	Sponsor Name	Driver Name	Surname	State	Year	Make	Model	Colour
2	MotorsportSales.com	Karl	Begg	QLD	1974	HoldenÂÂ	Torana A9X	White
3	Western General Body Works	Danny	Buzadzic	VIC	1978	HoldenÂÂ	Torana A9X Hatch	White
5	ACDelco / Auto Action Magazine	Bruce	Williams	VIC	1974	HoldenÂÂ	Torana SL/R 5000	Blue
6	Multispares Racing	Ryan	Hansford	QLD	1974	HoldenÂÂ	Torana A9X	Yellow/Blue
7	MOCOMM Motorsport Communications	Jim	Pollicina	NSW	1974	HoldenÂÂ	Torana A9X	Black/White
8	ACDelco / Auto Action Magazine / BARC	Gary	O’Brien	VIC	1972	HoldenÂÂ	Monaro GTS	Black
9	Jesus Racing	Andrew	Fisher	NSW	1971	Ford	Falcon XY GT HO	Red
10	Family Law Coach	Guy	Gibbons	QLD	1973	HoldenÂÂ	Monaro GTS	Blue
12	The Lighthouse Hotel – Burnett Heads	Peter	Burnitt	QLD	1974	HoldenÂÂ	Torana A9X	Yellow/Black
17	WM Waste / Kubota	Steve	Johnson	QLD	1969	Ford	Mustang Fastback	Yellow/Green
18	PAYNTER DIXON	John	Bowe	VIC	1974	HoldenÂÂ	Torana SL/R 5000	Black/White
24	Wellpro Racing	Robert	Hackwood	QLD	1972	Pontiac	Trans Am	White/Blue
29	Brad Tilley Auto Garage	JamieÂÂ	Tilley	NSW	1964	Ford	Mustang Coupe	Black/Green
30	Hillier Brothers / THD Motorsport	Aaron	Seton	QLD	1969	Ford	Boss Mustang	Orange
33	F3 Motor Auctions	CameronÂÂ	Mason	NSW	1969	Ford	Mustang Trans Am	Silver/Green
35	iseek Racing	Jason	Gomersall	QLD	1978	HoldenÂÂ	Torana A9X Hatchback	Red/White/Black
58	EFS 4X4 Accessories	Ryal	Harris	QLD	1969	Chevrolet	Camaro SS	Gold
60	ANGLOMOIL Lubricants/MD Steel Fabrications	Cameron	Tilley	NSW	1969	Valiant	Pacer	Blue
65	Cannon Trailers	Michael (Blu)	Cannon	NSW	1971	Ford	Falcon XY GT	Red
67	Bilstein/JMG Racing	Jeremy	Gray	QLD	1972	Ford	Capri Perana	Blue/Yellow
68	Trans Am Engineering	Grant	Wilson	QLD	1968	Chevrolet	Camaro SS	Yellow
71	Centec Security Industries	Markus	Zukanovic	VIC	1980	FordÂÂ	Falcon XD	White/Blue
72	GFR Industries	Geoff	Fane	QLD	1972	Chevrolet	Camaro SS	Orange
75	Ranger Lifting-Rigging-Safety	AaronÂÂ	McGill	NSW	1971	Ford	Falcon XW GT	White/Blue
85	Whiteline Racing / Gawler Self Storage	Bernie	Stack	SA	1970	Chevrolet	Camaro RS	Yellow
88	TIFS – Warehousing & Distribution	Tony	Karanfilovski	NSW	1969	Ford	Mustang Trans Am	Orange
95	Whiteline Racing / VDC	Adam	Bressington	NSW	1969	Chevrolet	Camaro SS	Yellow
97	Century Batteries	Allen	Boughen	QLD	1963	Mercury	Comet	Black/Blue
99	Clifford Constructions / BP Botany	Ben	Dunn	NSW	1975	Chevrolet	Monza 2 + 2	White