News
CRICK THE BATHURST HERO WITH COMEBACK WIN
NINE MONTHS after the place tried to hit him for six Greg Crick has returned one straight back at Mount Panorama Bathurst by taking victory in round six of the ENZED Touring Car Masters.
The Tasmanian folk hero suffered severe carbon monoxide poisoning – and associated after effects – during his crowd-pleasing effort in February’s Bathurst 12-hour and was told by doctors he would never race again.
But on a beautiful clear Sunday morning at the Mountain nine months later he came back in the best possible way by winning the third race and the ProMaster class in the penultimate round of the 2014 TCM series.
Crick led home Kim Jane (Sydney’s Cheapest Cars XB Falcon) and Jim Richards (Shannons Falcon Sprint) in today’s seven-lapper which went the full distance and safety-car free this morning.
He won a race at Sandown in September but Crick said there was no substitute for tasting victory at the sports’ most iconic location.
“It’s absolute relief†Crick admitted afterwards.
“We’ve worked hard on this car for plenty of years and its come forward in leaps and bounds. It’s so good to be working with your mates and working with blokes who put so much effort and passion into the car. They know the effort I have to put into racing it after what happened in February and there’s been some big hurdles to overcome – the nerves and anxiety that has come as a result of the poisoning which is getting better.
“Today is a major breakthrough for us our first round win and I think we did it pretty well today and the car was just terrific.
The race 3 start on Sunday morning. PIC: Dirk Klynsmith
“The advice Oscar (Fironotto a noted suspension guru) gives me with car setup is huge my boys of course and it’s just a fantastic feeling.â€Â
The MOPAR-supported driver says it was a sweet feeling to be back on top of the world – and the Mountain that hurt him earlier this year.
“It’s a great feeling of achievement for me after what I’ve been through to win again when I was told I was never going to race again is a pretty nice feeling.
“It’s great to do it at a place I love so much and a place that tried to get me!â€Â
Kim Jane finished second in the final race passing Jim Richards for the position in the closing stages of the race after the pair battled for much of the duration.
Keith Kassulke Mark King Les Walmsley (from 11th in race two) Brad Tilley Paul Freestone Bill Pye and Andrew Fisher completed the top-10.
Crick won the ProMasters class for round 6 of the ENZED TCM Mark King winning ProAm ahead of Paul Freestone and Les Walmsley.
Porsche driver Greg Keene took his 911 RS to victory in the ProSports class ahead of Cameron Mason and Rusty French.
The next round of the ENZED Touring Car Masters Series will be held with the V8 Supercars at the Phillip Island Grand Prix circuit in November.
The RARE SPARES achievement award PWR Cool Master and Meguiar’s / Liqui-Moly ‘Looks good goes great’ contingency awards will be announced in due course.
RACE 3 RESULTS:
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Pos Car Competitor/Team Driver Vehicle Cap CL Laps Race.Time Fastest...Lap1 75 Mopar Performance Greg Crick (TAS) Charger E55 5570c 7 16:45.7577 6 2:22.2010*2 48 Sydneys Cheapest Cars Kim Jane (VIC) Falcon XB Coupe 5800c 7 16:47.1251 7 2:22.61693 1 Shannons Insurance Jim Richards (VIC) Falcon Sprint 4700c 7 16:47.9693 6 2:22.70514 52 Outbound Racing / wheels.com.p Keith Kassulke (QLD) Falcon XB Coupe 5800c 7 16:48.6070 5 2:22.40995 85 Whiteline Transport Racing / K Mark King (QLD) Camaro RS 5800c 7 17:02.8964 6 2:23.95386 99 Outbound Racing / Treloar Rose Les Walmsley (VIC) HQ Monaro 5810c 7 17:03.6688 7 2:24.20397 28 Brad Tilley (NSW) Falcon XY GT 5800c 7 17:18.6005 3 2:25.14328 25 Freestones Transport/Freestone Paul Freestone (VIC) Camaro SS 5800c 7 17:21.0200 7 2:26.27839 7 calga.biz Bill Pye (NSW) Camaro 5800c 7 17:21.2971 7 2:26.328510 9 Synergy Race Engines Andrew Fisher (NSW) Falcon XY GTHO 5800c 7 17:21.8479 7 2:25.258011 60 Tilleys Racing Equipment Cameron Tilley (NSW) HQ Monaro 5800c 7 17:22.5277 7 2:26.300112 50 Flo-gineering Carey McMahon (VIC) Torana SL/R 5000 5000c 7 17:23.4140 6 2:25.255413 10 Sunliner RV Tony Hunter (VIC) Monza 2+2 5000c 7 17:44.3223 5 2:28.952114 6 Chris Stillwell Racing Sven Burchartz (VIC) Mustang Trans Am 5000c 7 17:47.4999 5 2:28.241415 33 SportsMed Greg Keene (SA) 911 RS 3600c 7 17:53.5299 4 2:30.732916 4 Skye Sands Rusty French (VIC) 911 RS 3600c 7 18:01.0201 4 2:31.488717 72 BMR Industries Bruce McLeod (NT) Falcon XA Superbird 5000c 7 18:45.9043 6 2:37.872218 43 Treloar Roses / Mick Wilson Pl Mick Wilson (VIC) Charger RT 4390c 7 18:48.9982 6 2:38.615719 5 Northern BM P/L Phillip Showers (VIC) Escort RS 1600 2000c 7 19:05.8629 6 2:41.190520 88 TIFS - Warehousing & Distribut Tony Karanfilovski (NSW) Mustang Trans Am 5800c 6 17:22.4177 5 2:26.701621 3 Hercules Engines Cameron Mason (NSW) Mustang Fastback 5000c 6 19:01.5547 2 2:54.3810DNF 98 Thunder Road Racing Australia William Vining (NSW) Mustang Coupe 5000c 6 15:14.6911 5 2:29.0645DNF 18 Dunlop Super Dealers/Wilson Se John Bowe (VIC) Mustang Trans Am 5600c 5 18:13.8103 2 2:34.2874DNF 35 iseek Racing Jason Gomersall (QLD) Torana SL/R 5000 5047c 3 7:22.2320 2 2:25.3054