Touring Car Challenge Results Round 5

Wyhoon Takes Third Round Victory, as Future Tourer Racers Stand Tall

Current Citilink Construction Group Australian Touring Car Challenge (ATCC) Championship leader, Terry Wyhoon, extended the gap over his rivals in the overall Championship standings by taking out the fifth round at Adelaide International Raceway last weekend (July 8 – 9) driving his # 99 AU Falcon V8 Supercar.

Although Wyhoon was impressive, the gaggle of Future Tourer competitors in the form of Andrew Gillespie (XR8 II AU Falcon), Phillip Groeneveld (VS Commodore) and Mark Telfer (VX Commodore), all put in splendid efforts over the course of the weekend.

All three Future Tourer drivers showed plenty of pace around the 2.41 kilometre Adelaide International Raceway circuit, especially in the two handicapped races, and finished behind Wyhoon overall with Gillespie, Groeneveld and Telfer filling second through to fourth place respectively.

Wyhoon’ third ATCC round victory of 2006 has now seen the Victorian pull a handsome gap over his rivals in the Championship points table overall ahead of David Krause (VS Commodore V8 Supercar) and 2004 ATCC Champion Luke Searle (BMW 320i Super Tourer).

A number of drivers were sidelined early in the weekend even before they had the opportunity to partake in qualifying, those being the Nissan Primera Super Tourer of Neil Byers (gearbox failure), and V8 Supercar runners Peter Vicary (gearbox) and Shelton Loughrey (engine failure).

Joining the ATCC field for this round were three cars from the Super TT category; they included Joe McGinnes (Ford Falcon XW GT), Wayne King (EA Falcon Saloon Car) and Craig Smith (EA Falcon Saloon Car).

The weekend officially commenced with an upset in qualifying when John Vergotis, driving his ex Glenn Seton AU Falcon V8 Supercar, posted a lap time that kept him at the top of the time sheets and he outpaced previous round winner Krause, followed by Brad Lowe (EL Falcon V8 Supercar), Searle, Bruce Oaklands (VS Commodore V8 Supercar) and further down the order than usual was Wyhoon, who times during the session were only good enough for sixth. The best performing from the Future Tourers in qualifying was Amin Chahda (GT BA Falcon) in eighth.

After starting from position two on the grid for the opening race (scratch race format), Krause was able to take advantage of his position and grab an immediate lead and from there onwards he never relinquished his lead over the entire 5 lap distance and took a comfortable win.

Coming in second was Championship leader Wyhoon, who after starting from the third row progressed through the field to end up second and holding down third place was pole sitter Vergotis ahead of Lowe, Searle, Oaklands, the best of the Future Tourers Groeneveld, Telfer, Gillespie and Chahda completing the Top 10 finishers. King was the best performing out of the Super TT cars and finished in 12 th.

VT Commodore V8 Supercar entrant Dean Neville suffered watts linkage (rear-end) problems and retired from the opening race.

In the second race, the first of two handicapped events, it was McGinnes that set the early pace in his XW GT Falcon and stayed out in front for a total of five laps before Groeneveld caught and powered into the lead, which was where he stayed until the final lap. After the disappointment of not finishing race one, Neville hit the lead on the final lap after getting by Groeneveld and took victory ahead of Wyhoon and Groeneveld.

Outside the Top 3 was Gillespie in fourth, followed by Telfer, Searle, Krause, Vergotis, Chahda and in 10 th was Oaklands. McGinnes was the highest placed of the Super TT class in 11 th place. New South Wales based youngster Brad Lowe suffered tail shaft failure on the fourth lap in race two and retired the Garry Willmington owned ex Tony Longhurst EL Falcon V8 Supercar.

The third and final race (10 laps) was marred by a safety car period, which by the ATCC rulebook states that if a safety car is deployed then half Championship points are awarded for that race.

After being on a high from his race two win, Neville was the cause for the safety car when he drove off the track on the third lap at the end of the main straight and beached himself in the sand trap. It was McGinnes and Luke Everson (EF Falcon Future Tourer) that set the early pace, shortly before Gillespie took control of the race on the third lap just as the safety car was brought out.

A handful of laps were spent behind the safety car as the crash recovery crew extricated Neville from the sand trap, and on the sixth lap racing resumed and it was Gillespie who headed the field. A number of the more heavily handicapped drivers took advantage of the safety car period and made their way through the bunched up field. Gillespie set a cracking pace as he did all in his power to be as smooth and fast as possible in order to make it hard for the faster cars to catch him.

As the laps dwindled down, a charging Wyhoon managed to get through to second place on the penultimate lap and it wasn’t until the final corner of the final lap Wyhoon took the lead away from Gillespie and recorded the win. Gillespie didn’t give up and there wasn’t much between Wyhoon and himself at the finish line, and following closely behind Gillespie was Lowe in third.

Mark Telfer put in a good performance to come home in fourth, and managed to finish ahead of Oaklands, Searle, Groeneveld, Chahda, Everson and the 10 th place finisher was Super TT racer McGinnes.

Casualties during the third race, aside from Neville, were Krause who tried in vain to fix a wheel problem and retired on lap eight. That same lap, Super TT driver King came off the track and made contact with the tyre wall, his race ended there and then.

At the completion of the round Wyhoon took out the overall honours ahead of Gillespie and Groeneveld. Class honours went to Wyhoon (V8 Supercars), Searle (Super Tourers), Gillespie (Future Tourer) and McGinnes (Super TT).

The sixth round of the ATCC will see a return to Winton Raceway in Victoria on August 26 – 27.

For further information about the ATCC visit their official website: www.TouringCarChallenge.com

© AMRS 2005