The fifth round was on the support program at the Airtouch 500 at The Bend along with Porsche Carrera Cup, Touring Car Masters and Aussie Racing Cars.
The Racing Academy’s Tracey led throughout both races in the #5 Ford Mustang and withstood the challenge from TFH Hire’s Hazelwood (#1 Mustang) and NHR’s Nathan Herne (#29 Mustang).
Behind them came Aaron Love in the Marcos Ambrose Motorsport #45 Chev Camaro but he was penalised 10 seconds. That elevated Tom Davies (#42 Mustang) in the best of the Garry Rogers Motorsport cars to fourth.
TA2 star Alice Buckley in her maiden Trans Am race was an early casualty, shunted off on the first lap which resulted in a safety car. She emerged from the #150 Camaro, nursing her right arm and subsequently taken to hospital.
Also out was Ben Grice (#03 Mustang) with a failed brake line, James Moffat (#34 Mustang) who was caught up in a three-way scrap at Turn 1 that also involved Jordan Cox (#33 Mustang), Ben Gomersall (#35 Mustang) and Love. A promising start for Chase Hoy (#77 Camaro) ended when he speared off at Turn 13 when fourth.
Cox recovered to ninth behind Cody Maynes-Rutty (#13 Mustang), Clay Richards (#4 Mustang, later disqualified), Lachlan Evennett (#8 Mustang) and Love while Adam Garwood (#2 Mustang) was 10th, on recovery from a spin.
It was a similar tale in the second race where Hazelwood and Herne were a close second and third, the three covered by 0.4 seconds. Cox was fourth ahead of Maynes-Rutty, Hoy, Elliot Barbour (#75 Camaro).
Grice came from the back to place eighth ahead of Love, Moffat, Ben Bargwanna (#97 Mustang) and Evennett who was fifth until a miscue on Lap 7 of 8, shuffled him down the pack.
There was one safety car for Damain Ramsay (#71 Camaro) and Garwood parked at Turn 18 and Turn 1 respectively. Earlier Tommy Smith retired the #111 Mustang after he couldn’t avoid a spun Diesel Thomas #18 Mustang.
Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup
Champion leader Harri Jones (#1 Porsche) kicked off Round 5 with pole position and a 0.97 second victory in Race 1, one which the Jones Motorsport principle led from start to finish.
Second was Marcus Amand (#99), the leader of Carrera Cup France in his second Australian round. He qualified second but, for passing under yellow flags, was penalised three grid spots. However, he made a blistering start from the third row to be second through Turn 1.
Racing with TekworkX Motorsport, the French/Finnish driver lingered less than a second behind the race leader for seven laps after which he halved the gap. But two laps later, Amand miscued with a brief off-track moment which gave the advantage back to Jones for the duration.
Garth Walden Racing’s Dylan O’Keeffe (#88) started on the front row, lost out to Amand at the first corner and remained third throughout. He finished clear of Lockie Bloxsom (#23) and Christian Pancione (#76), the latter in his first outing in over a year.
Next early was Dale Wood (#992) before he slowed and pitted with a puncture which promoted David Russell (#200) to sixth ahead of Angelo Mouzouris (#999), Marcos Flack (#777), Bayley Hall (#28) and 10th placed Marco Giltrap (#66).
Pro-Am honours went to Matt Belford (#14) over his GWR teammate Dean Cook (#22) with Sam Shahin (#13) able to pull a late pass on class points leader Rodney Jane (#77).
Outsource1 Touring Car Masters
Joel Heinrich and the #95 Chev Camaro were in a league of their own in the first race of Round 5. From pole position, Heinrich led unchallenged and was 16.5 seconds ahead when the chequered flag came out after nine laps.
The margin escalated due to the titanic tussle for second. Andrew Fisher (#09 Holden Torana A9X) was challenged from the first lap by Ryan Hansford (#6 Torana) which saw them swap places twice before Hansford spun.
Then it was 2024 title winner Adam Garwood (#1 Ford Perana Capri) who battled with Fisher. They too had a couple of positional exchanges before Garwood prevailed.
Steven Johnson (#33 Ford Mustang) was next and after Scott Cameron (#85 Camaro) pitted with gearbox issues, Cam Tilley (#60 Valiant Pacer) finished fifth ahead of Danny Buzadzic (#3 Torana), Jamie Tilley (#28 Ford Falcon GT), David Hender (#18 Torana), Tony Karenfilovski (#88 Mustang) and Hansford.
Beforehand there was the Trophy flipped grid race with points only for starting and finishing. From 12th, Garwood charged through to take the lead within five laps and went on to win.
Heinrich started further back and came through for second ahead of Fisher and Cameron. Hansford was next after he went off track on Lap 1 to avoid an out-of-shape Hender, ahead of Jamie Tilley who was the early leader.
Battery World Aussie Racing Cars
The second race of Round 5 was cancelled due to an off-track medical emergency and time constraints.
In Race 1 on Friday, Joel Heinrich in the #1 Mustang bodied ARC, had control of the first race from the outset where he led Caleb Patterson (#101 Mustang) and Kody Garland (#41 Mustang) while the safety car was deployed with Matt Gooding (#14 Camaro) stranded on the grid.
The resumption came quickly with Paterson able to briefly take the lead before Heinrich took it back and Patterson went off at Turn 16 which dropped him to fourth behind Garland, Ryan Reynolds (#9 Mustang) and ahead of Madden (#57 Mustang).
Then Heinrich coasted to a stop as Madden took third and then passed Garland for the lead. Garland held off Paterson for second while Reece Chapman (#25 Mustang) was next from Diesel Thomas (#111 Mustang), Boyd (#38 Mustang) and Cody McKay (#69 Camaro).
Reynolds finished 10th behind Scott Dornan (#23 Camaro) and Jacob Currie (#26 Aurion) after contact with Thomas.
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