Heinrich dominates TCM Race 3 at The Bend

Joel Henrich has won the third and final Gulf Western Touring Car Masters race at The Bend, while second placed Ryan Hansford took the round.

Starting from pole, Heinrich blasted away from the field as Steven Johnson tried to run around the outside – but Heinrich had Hansford side-by-side with the Camaro for the first three corners, Heinrich prevailing to head the pack.

Johnson then fired down the inside of Hansford at Turn 6, as Fisher in fourth locked up and slid wide, dropping to seventh, as Cam Tilley went off in the Pacer to come under attack from a swarm of cars, including Bowe, who was all over the sixth-placed Valiant.

Johnson took second from Hansford, but the Torana driver came back at Johnson, making a clean move into Turn 1 at the start of Lap 3, with Marcus Zukanovic closing up on the Mustang to challenge for third.

Fisher, meanwhile, staged a comeback, dragging Bowe on the front straight who held him on the inside, before Fisher switched back and swept around the outside of Turn 1 to poach sixth place from Bowe.

Bowe then went off while all over the back of Fisher, losing time which enabled Tilley to close up – but the Rare Spares Torana held onto seventh.

Heinrich, meanwhile, was 4.1s ahead of Hansford on Lap 5, with 1.6s in front of Johnson.

Karanfilovski spun the #88 Mustang to all to 15th on the road,, while further back Trewin dove his HQ Monaro off the road to allow the XY Falcon of Adams past, then falling back to 12th behind the E30 BMW of Palmer on the final lap.

Palmer then went too deep into Turn 6 to allow Trewin’s Monaro back into 11th as the flag fell.

Fisher made an attempt on Buzadzic for fifth, but locked up into Turn 1 and fell back behind the Falcon to come home sixth.

Henrich was untouchable to win by 7.35s from Hansford, with Johnson third from Zukanovic.

Hansford, who won Race 1 on Saturday, took the round win in his #6 Torana.

Round 5 of the 2023 Gulf Western Oil Touring Car Masters will take place as part of the Supercheap Auto Bathurst International at Mount Panorama, Bathurst, on November 10-12.