Two further races in the combined Monochrome GT4/Mobil 1 Australian Production Car races has seen both Shane Smollen and Grant Sherrin continue their respective winning ways at Sandown Raceway.
At the helm of his Porsche Cayman, Smollen led all the way in Race 3 to win ahead of Steve Jukes (GT4 BMW F82 M4) and Sherrin in his Class X M4. Fourth outright was the second of the GT4 M4s driven by Jacob Lawrence, who was just in front of class rival Mark Griffith (Mercedes AMG GT).
Iain Sherrin (Class X M4) had to get past Tony Levitt (Class A2 Mercedes C63), and then Coleby Cowham (A2 Ford Mustang GT), to finish sixth and second of the Production Cars.
In the meantime, Karl Begg, who missed Race 2 due to radiator damage to his McLaren 570S in the first, started off the back and came through for seventh ahead of Cowham, Levitt and Dean Campbell (A1 Mitsubishi EVO X). Mick Rowell (Mustang) was next in front of Paul Buccini (A1 BMW 140i), Michael Stillwell (Mustang) and Class C winner Jake Camilleri (Mazda 3 MPS).
Smollen was pressured through most of the fourth race by Begg until the McLaren driver had a spin at Turn 9. That enabled Jukes to assume second spot ahead of the Sherrin brothers Grant and Iain. The latter was lucky to continue and improve his earlier sixth place when tagged by Lawrence at Turn 9, which put the latter out.
Levitt also stopped metres further on. The two incidents triggered the second Safety Car. The first was very early on when Buccini, Lindsay Kearns (Mustang) and Tyler Mecklem (EVO X) tangled. The incident ruled all three out of the race.
Griffith finished fifth, just behind the second Sherrin BMW and ahead of Cameron Crick (EVO X), Brian Callaghan (A2 HSV Clubsport), Rowell, Stillwell and Chris Holdt, tenth in his B2 Holden Commodore after a DNF in Race 3. Begg recovered to be next, passing Camilleri at the last moment, Mitch Randall (Class C BMW 130i) and Class D winner Sam Silvestro (Mazda RX8).
The season will continue at the Shell V-Power Motorsport Park in South Australia as part of the Shannons Trophy Series on October 13-15, with four one-hour races, before culminating at the Bathurst International in November.
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