Australian Touring Car legend Glenn Seton fought off mechanical dramas to record a thrilling Australian Manufacturers' Championship opening race victory at the Shannon’s Nationals in Ipswich, Queensland.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Driving a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X for veteran production car entrant Bob Pearson, Seton dominated the opening three quarters of the race before an intermittent problem selecting fifth gear slowed his charge.
While all looked lost as Ryan McLeod's Lancer swept to the front with just 13 of the 65 laps remaining in the race, the gritty Seton ignored radio calls from his team to settle for second.
The car popping and banging on its’ rev limiter down the straights, Seton regained the front running with six to go before holding on to win by an even second.
“For the last couple of laps I was on the limiter all the way down the back straight in fourth just trying to hold him (McLeod) off as much as I could, luckily we've got the limiter set really high, that's all I can say!
“It was hard work in the end, but it was good fun, good racing and I enjoyed the challenge,” Seton smiled afterward.
Garry Holt and McLeod avenged a narrow race one defeat to score overall victory in the second heat, McLeod, who had been overtaken by Seton in the closing laps of the previous night's race, took the team's Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X to a comfortable 25 second victory over Beric Lynton's BMW 1M.
It was an all Quinn affair in the Australian GT Championship, with father and son duo Tony and Klark Quinn taking a win apiece in the two 40 minute races.
Tony's victory in Race 1 was his first in almost three years and came at the misfortune of Lamborghini driver Roger Lago.Lago's JBS team was deemed to have one too many crew members involved in it’s pitstop, resulting in a drive-through penalty.
The second 40 minute race, run in the darkness, saw Tony Quinn (Aston Martin) and Greg Murphy (Corvette) fight over the lead in the opening laps before the superior speed of Klark Quinn's Porsche shone through.
A lengthy mid-race Safety Car failed to stop Klark, who after finishing second in the opening race, eventually led home Murphy and Tony Quinn.
In the Formula 3 Australian Drivers' Championship, Tim Macrow extended his points lead over BRM teammate Nick Foster by leading every lap from pole in the weekend's F3 race.
The Dallara-mounted Macrow, who made his Australian GT debut alongside Dean Koutsoumidis earlier in the day, was just 0.8s clear of Foster's Mygale at the end of the 12 laps.
Big Bangers Back
Two spectacular cars that thrilled World Rally crowds in the infamous Group B rally era almost 30 years ago will return for a special appearance at Rally Australia next month.
The MG Metro 6R4 and Audi Quattro S1 are among the fastest and most powerful rally cars ever made, but their run ended when motorsport authorities killed off Group B after 1986 because of dangerous speeds and several serious crashes.
Such cars have almost never been seen on traditional gravel rallies in Australia, but will make their debuts in the classic category selected stages including the nightly special stage.
The Metro 6R4 and Quattro S1 heading for Rally Australia are owned by Australian collector Dave Thompson and will be driven by him and leading Classic competitor Stewart Reid. “These are legendary cars from a golden era that will never be repeated, movies have been made about Group B cars.
“They are remembered for their fire-spitting exhausts and the huge wings needed to keep up to 650 horsepower in control,” Rally Australia event manager David Catchpole said.
The Metro 6R4 was built by the Williams Formula 1 team.
Thompson’s example contested the 1986 World Rally Championship. His Audi is a faithful replica of the model that appeared in 1984.
It features the shortened chassis, big wings and distinctive five-cylinder turbo engine that helped make the S1 an unstoppable force in the World Rally Championship.
Safe Motoring
