July 28, 2017 | General

CLASSIC BATTLE IN STORE AT QR

THE SCENE is set for a classic Holden-versus-Ford battle in the Touring Car Masters this weekend following the sole practice session today at Queensland Raceway.

Steven Johnson’s Ford Mustang edged out John Bowe’s Holden Torana by just 0.0194s in an action-packed 20-minute session.

After a quiet day today TCM drivers return for another practice qualifying and the first race tomorrow in a packed Saturday schedule at the Coates Hire Ipswich Supersprint.

Bowe logged just five laps in the session before parking his Wilson Security / Payce Torana professing himself happy with the car but looking to conserve tyres and brakes before tomorrow’s more gruelling session.

Johnson jumped his former teammate on his ninth of ten laps lapping beneath last year’s pole position time to top the session at his home circuit in the Team Johnson Ford.

Johnson won all three races at the venue last time he drove the Mustang at Queensland raceway – in 2015 – and another weekend like that will firmly inject him into title calculations this year.

Eddie Abelnica was third fastest in the Brisbane’s Cheapest Cars XB Falcon only three-tenths of a second from the fastest time set by Johnson.

Tony Karanfilovski was an impressive fourth with overall TCM Championship leader Adam Bressington completing the five fastest in practice.

Jason Gomersall who qualified on the front row here twelve months ago was sixth in his BigMate Racing A9X hatch with Bruce Williams’ ACDelco Torana sedan just behind in seventh.

While Gomersall had a trouble-free session Williams’ survived a wild spin at turn four as his team continues to improve an oversteer-oriented handling balance on his entry.

In a Mustang now 90kg than it was at the last round Leo Tobin stormed into the top-10 in his five-litre Boss Mustang slightly faster than Mark King (HQ GTS 350 Monaro) and Cameron Tilley who was tenth in the Anglomoil Valliant Pacer.

Adam Garwood and Keith Kassulke just missed the top-10 Garwood now back to five-litre Holden power in his Torana and former TCM round winner Kassulke making his first start for the season in his HQ Monaro.

Brett Curran was 13^th and first of the Queensland TransAm runners narrowly edging out Shannon O’Brien’s Pontiac by 0.2 seconds.

The session ran mostly uninterrupted only stopped with just over one minute to go when Darren Beale hit the tyres at turn six – seemingly with no stopping power in his Monaro as he approached the final turn before spinning and spearing into the tyres backwards.

The safety system did its job absorbing the impact and causing only superficial damage to the rear of the bright Orange Monaro.

Ryan Hansford was only 18^th fastest with issues in the rear suspension of his Torana while Cameron Mason also stopped early with rear end dramas after just five laps.

The TCM field returns for a busy day tomorrow with practice qualifying and a race at the Coates Hire Iswich Supersprint. All sessions will be shown live on FOX Sports 506. 

RESULTS – PRACTICE 1

Pos Car  Competitor/Team                Driver                   Vehicle              Cap   CL   Laps   Fastest...Lap        Gap1    17  WM Waste / Illusion Gas Log Fi Steve Johnson (QLD)      Ford Mustang Fast 5800         10     9 1:16.7832* 2    18  Wilson Security / PAYCE        John Bowe (VIC)          Holden Torana SL/R  5047          5     5 1:16.8026  0:00.01943    48  Brisbanes Cheapest Cars        Eddie Abelnica (VIC)     Ford Falcon XB Co 5800         11     8 1:17.1588  0:00.37564    88  TIFS - Warehousing & Distribut Tony Karanfilovski (NSW) Ford Mustang Tr 5800         11    11 1:17.5374  0:00.75425    95  Whiteline Racing / Fabre Austr Adam Bressington (NSW)   Chevrolet Camaro SS    5800          7     6 1:18.0208  0:01.23766    35  Bigmate Racing                 Jason Gomersall (QLD)    Holden Torana A9X Hatc 5000         12     3 1:18.0600  0:01.27687     5  ACDelco                        Bruce Williams (VIC)     Holden Torana SL/R  5000         11     7 1:18.6469  0:01.86378    46  THD Motorsport                 Leo Tobin (VIC)          Ford Boss Mustang    5000         11    11 1:18.8281  0:02.04499    85  Whiteline Racing / King Spring Mark King (QLD)          Holden Monaro GTS Coup 5800         11    11 1:19.0583  0:02.275110   60  Glennan Transport / ANGLOMOIL  Cameron Tilley (NSW)     Valliant Pacer           4390          9     9 1:19.0837  0:02.300511   12  Giraffe Civil Contracting      Adam Garwood (TAS)       Holden Torana SL/R 500 5047          9     3 1:19.0978  0:02.314612   52  Outbound Racing / wheels.com.p Keith Kassulke (QLD)     Holden Monaro GTS C 5800          7     3 1:19.3290  0:02.545813   25  Hutchinson Builders / Angliss  Brett Curran (QLD)       Ford Mustang Fast 5800          9     9 1:19.5360  0:02.752814   26  Wanna Burger                   Shannon O'Brien (QLD)    Pontiac Firebird Trans  5800          9     3 1:19.7893  0:03.006115    4  Skye Sands                     Rusty French (VIC)       Ford Mustang Fast 5800         13     9 1:19.8909  0:03.107716   19  Tincone Industrial Services    Darren Beale (QLD)      Holden Monaro GTS Coup 5800         11     8 1:20.5876  0:03.804417   72  GFR Industries                 Geoff Fane (QLD)         Chevrolet Camaro SS  5800          8     7 1:20.6586  0:03.875418    6  Multispares Racing             Ryan Hansford (QLD)      Holden  Torana SL/R  5000          3     3 1:21.1417  0:04.358519    3  Hercules Engines               Cameron Mason (NSW)      Ford Mustang Fastbac 5000          5     5 1:21.1654  0:04.382220    7  Wisely Motorsport              Bob Wisely (QLD)         Holden Torana SL/R 500 5000         11     3 1:21.4727  0:04.689521   97  John's Furniture Removals      Allen Boughen (QLD)      Mercury Comet        5000         13     9 1:21.5129  0:04.7297