HMO Customer Racing TCR Australia driver Bailey Sweeny has gone 5th fastest overall in the morning and found the teeth of Australia’s most demanding circuit, during practice on Day 1 of Round 3 of the Supercheap Auto TCR Australia championship at Mount Panorama, Bathurst.
Sweeny came out of the box strongly lapping the world famous 6 km mountain course in a time of 02:17.3 in the morning to go fifth fastest overall.
A clip of one of the many Bathurst walls put paid to an early finish during practice 2 however Bailey was unhurt and Saturday sees Qualifying and Race 1 with all races televised live nationally on Stan Sport.
story via Speedcafe
Swyftx GRM Peugeot driver Jordan Cox has backed up his Practice 1 performance by topping the timesheets in the second this afternoon.
Cox considerably lowered his mark from this morning, recording a 2m 14.584s to again lead Garry Rogers Motorsport stablemate Aaron Cameron in the Valvoline-supported Peugeot 308 TCR.
The margin between the two was just 0.166s as both were the only drivers to drop into the 2m 14s bracket as qualifying tomorrow promises to be a close battle between the duo.
Third was reigning Bathurst polesitter Ben Bargwanna completing a clean-sweep of the top three in both sessions for Peugeot.
Impressive work from the Ashley Seward Motorsport team repaired Michael Caruso’s Autoglym Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce TCR after an engine malady during the opening session and he duly rewarded the squad to place it fourth.
Fifth was the fourth GRM Peugeot of Dylan O’Keeffe in the Schaeffler-sponsored entry, while leading privateer Zac Soutar continued his great form to be lead Honda Civic Type R TCR in sixth just ahead of Nathan Morcom in the first HMO Customer Racing Hyundai i30 N TCR.
Stan Sport Wall Racing’s Tim Slade was eighth in his Civic Type R TCR from Brad Shiels in the Royal Purple Racing Hyundai i30 N TCR and Jay Hanson in the spare Melbourne Performance Centre Audi RS3 LMS TCR following his incident this morning.
Just outside the top 10 were series leader Tony D’Alberto in the Honda Australia Wall Racing Civic Type R TCR, the HMO Customer Racing Hyundai i30 N TCR of Josh Buchan and returnee Luke King driving the Moutai Zip entry.
Will Brown was 14th in the LIQUI MOLY MPC Audi RS3 LMS TCR and Lachlan Mineeff in the repaired Purple Sector Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR was next.
Tomorrow’s Supercheap Auto TCR Australia action starts at 12:20pm AEST.
Broadcast of the Hi-Tec Oils Bathurst 6 Hour will be live, ad-free and on demand on Stan Sport on Saturday and Sunday.
Tickets for the event are available at the gate.