News
GRM Retake Dual Points Ascendancy in Tight Phillip Island Weekend
April 17, 2024
An unpredictable weekend at Phillip Island has seen the team walk away with the points lead in both the Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series and the Trico Trans Am Series!
TCR Australia
Qualifying was a tricky one for the team, with all four cars just narrowly missing out on a transfer spot to Q2.
Ben Bargwanna made the most of a shortened Race 1 (after earlier lengthy barrier repairs), picking his way through to finish in fourth. Ryan Casha followed in sixth, with Aaron Cameron in eighth and Jordan Cox 11th.
Race 2 saw a fantastic result for the Valvoline pair, with Cameron and Casha fighting to a double podium with second and third. Bargwanna and Cox battled hard as well, to bring home fifth and sixth.
The final race of the weekend was the longest, and tyre wear played a major factor. Bargwanna remained firm as he raced to second place with the fastest lap of the race, and just 0.01 seconds shy of the lap record.
Cameron looked set for a third-place finish until a late puncture sent him down the order. Unfortunately, there were also problems for Cox and Casha, who finished 11th and 13th.
Bargwanna picked up second for the round, and moved back into the points lead after initially leading following round one. Cox is 5th, Casha 6th and Cameron 9th.
Trans Am
A stunning lap saw James Golding earn his second pole position in three rounds, by 0.3844 seconds over James Moffat in second. Tim Slade started the weekend in fifth, with Tom Davies a personal best seventh and Edan Thornburrow in 10th.
A close-run opening race played out after Moffat swept around the outside to take the lead away on lap 1. Golding chased Moffat all the way, with the pair finishing 1st and 2nd.
Slade was seventh, ahead of Davies in 10th. A late puncture ruined a great run for Thornburrow, who finished down the order.
The crew put on a great show in Race 2, with Moffat and Golding second and third after a race long battle for the win. Slade gained a place to sixth, while Thornburrow charged from the back to finish in ninth! Davies was spun around by another competitor which relegated him to the back.
Golding fought his way to the front to claim the Race 3 honours, while Thornburrow continued his climb to seventh. Slade was eighth and Davies recovered to finish in 12th. Moffat was locked in step with Golding when a power steering failure forced him to limp the car home in 13th.
The results see Golding leapfrog Moffat to take the series lead, with the pair first and second. Slade sits in seventh, Thornburrow in 10th and Davies 13th in his rookie season.
Round 3 for both categories takes place at The Bend Motorsport Park from May 31-June 2.