NAIL BITING END TO MOBIL 1 APC CHAMPIONSHIP AT BATHURST INTERNATIONAL

12 Nov NAIL BITING END TO MOBIL 1 APC CHAMPIONSHIP AT BATHURST INTERNATIONAL

Following four 30-minute races at the Bathurst International this weekend, the 2023 Mobil 1 Australian Production Cars season has come to a nail biting close, with the outright title in particular up for grabs right until the final laps of 2023.

When all was said and done, it was X Class Champion Iain Sherrin who claimed the 2023 Mobil 1 Australian Production Cars outright championship for Sherrin Racing in the #72 Sherrin Rentals BMW M4 over A2 Champions Coleby Cowham and Lindsay Kearns (#25 TyrePlus Burleigh Ford Mustang) and Grant Sherrin (#27 Sherrin Rentals BMW M4). Meanwhile, Grant Sherrin claimed the Sprint Cup for both outright and in Class X (Iain won the Enduro Cup), while Cowham/Kearns claimed the Enduro Cup for APC outright.

Iain Sherrin headed into the weekend 33 points adrift of Cowham and Kearns, while Grant Sherrin was also in touch from 3^rd place with a 68-point gap to the leaders.

By the close of Saturday’s two races, Iain Sherrin was just three points shy of the lead, and in race three, was able to jump Cowham and Kearns in the standings to head to the final race seven points clear and as the Class X Champion, ultimately bringing it home with another APC outright and Class X race win in race four, with a final winning margin of 20 points.

Also joining the Sherrins and Cowham/Kearns in lifting series championship trophies today were:

• Class A1 – Hadrian Morrall and Tyler Mecklem, #9 Parramatta Vehicle Services Mitsubishi Evo, also won Sprint Cup. (2^nd – Dean Campbell, #118 DA Campbell Transport Mitsubishi Evo X, 3^rd Paul Buccini, #71 Team Buccini Racing BMW M140i – also won Enduro Cup).
• Class A2 – Cowham/Kearns, also won Enduro Cup and Sprint Cup (2^nd – Brian Callaghan, #37 Callaghan Concrete Pumps Holden VY GTS, 3^rd – Tony Levitt, #16 AMG Spares Mercedes C63 AMG).
• Class B1 – Scott Turner and Rob Rubis – #29 Fierce Racing BMW 135i, also won Enduro Cup. (2^nd – Karlie Buccini, #999 Brisbane Motor Works BMW 135i, also won Sprint Cup.
• Class B2 – Chris Holdt (#51 Lithostone Surfaces HSV Commodore), also won Enduro and Sprint Cups.
• Class C – Chris Gunther and Mitch Randall – #15 Wahlstrom Financial Services BMW 130i – also won Enduro Cup and Sprint Cup. (2^nd – Tom Needham, #34 All Carbitz Mazda 3 MPS, 3^rd – Allan Jarvis, #70 TOA57D Motorsport VW Polo GTi).
• Class D – Liam Moyse – #87 GenFit Toyota 86. Also won the Sprint Cup and Enduro Cup.

Also announced at the event was the Meguiar’s Best Presented Team for the Year, with Allan Jarvis announced as the winner of the $1500 Grand Prize Pack from Meguiar’s for his #70 TOA57D Motorsport VW Polo GTi.

To hear what the title winners had to say about their victories, see the quoteboard below.

Following two races on Saturday (click here for detail on those races), the Mobil 1 Australian Production Cars field lined up for a final two 30-minute outings on Sunday at Bathurst.

When all was said and done, Iain Sherrin (X), Morrall/Mecklem (A1), Cowham/Kearns (A2), Peter O’Donnell (#28 Spinifex Recruiting BMW 335i, B1), Ben Gersekowski (#38 KCK Lubricants/Vics Timber Mitsubishi Evo, B2), Needham (C) and Moyse (D) took out the round honours, while the round podium placings went to Grant Sherrin (2^nd for X), Michael Osmond and Paul Buccini (2^nd and 3^rd for A1), Trent Allen and Karlie Buccini (2^nd and 3^rd for B1), Brian Callaghan and Jacques Oosthuizen (2^nd and 3^rd for B2), and Randall/Gunther and Jarvis (2^nd and 3^rd for C).

The first race of Sunday was held at 8.40am, with Iain Salteri breaking Iain’s Sherrin’s dominance of the APC outright and Class X race results this weekend to win in the #31 Secure Wealth Advisers BMW F82 M4 he is sharing with Simon Hodges this weekend.

Iain was 2^nd outright and in Class X, while Grant was third for both. Fourth outright was X class racer Beric Lynton (#23 Bruce Lynton Service F80 M3) while rounding out the top five and claiming the third A2 class race win of the weekend for the #25 Mustang was Cowham.

Also taking out their third class race wins for the weekend in race three were Gersekowski (1^st for B2, 6^th outright), Mecklem (1^st for A1 with Morrall, 10^th outright), O’Donnell (1^st for B1, 21^st outright), Needham (1^st for C, 22^nd outright) and Moyse (1^st for D, 25^th outright). The result for the Mecklem/Morrall entry saw them move into the A1 championship lead four points over the absent Campbell/Crick following Saturday’s crash, and 34 points ahead of 3^rd placed Paul Buccini with one race to go.

The other race three class podium placings went to Trevor Symonds (#666 Wollongong Auto Parts Holden VE GTS, 2^nd for A2, 7^th outright), Levitt (3^rd for A2, 9^th outright), Osmond (#7 Ozzy Outhouse Hire BMW M135i, 2^nd for A1, 15^th outright), Paul Buccini (3^rd for A1, 16^th outright), Trent Allen (#84 ABC Building Products Subaru WRX Sti, 2^nd for B1, 23^rd outright), Michael Von Rappard (with Karlie Buccini in #999 Brisbane Motor Works BMW 135i, 3^rd for B1, 24^th outright), Randall (with Gunther, 2^nd for C, 26^th outright) and James Keene (#50 MWM Racing Mini JCW with Trevor Keene, 3^rd for C, 27^th outright).

The fourth and final race for the weekend rolled out on track at 11.05am, with fans on tenterhooks to see how the final championship battles would fall.

In this race, Iain Sherrin resumed his dominance of the outright and Class X standings with his third outright and class race win from the four races, leading Hodges (2^nd outright and for X) and Grant Sherrin (3^rd outright and for X) across the line. Cowham scored his fourth A2 class win from fourth outright, while Gersekowski also claimed a fourth class race win in the B2 class while rounding out the top five outright.

Morrall (with Mecklem, 1^st for A1, 8^th outright), O’Donnell (1^st for B1, 13^th outright), Needham (1^st for C, 16^th outright) and Moyse (1^st for D, 24^th outright) joined Cowham/Kearns and Gersekowski in clean sweeping the race wins for their classes with victory in race four.

The other race four class podium placings went to Brian Callaghan (2^nd for A2, 6^th outright), Holt (#65 Cavanagh Electrics HSV Clubsport, 3^rd for A2, 7^th outright), Osmond (2^nd for A1, 11^th outright), Paul Buccini (3^rd for A1, 15^th outright), Allen (2^nd for B1, 17^th outright), Karlie Buccini (with Von Rappard, 3^rd for B1, 18^th outright), Randall (with Gunther, 2^nd for C, 20^th outright), Holdt (2^nd for B2, 21^st outright) and Jarvis (3^rd for C, 22^nd outright).

Plans for Mobil 1 Australian Production Cars in 2024 will be revealed soon. For further information about Mobil 1 Australian Production Cars and Monochrome GT4 Australia, please contact admin@ausprodcars.com.au or visit www.ausprodcars.com.au.

CHAMPIONS QUOTEBOARD: 2023 MOBIL 1 AUSTRALIAN PRODUCTION CARS SEASON FINALE AT THE BATHURST INTERNATIONAL

Mobil 1 Australian Production Cars Outright Champion, Class X Champion: Iain Sherrin – #72 Sherrin Rentals BMW M4

“The cars were just fantastic this weekend which is a credit to Stuart our Head Mechanic/Engineer and also to Klae and Jimmy back in the workshop – the work they put into these cars is amazing and when they rolled out this weekend, they were just bulletproof,” Iain Sherrin said.

“Also, Nathan who was on my head set all year did an amazing job – having split into the two cars for this year it had been Dad (Michael Sherrin) on the head set previously and Nathan took over that for me this year and did fantastically well. Really to each and every member of our team, this is credit to them.

“It was great teamwork, and I really cannot thank Mike (Michael Sherrin) and Grant enough. It may be an individual title, but it was a full team effort, and I am just ecstatic for the team to get our fourth outright championship, it is just amazing.

“It was a hard-fought battle this year, we had a lot of ups and downs and I think the cars were quicker this year than they have ever been, which brings its own issues sometimes as we had to get our heads around how the cars were treating the tyres at that level.

“Full credit must go to Coleby and Lindsay in the Mustang and their team – they had an amazing season and they pushed us all year, right to the end. They were so consistent, and it reminded me a lot of when we won outright in our B class BMW 135i. Congratulations to them on a great year.

“Thank you to all of our sponsors for their support, we couldn’t do this without them: Wirtgen Group, Sherrin Rentals, Hi-Tec Oils, Industrial Protective Coatings Qld, Custom Plastic Fabrication, Action Mechanical Specialists, Symmetry Engineering, Hydraulink Brisbane North, Welding Solutions, Great Whites Lighting, Sherrin Equipment, Construction Equipment Australia and Brisbane Isuzu.”

Class A1 Champions – Hadrian Morrall and Tyler Mecklem – #9 Parramatta Vehicle Services Mitsubishi Evo 10

Hadrian Morrall

“Both Tyler and I are thrilled. It has taken us a year to get a round win and to get it here at Mount Panorama is really special, and to also have that culminate in a championship win is fantastic. We came in with half a chance and were able to execute. At the same time, we feel extremely sorry and sad for Dean Campbell and Cameron Crick, they had awful luck, and we wish Dean a speedy recovery and just spoke to him earlier. We would like to also thank everybody back in the workshop that do a lot behind the scenes in preparation and work on the car and there has been a lot of late nights and weekend work – a lot of blood, sweat and tears has gone into this year and so to win the championship is fabulous. If anyone wants to buy a championship-winning Evo 10, it is for sale!” Morrall grinned. The team is preparing a Mustang for A2 in the 2024 APC season.”

Tyler Mecklem

“I am pretty stoked – this is the first championship I have ever won. I have won a lot of things, but not a championship. And I couldn’t have done it without Hado (Morrall), he has been fantastic getting the car ready as have all the guys at Parramatta Vehicle Services that got us to every round, we couldn’t have done it without them. I am just over the moon; I can’t believe that we did it. With Deano’s crash I feel sorry for them as it sort of handed us the win; we were battling them all year, but I think they would have just pipped us even if we had won all the races as long as they finished, but that is motor racing as they say. I want to thank those guys as well (Campbell/Crick and team), we have helped each other all year and they have been really good to run around with, we have really enjoyed our year with them. I would also like to thank my family for giving us all the time away racing.”

Class A2 Champions – Coleby Cowham and Lindsay Kearns – #25 TyrePlus Burleigh Ford Mustang

Coleby Cowham

“I think we can only be happy with that. The A2 title is obviously a fantastic thing, and to be even in contention for the outright tile was a great thing and we can only be happy about that. Yes, it sucks to not win it (outright), but we got pretty close and as far as the weekend went, I think we did everything we could. The result is fantastic, and we are very happy. It was a good and fun weekend – anytime you are at Bathurst is always a great experience and we have nothing but good thoughts and good feelings leaving the track. We are obviously very grateful to the crew and the guys who have been with us all year, they are part of the reason why we were even in contention from the start, and we are very grateful for their contribution. Thank you also to our sponsors, Tyreplus Burleigh, Car Mods Australia, Exedy Clutches, Escape Energy and Juice Hair Care.”

Lindsay Kearns

“The Sherrins did a great job, we just needed there to be two less races,” laughed Kearns. “We were really happy with the car, it went really, really well. We went and congratulated the Sherrins, they have done a great job this weekend and w were really pleased with our team all year to be in consideration. We have made the most of the opportunities that have come up, and that is how it ended up. We are pleased and it was a very enjoyable year, and the team has loved it as well. Thank you to our crew, Craig and Ash, Bob and Naomi, and also Coleby for being so reliable when he is in the car, he does a great job every time. Also thank you to our sponsors, Tyreplus Burleigh, Car Mods Australia, Exedy Clutches, Escape Energy and Juice Hair Care.”

Class B1 Champions – Scott Turner and Rob Rubis – #29 Fierce Racing BMW 135i

“To win the championship with a great mate like Scotty is great, and it is a whole year achievement, which makes it a great result. It has been a fantastic year, after having been racing for 35 years I think it is a great thing to be a part of. Production Cars I think, particularly at a place like Bathurst, always has an alignment that is historic, and it is amazing to be involved. Having fun in Production Cars is great and it is a great feat to win a championship. We were in the A1 car this weekend, where we had some problems where we split an intercooler hose early and then it just wasn’t itself after that, but it is a nice car and was easy and fun to drive and we had a lot of fun. It was great racing in a big field with some great cars and camaraderie,” Rubis said.

“Thank you to the people that have helped us along the way with a special mention to Brad, and also to our supporting partners, Mackay Goodwin, and Lloyd’s Auction and Valuers, as well as Manta Restaurant, and Main Point Advisory,” Turner added.

Class B2 Champion – Chris Holdt – #51 Lithostone Surfaces HSV Commodore

“It has been a trying and testing year for us, we have had some ups and downs, but we have managed to battle through and persevere and we are really pleased with the result. Thank you to our sponsors, Lithostone Surfaces, La Rocca Marble and Granite, SP Auto Engineering who rebuilt our engine on short notice so we could be here this weekend, we wouldn’t be here without them, and also Air and Allied Sales Pacific, and Prestige Stripes and Signs. I also must say thank you to my awesome crew for all the work they have done this year, and to my family for supporting me every step of the way this year, even when it got really hard. As far as this weekend, it was awesome. The temps were a bit of a struggle for most of the field, it was beautiful weather here, hot and sunny for an awesome weekend on the Mountain, but definitely trying conditions for a lot of us to wrestle the cars around for 30 minutes in the temps. But we stuck with it and managed to do it and we ended up with a really good result at the end.”

Class C Champions – Chris Gunther and Mitch Randall – #51 Wahlstrom Financial Services BMW 130i

Chris Gunther

We are absolutely lost for words. We came in as a new team this year and being very green, so in one season to come away with an Australian title is simply a dream come true. This is a really well organised series and the communication and running of the events was exceptionally good. We are really happy also with the camaraderie and the spirit of the teams, it was great to see that come through. We are kind of lost for words at the moment. Obviously, we would like to thank our crew, our team members are how we got here, it isn’t just about the drivers. It was a massive team effort and our guys at LRI were amazing, Jenny, Brendan and Dana were exceptional all year and really made it happen. Without them we probably would have been stranded on the grid many times. The racing this weekend was hard but also probably the best racing we had all year, it was so close, and in C it was exceptionally close between four of the cars, so that made it really good with battles all the way to the line in every race where we had to really use all of the driver skill to get it over the line, everyone was giving it everything they had. We would love to come back next year, it would be great to back it up with another one – as a brand-new team that was inexperienced it is an exceptional result and one we really didn’t think would happen – in fact, I have to get a tattoo now as I made a bet it wasn’t’ going to happen!” he laughed.

Mitch Randall

“This feels unreal. We are just a couple of guys that turn up at every round and do what we need to do and managed to get it done, so it is really special for us, especially as we haven’t really raced a lot of circuit stuff before this. It has been a really good year, and I have actually won the Australian Title in Speedway this year also, so I have got two Australian titles this year, so that is pretty special on top. Thank you to our crew and to our partners that help ups to go racing at each round. This weekend was pretty intense with a large field or cars which made it quite interesting, but we had a lot of fun.”.

Class D Champion – Liam Moyse – #87 GenFit Toyota 86

“I am pretty happy with the year overall, there wasn’t as much competition in class as we had hoped but we were competing against other higher class cars the whole year and that has been good. I haven’t got much to complain about, the racing has been great, everyone has been friendly, and it is a great championship. I am really happy to walk away with the title. Thank you to mum and dad for making this year possible, and also to Beenleigh Beaurepaires, Butler Vehicles, GenFit Training Ormeau and Roo Systems, and everyone else that has chipped in throughout the season – this wouldn’t have been possible without them. This weekend has been absolutely great racing, I couldn’t have been happier.”

Plans for Mobil 1 Australian Production Cars in 2024 will be revealed soon. For further information about Mobil 1 Australian Production Cars and Monochrome GT4 Australia, please contact admin@ausprodcars.com.au or visit www.ausprodcars.com.au.