Meguiar’s APC race to victory at Race Sandown

11 Feb Meguiar’s APC race to victory at Race Sandown

The opening four races of Meguiar’s Australian Production Cars 2024 season have been run and won at Sandown International Raceway, with the weekend’s competitors banking a tidy sum of outright and class points to kick-start the 2024 season. It wasn’t only the 40°C track temperatures heating up the racing – there were a number of possible combinations for the outright round win going into Sunday’s race four.

When all was said and done, it was the Class X #118 DA Campbell Transport BMW M2 entry of Dean Campbell and Cameron Crick that would clinch both the outright and class X wins. Campbell and Crick have moved into class X this year, debuting a brand new car built during the off season. 

The 2023 Bathurst International winning pair of Simon Hodges and Jayden Ojeda in the #21 Secure Wealth Advisers BMW M4 traded race wins with Campbell and Crick throughout the weekend to claim second outright and in class X.

Third and fourth for APC outright and class X went to Grant Sherrin (#27 Sherrin Rentals BMW M4) and championship defender Iain Sherrin (#72 Sherrin Rentals BMW M4) respectively.

Joining them in receiving the class winning round honours were A2’s Nathan Callaghan/Chris Lillis (#64 Cachet Homes Chevrolet Camaro SS), A1’s Paul Buccini (#71 Team Buccini Racing BMW M140i), B2’s Ben Gersekowski (#38 KCK Lubricants / Vics Timber BMW M3), and C’s Allan Jarvis/Rob Jarvis (#70 TOA57D Motorsport VW Polo GTi).

Second in the classes for the weekend were, A2’s Matthew Holt (#65 Cavanagh Electrics HSV Clubsport) and A1’s Chris Sutton (#321 321 Motorsport Mitsubishi Evo X).

Unfortunately, the Class D David Bailey/Matt Thewlis #39 Tongarra Rd Preschool & Early Learning Centre Mini Cooper S R56 entry was out for the weekend early due to an accident in Friday’s qualifying session.

The racing action this weekend saw three 30-minute races held across Saturday, before a fourth and final 30-minute battle today. For information on races one, two and three, please click here, here and here.

Race four saw Dean Campbell secure his second outright race win of the weekend, and the third outright and Class X win for the #118 DA Campbell Transport BMW M2 entry (Campbell is sharing driving duties with Cameron Crick, who won race three). Second and third in APC outright and Class X were Iain Sherrin (#72 Sherrin Rentals BMW M4) and Grant Sherrin (#27 Sherrin Rentals BMW M4).

Rounding out the top five were Simon Hodges/Jayden Ojeda (#21 Secure Wealth Advisers BMW M4 – 4th outright and 4th for X), and Nathan Callaghan/Chris Lillis (#64 Cachet Homes Chevrolet Camaro SS – 5th outright and 1st for A2).

Next across the line in sixth through tenth were B2 class winner Ben Gersekowski (#38 KCK Lubricants / Vics Timber BMW M3 – 6th outright), Matthew Holt (#65 Cavanagh Electrics HSV Clubsport – 7th outright and 2nd for A2), A1 class winner Paul Buccini (#71 Team Buccini Racing BMW M140i – 8th outright), Chris Sutton (#321 321 Motorsport Mitsubishi Evo X –  9th outright and 2nd for A1), and C class winner Allan Jarvis (#70 TOA57D Motorsport VW Polo GTi – 10th outright).

Campbell continued his dominant form off the line at the start of race four, using the BMW M4’s straight line speed to his advantage. Hodges, who was fighting for the round win, didn’t make it easy for the #118 driver. Hodges kept the pressure on until a successful dive-bomb for the race lead in the dying laps of the race was quickly reversed when the #21 began to lose pace just moments after taking the race lead. Succumbing to the hot track conditions, Hodges was forced to back off to get the car’s temperature under control.  

Meanwhile, Gersekowski quickly made his way through the field after starting at the rear of the grid due to a tyre vibration cutting race three short, making up four places within the first few laps of the race on his way to the B2 class win.

It was also a battle of the Sherrin Racing BMW M4s with the #27 and #72 swapping places a number of times throughout the race, with the #72 ultimately finishing ahead of the #27.

The 2024 Meguiar’s Australian Production Cars will continue with Round 2 at The Bend May 31-June 2  with four 1 hour races.

For further information about Meguiar’s Australian Production Cars, please contact admin@ausprodcars.com.au or visit www.ausprodcars.com.au

QUOTEBOARD – ROUND ONE, 2024 MEGUIAR’S AUSTRALIAN PRODUCTION CARS, SANDOWN INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY – 11 FEBRUARY, 2024

1st for APC outright and Class X – Dean Campbell and Cameron Crick – #118 DA Campbell Transport BMW M2

Dean Campbell 

“The weekend was excellent. The new build is good and we still have a lot of development to do yet, so hopefully, we can improve more,” Campbell said.

“It was exciting to get some wins under our belt and hopefully we can keep doing it.

“We’re struggling under brakes and we don’t really know what’s wrong there and (Hodges in race four) had a moment where he could try to make a move that probably wasn’t going to stick, but I was cautious enough not to turn in to shallow on him and we were battling it out pretty well. 

“Saturday was good. We had a problem with holding the handbrake on the start line, so that’s why Cameron Crick couldn’t get a start on the first race. But from then on he drove it back through to second and we got it off the line every race from there on and managed to hold the lead.

“I’d like to say a big ‘thank you’ to Inland Petroleum, Dawson’s Removals, Farra Civil, and Jacs Driver Training. I’d also like to thank Colin Hill, Matt Cook, Locky Donaghue, and Cameron Crick for their sponsorship or the work they are doing on the car.”

Cameron Crick 

“The weekend ran really smoothly. The new car ran really well and to be honest, the car doesn’t have a proper set up in it yet and there are a few little things to iron out so for the first hitout it went really well,” Crick said. 

“I think with Dean having a pretty big accident up at Bathurst (2023 Bathurst International) and for him to bounce back and win two races in a new car, I’m most happy and proud for him. He drove really well and I know he was quite nervous. This car is quite different to what he’s driven before with the Evo. This (BMW M4) has got a lot more power and it’s rear wheel drive and he handled it quite well. I’m stoked he got a result.

“I’d like to thank Dean, especially, and DA Campbell Transport. He’s taken a punt by having me with him and doing a couple of the races, and our semi-major sponsor Inland Petroleum. They’ve come on board this year with the new car and we’ll be doing a lot of promotions and events with them this year, so it’s all very exciting. 

“I’d say I’ll be driving with Dean at every APC round this season, plus the Bathurst 6 Hour. It’s all pretty exciting and I’m grateful that Dean’s going to have me along with him.

A2 class winner – Nathan Callaghan and Chris Lillis – #64 Cachet Homes Chevrolet Camaro SS

Nathan Callaghan

“It was a great debut for the new Camaro. It was really hot across the weekend, but the car seemed to look after its tyres pretty well. So far, it’s done everything that we want it to do and it’s better than the Commodore in every way. It’s a great car for A2,” Callaghan said.

Chris Lillis

“It was an awesome weekend. For us, it was all about testing the car and making sure we don’t have any gremlins in it before the Bathurst 6 Hour,” Lillis said.

“It was good to see some of the guys out there and it will be great to see a lot more at the next round.

“Statewide Oil have come on board again this year and Bilstein are our major sponsors who I’d like to thank. I’d also like to thank Chevrolet Racing for coming on board with us this year as well along with Cachet Homes and Calmack Panel and Paint.”

B2 class winner – Ben Gersekowski – #38 KCK Lubricants / Vics Timber BMW 

“It was a challenging weekend for us. We were trying to get as close as we could to the A2 cars, which is hard in our car but we thought we’d see if we could get them, pushing the car to its absolute limits. I pushed a little bit too hard in race three, causing a lock up and a tyre to delaminate,” Gersekowski said.

“We tweaked the car a little bit, just trying new things which paid off in race four when we got ahead of the Clubsport (Matthew Holt #65 Cavanagh Electrics HSV Clubsport) and were able to push hard enough to stay in front of him for the rest of the race. 

“Overall, it was a challenging weekend, but it was a good result for us to know the limits of the car.

“I have got to thank Vics Timber – Cypress Sawmiler for getting us on track and KCK Lubricants for providing a car that’s punching well above its means.”

A1 class winner – Paul Buccini – #71 Team Buccini Racing BMW M140i

“The weekend was fantastic. It was a bit warm and we had an untested car, the first test day we had was on Friday,” Buccini said. 

“The car went well, the boys did a fantastic job getting it ready. Even though it was a small grid out there, the competition with everyone was really good. Everyone was courteous and there was no damage, which is always great to go home with. 

“This weekend was a good warm up for the Bathurst 12 Hour. I’m a bit nervous for the 12 Hour. I’m just going to go and do my job and it will be alright. 

“I’d like to thank Josh, Lance, Jacob, and Errol. They all spent last week getting the car ready to make sure we were here so I could be here this weekend. And our sponsors LJ Race Services, Brisbane Motor Works, Tyres & More who came on this year and all my usual sponsors.”

C class winner – Allan Jarvis and Rob Jarvis – #70 TOA57D Motorsport VW Polo GTi

Rob Jarvis

“I found the weekend to be pretty good. I was a bit ‘at-sea’ at first, but I got my head around it. The little Polo is different to drive than a Suzuki or V8 utes, so it was a good weekend and I had fun,” Jarvis said.

Allan Jarvis

“We had lots of water this weekend, it was very hot in the cars. I got out wringing wet, it was ridiculous, but it was still a good weekend. Any weekend at the race track is fun,” Jarvis said.

“Thanks to mum and dad for their support this weekend and to Terry on our pit crew who has been a part of the team for 18 years.”