MEGUIAR’S APC RACERS IMPRESS SATURDAY AT THE BATHURST INTERNATIONAL

09 Nov MEGUIAR’S APC RACERS IMPRESS SATURDAY AT THE BATHURST INTERNATIONAL

The final round of the 2024 Meguiar’s Australian Production Cars season is underway at Mount Panorama, with the first of four 30-minute races across the weekend now in the books. 

Dean Campbell picked up where he left off in Sydney, claiming the race one outright and class wins in the #118 DA Campbell Transport BMW M2 he is sharing with Cameron Crick this afternoon. 

Iain Sherrin – driving with brother Grant this weekend – kept the #27 Sherrin Rentals BMW M4 in championship contention, crossing the line next in second outright and class X. 

Simon Hodges meanwhile was breathing down Sherrin’s neck throughout the race, even giving the #27 a love tap coming out of The Dipper on the last lap before rounding out the outright and class X podium in the #21 Secure Wealth BMW M4.

Taking out the class victories in race one were Chris Lillis in the #64 Cachet Homes Chevrolet Camaro (outright 4th – A2 1st, driving with Nathan Callaghan), Chris Sutton in the #321 321 MotoFit Mitsubishi Lancer EvoX (outright 6th – A1 1st), Peter O’Donnell in the #28 Spinifex Recruiting BMW 335i (9th outright – B1 1st), Brent Peters in the #32 Luxe Performance Commodore SSV (outright 11th – class B2 1st, driving with Damien Croxon), Brock Paine in the #33 TFH Hire Mazda RX8 (outright 13th – D 1st) and Rob Jarvis in the #70 TOA57D Motorsport VW Polo GTi (outright 32nd – C 1st, driving with Allan Jarvis).

A bumper field of 34 Meguiar’s Australian Production Cars took to the track at Mount Panorama today for the opening laps of the 2024 season finale. 

Iain Sherrin got the best of Dean Campbell as the lights went out, taking the outside line around the #118. Campbell would go on to return serve a few laps later while heading down into The Chase, relegating the #27 back to second. 

Sherrin and Campbell were in lock-step for much of the remainder of the race, including during the short sprint-dash to the finish before the #118 was able to pull a late gap while Sherrin and Hodges did battle.

The Safety Car intervention was required to retrieve the #98 Racefix / PVS Tuning Toyota 86 of Alek Hoskins after its engine let go, with Hoskins confirming they will not return to the track tomorrow. 

Also striking trouble around the same time as Hoskins, albeit temporarily, was the #85 DASH Toyota 86 of Nick Winsor, who pulled over at the top when he went into limp mode, before cautiously resuming to finish the race well off the pace. The team is now sourcing an oil cooler to continue running tomorrow. 

Rounding out the top ten outright were Matthew Holt (#65 Cavanagh Electrics HSV Clubsport, outright 5th – A2 2nd), Brian Callaghan (#37 Callaghan Concrete Pumps HSV VY GTS, outright 7th – A2 3rd), Paul Buccini (#71 Team Buccini Racing BMW M140i, outright 8th – A1 2nd), and Jimmy Manteufel (#41 Holden R8 Clubsport, driving with Garry Beggs, outright 10th – A2 3rd) rounded out the top 10.

Manteufel added some extra excitement to the end of the race, crossing the finish line while driving backwards after finding oil on the road before spinning – with Matt Clift also spinning in the same place soon after in his #89 Mazda RX8.

He crossed the line ahead of Peters (outright 11th – B2 1st), Darcy Inwood in the #143 A1 Towing Bathurst Subaru STI (outright 12th – B1 2nd, driving with Harry Inwood), Paine (outright 13th – D 1st), Trent Whyte in the #18 Ultimate Diesel Tuning Toyota Yaris GR (outright 14th – A1 3rd), Mick Rowell in the #3 Rowell Logistics Ford Mustang (outright 15th – A2 4th), Tom Derwent in the #42 Mazda RX8 (outright 16th – D 2nd), Justin Lewis in the #50 Yellow Express Mazda RX8 (outright 17th – D 3rd), Justin Barnes in the #44 JustinTime Autoglass Mazda RX8 (outright 18th – D 4th), Myles Briguglio in the #95 MBR Performance  Mazda RX8 (outright 19th – D 5th), and Justin Ashwell in the #11 Absolute Transport BMW 135i (outright 20th – B1 3rd).

Post race, the Karlie Buccini/Courtney Prince #999 Buccini Transport BMW 135i was disqualified for a technical infringement, for having a metal blow off valve in place instead of the factory plastic one. This saw them forfeit what had been a class victory and 9th outright finish with Prince at the wheel. The team will be replacing the valve in time for tomorrow’s racing. 

Also raising the ire of the officials were Chris Begg (#15 BTuned BMW M3, sharing with Ashley Hooper) and Myles Briguglio (#95 MBR Performance Mazda RX8), with both entries receiving post-race penalties. 

Begg’s 15-second penalty was for race contact with Rowell, dropping him from 20th to 24th outright, while Briguglio’s 5-second penalty was for overlapping on the restart. However, as a result of Begg dropping to 24th outright and the #999 being disqualified, Briguglio is actually now classified two finishing positions further up the results sheet (19th) than that in which he crossed the line despite the added time. 

For the full final results sheet, see below.

There’s plenty more to come tomorrow

The 2024 Meguiar’s Australian Production Cars season concludes tomorrow (Sunday, 10 November) with three more 30-minute races around Mount Panorama to decide this year’s outright and class champions. You can follow race two from 8.40am on live timing, and watch races three and four live on 7plus at 12.05pm and 4.35pm. To learn more about the Meguiar’s APC, visit www.ausprodcars.com.au

All pics thanks to Speed Shots Photography