18 Jun MOBIL 1 APC DELIGHTS AT SUPER SYDNEY
Round two of the 2023 Mobil 1 Australian Production Cars has hosted no shortage of exciting racing around Sydney Motorsport Park, with four one-hour races held across the weekend.
When all was said and done, Iain Sherrin claimed the APC outright and Class X round wins in the #72 Sherrin Racing BMW M4, courtesy of four straight wins this weekend.
Sherrin shared the outright podium with A2 winners Coleby Cowham and Lindsay Kearns (#25 TyrePlus Burleigh Ford Mustang) and A2 runners-up, Andrew and George Miedecke in the #95 Miedecke Motor Group Ford Mustang.
Third for A2 was Brian Callaghan and David Baker in the #37 Callaghan Concrete Pumps VY Holden GTS, while second for class X were Tim and Jack Sipp in the #40 Speedcafe.com BMW F82 M4, and third was claimed by Grant Sherrin in the #27 Sherrin Rentals BMW M4.
While Wade Scott took out three A1 race wins this weekend in his #81 Graphteq/BSR Mitsubishi Evo, he was forced to settle for 2nd on the A1 round podium due to a race one DNF, with consistent results across the weekend seeing Paul Buccini and Justin Anthony instead claim the round win in class with their #71 Team Buccini Racing BMW M140i. Third for A1 was the Hadrian Morrall/Tyler Mecklem #9 Parramatta Vehicle Services Mitsubishi Evo.
Scott Turner and Rob Rubis claimed the B1 class round win in the #29 Fierce Racing BMW 135i while Liam Moyse lifted the D Class round winning trophy following his performances in the #97 GenFit Toyota 86 this weekend.
In C class, it was Tom Needham who claimed another round victory in the #34 All Carbitz Mazda 3 MPS over second-placed Jake Camilleri (#36 Grand Prix Mazda 3 MPS) and third-placed Allan Jarvis (#70 TOA57D Motorsport VW Golf GTi). Needham’s victory came courtesy of a race one class win and three runner-up positions, while Camilleri took three race wins, but failed to finish in race one.
The first race for the Mobil 1 APC racers today and the third for the weekend overall was brought to a premature close when an extensive track clean-up was required due to oil between turns 6 to 8.
When the red flags flew, bringing the field to a stop on the pit straight, the track was already under safety car conditions following contact between Monochrome GT4 Australia racer Paul Morris, and the BMW of APC racer, Grant Sherrin – who was leading APC outright and Class X at the time.
The Mercedes had to be retrieved by a tilt tray with heavy front damage after contact with the BMW while they were side by side, with Sherrin on the outside. After making contact with Sherrin, the Mercedes speared into the wall, while Sherrin spun onto the grass but was able to recover to bring the car back around to the pit lane to retire from the race.
While it was hoped that the race would resume with around 10 minutes of running on the clock, race control ultimately decided to declare the race due to the clean-up time required.
Iain Sherrin was celebrated as the outright APC and Class X winner, with Kearns and Andrew Miedecke taking out 2nd and 3rd outright for APC respectively, despite the latter having to undergo a limp mode restart under the safety car conditions. The #25 and #95 also secured 1st and 2nd in A2 respectively for the race, while Callaghan was 3rd for A2 and fourth for APC outright.
Rounding out the top five outright for APC and also taking the A1 class win for race three was Scott, who finished ahead of A1 runner-up and 6th outright, Justin Anthony. Third for A1 was Justin Ashwell in the #11 Buccini Transport BMW 135i, from 10th outright for APC.
Camilleri took out the Class C victory from 7th outright, with Needham claimed 2nd for Class C from 9th outright. Third in class C was Jarvis, who finished the race in 14th for APC overall.
The B1 and D class victories were again claimed by the Turner/Rubis and Moyse entries respectively, from 11th (Moyse) and 13th (Rubis) for APC.
Even before the safety car and red flag, it had been a race of attrition for many of the competitors, with Grant Sherrin joined in failing to finish the race by Troy Derwent, who suffered misfire issues in the Class C #78 PB Motorsport Services Holden Astra VX he was sharing with Oscar Butt, while A2’s Tony Levitt and A1’s Dean Campbell were both involved in a lap one coming together with Coleby Cowham on the first lap, which saw their #16 Power Torque Engines Mercedes C63 and #118 DA Campbell Transport Mitsubishi Evo forced to retire with damage.
The #51 Lithostone Services HSV Astra VRX of Chris Holdt and Anthony Soole did not make an appearance today, due to a blown turbo. The Campbell/Crick, Grant Sherrin, and Holdt/Soole entries would be unable to front for race four following their race three woes. Class X competitor Jack Sipp also had to deal with a flat front right tyre early in the proceedings of race three.
In race four, Iain Sherrin completed his clean-sweep for APC outright and in class X, taking the outright victory over Cowham and Andrew Miedecke outright, and over Jack Sipp in class X, with Sipp coming home fourth outright.
Rounding out the top five outright in the fourth and final race of the weekend was the A1-winning Scott, who crossed the line ahead of A1 runner-up Justin Anthony and third-placed for A2, Michael Rowell, who was served with a 10 second post-race penalty for exceeding track limits in the #3 Rowell Logistics Ford Mustang he shared with Chris Pappas this weekend, but maintained his spot in 7th outright.
Camilleri took the C class win from 8th outright, ahead of B1 class winner Turner, C-class runner-up Needham, and third placed for C Class, Mitch Randall. Randall had earlier drawn plenty of attention at the half-way point of the race, with the reigning Dirt Modified Speedway Champion having a massive off-road excursion in the #15 Wahlstrom Financial Services BMW 130i. Thankfully Randall was able to regather control and resume racing without any damage or contact.
Jarvis was next across the line, fourth for C class and 12th outright, ahead of D class winner Moyse and fourth for A2, Levitt.
The Morrall/Mecklem and Derwent/Butt entries were plagued by issues throughout the race, but were able to persevere to greet the checkered flag and bank valuable championship points, finishing 15th and 16th outright, with Mecklem claiming third for A1 for the race.
Also striking trouble in race four were the Callaghan/Baker, O’Brien/Tsolvolos ((#195 MOB Industries/Guardian Protection CSV Volanti) and Ashwell entries, with these cars each retiring out on the race track during the race, while avoiding calling out a safety car.
The next round for the Mobil 1 Australian Production Cars will be held at Queensland Raceway across the 11th to the 13th of August. Entries are open now for rounds three through six at www.ausprodcars.com.au. For further information about the Mobil 1 Australian Production Cars and Monochrome GT4 Australia, contact admin@ausprodcars.com.au or visit www.ausprodcars.com.au
QUOTEBOARD – MOBIL 1 AUSTRALIAN PRODUCTION CARS, RD 2 AT SYDNEY MOTORSPORT PARK
Iain Sherrin – #72 Sherrin Racing BMW M4 – APC outright and Class X round winner
“This has probably been my best ever round, I don’t think I have ever had a clean sweep, with or without co-driving. It was awesome. The car was just brilliant all weekend and the boys were amazing in our pit stops. I would have to say our pit stops were some of the fastest there. To come in and get out either in front of the A1 cars or just behind them, that was just amazing when we are doing two tyres and they were doing one. So, a lot of credit has to go to the boys and the strategy, and I had a bit of luck fall my way as well, but I will take it where I can get it! I am absolutely wrapped; it has been just an amazing weekend. Thank you to the crew, Mike Sherrin, Grant Sherrin, and all of our sponsors: 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.”
Paul Buccini – #71 Team Buccini Racing BMW M140i – Class A1 round winner with Justin Anthony
“The weekend has been sensational. I have never been to Sydney Motorsport Park before so to be able to learn the track and actually do so well was totally enjoyable. I loved the challenges over the weekend, all the door to door stuff and fighting for position was just really, really good. Thank you to all of my crew, and also Brisbane Motor Works, Simply Tuning, and certainly a big thank you to Justin Anthony for assisting me with the weekend and also setting up the car through Kirkworx.”
Coleby Cowham and Lindsay Kearns – #25 TyrePlus Burleigh Ford Mustang – Class A2 round winners and 2nd outright for APC
Coleby Cowham
“I am very happy. It was unfortunate that some of the other guys like the Miedeckes for example had some issues with their cars over the weekend, but we will take the result. We are very happy. The night race in particular was good fun, and the racing was clean, so it was a good and fun weekend. Thank you to TyrePlus at Burleigh, Car Mods Australia, and Exedy Australia.”
Lindsay Kearns
“We had outstanding pit stops that put us in a great position, the team that we had to do the wheel changes – Ash, Kristy and Craig – they put us in a great spot every time as a consistently high performing pit crew. There were varied conditions over the weekend, the track was different over the whole weekend, so we were chasing the varying track, but it was an enjoyable weekend. Congratulations to Coleby on his stellar drive, and thank you again to the crew. It was good fun.”
Rob Rubis – #29 Fierce Racing BMW 135i – B1 class winner with Scott Turner
“The car had some problems, it started well and the first 45 minutes of all the races, and particularly the night race, were fantastic, but then it would get a miss. In the race this morning I was actually on for a top ten finish before then. One of the coils in one of the plugs failed, about three laps before the safety car came out, so we were battling a A1 and a A2 car when that happened. Scotty did a good job this afternoon, and I think overall it was a very successful weekend for us. The crew worked very hard. We had a few fuel pick up problems on the Saturday which seemed to be resolved after the boys worked into the night. And last night at the last minute we had the right front tyre blow, but we still got across the line, although we lost a few places. Overall, it was a very good weekend. Thank you to the crew and to our sponsor, Mackay Goodwin. The boys were fantastic, Aaron, Scotty and Blake, everyone worked hard – like all production cars, it is not bulletproof, so you have little things happening that you have to deal with, and they did a fantastic job.”
Tom Needham – #34 All Carbitz Mazda 3 MPS – Class C winner
“It was a really positive weekend. We did have a few dramas with our car under brakes with our ABS module that we were trying to chase all weekend, and were managing that for all the races. So, we are pretty happy with how we went over the weekend to actually finish the races and to come away with the win. We definitely had more pace, but we were just managing the car over the weekend. I would like to thank my two mates, Daniel Frencham and Dane Wallace, for coming up and giving me a hand this weekend and also a big shout out to mum and dad for organising the truck and the car to bring down this weekend. And also, thank you to all of my sponsors for backing me. Finally, I want to say a big thank you to my uncle for always coming down and helping out with the cooking and also organising us with flights and so on.”
Liam Moyse – #97 GenFit Toyota 86 – Class D winner
“I was able to race against C class cars for the entirety of the weekend, so it was really good to test my race craft against the quicker cars. I improved from my qualifying position and overall, it was a clean weekend with no bumper damage or anything, it was all good and clean racing. I would like to thank my dad, it was his birthday on the weekend, and also JIC Projects, GenFit Training, Butler Vehicles, Ronnie from Beaurepaires, Roo Systems and The 86 Shop.”
