What's new?

Under challenging conditions Jimmy Vernon in his Alfa finished the qualification session in position 11 with a 2.08.884.

“We changed the car from yesterday which reaped us some rewards.” Stated Vernon.

As you could imagine with a drying line in parts of the track and in others quite wet it didn’t take much to make the grass.

Uniquely this series allows for a mixture of tyre’s under the appropriate conditions.  Most started on wets front and rear but with minutes to go some elected to run sticks on the front to get better traction. Vernon elected for a full slick tyre run, but ultimately it was too wet on the circuit to improve.

Yesterday’s extensively damaged car of James Moffat grabbed pole after the GRM team pulled an all nighter.

RACE 1

With light rain dusting half of the track on the warm up lap it was going to make for a very interesting couple of opening laps.

For Vernon it was like combat. “We were racing hard and making positions” he stated

“The car came on and tyre life was very good which helped me make spots throughout the race. I was catching the group in 6th and 7th and to be honest I just pushed a little too hard. I ran wide in the complex and lost a spot. Then, a few corners later I was pushed off the track and ultimately finished in 14th. We were way better than what today's results show… Bring on the double race schedule tomorrow!” he said.

Race two and three will be broadcast live on SBS, whilst also featuring on the Shannon's Nationals Livestream.

DPO / Rondo Racing has qualified 6 and 16 on the grid for this afternoon’s first race in TCR.

Nathan Morcom was the fastest of the team mates with a 2.08.268 and Will Brown posting a 2.09.742 in position 16.

“I’ve got some work to do in race one“ stated Brown.

“To be on the right tyre at the right time was the key to posting a good time and we missed it” Morcom went onto say. 

“We put Nathan out on wets for the whole session but Will put slicks on towards the end.   That wasn’t the best call” stated Team Manager Scott Fulcher.

Race One commences at 12.45 with coverage on The Nationals website or live free to air TV on SBS.  Check your local guides.

Race 1

Will Brown may not have won but he certainly “turned it on” in race one.

Starting from 16^thafter a poor qualifying result Brown was in the zone on the grid and confidant of a good result.

“Our i30’s are fast as we’ve shown at Phillip Island” he said

He carved his way through the field to ultimately finish 2^ndbut it looked a little sketchy on the warm up lap as it started to rain again and the field was on slicks.

Nathan Morcom had an eventful race holding station in 5^that the chequer.

“That was wild stated Morcom.  The first couple of laps were very interesting to say the least.” He went on to say.

“I had something for the two ahead of me right at the end but once I caught them the additional heat reduced my braking capacity. We’ll be right for tomorrow’s races” he stated.

The rain held off to the last lap and a lite sprinkling made it again interesting to say the least.

Race 2 & 3 are on tomorrow from 12.45

Carey McMahon is one who doesn’t do things by halves.  He purchased the 1992 Bathurst winning Nissan GTR and commissioned a full rebuild to get it pristine again and raced it, plus he’s recently built a giant killing De Tommaso Pantera for Group S competition.  Those are just two of his vast array of motor vehicles he’s had over the years.

But this project is going to blow your mind.

He had a dream of taking one of his Group A cars to Europe.  Not to do static displays and “tell” people how good the car was but actually race it at some of the world’s biggest Heritage Group A events at the best circuits like Silverstone, Olton Park and Brands Hatch!

The last time an Aussie took an Australian example of a group A sierra to the UK is was Dick Johnson and John Bowe in 1988.  We all know how that panned out as the thing was a rocket.

McMahon has shipped his original 1992 Ex Tony Longhurst Benson & Hedges Ford Sierra to the UK.  This is the same car that in the hands of hotshoe Jimmy Vernon broke the long-standing Group A lap recorded twice at Phillip Island earlier this year.

In a recent interview with The Motorsport Channel, McMahon explained that the car is totally original and has only had the front bar repainted.  Yes, the paint and stickers are original as it rolled off the 1992 season in the hands of Longhurst.

Sierra expert Paul Linfoot has been commissioned to look after the car whilst it’s in the UK.

Last weekend McMahon’s sojourn commenced with the first event at Brands Hatch. 

McMahan will also ship the car to Belgium to contest the Group A Event at the historic Spa circuit in September.

Read more about Carey and some of the more recent cars at www.CareyMcMahan.com.au

Qually results:

“I had an off early in the session.  Got back to the pit and the team gave me the all clear to continue.  I finished 3^rd fastest” “All that time on the simulator has paid off he also went on to say” state McMahon.

Race One:

Running in second place on lap two when the water pump fan belt dislodged.  This resulted in a DNF.

Race Two:

Sunday's Race 2 presented a much better result. "Although I had to start at the back due the to the water pump belt failure in race 1, I marched myself forward to position 2 in the end". "This was a boyhood dream of mine to race at this place. Bucket list tick" stated a jubilant McMahon.  I was also rewarded with Hard Charger for passing all but one car in the final race. state McMahon.

Regards,

Andy Ticehurst Media

After yesterday’s issues, Nathan Morcom was forced to start race two from the back with Jimmy Vernon.

With plenty of action ahead and cars running off track & colliding, Morcom went in “Shake N Bake” mode and carved his way through the field. With car speed and a fantastic setup, he won the battle with Pither & Rullo towards the end of the race finishing a fine 4th.

Will Brown started from position 2 and ended in P2. He tried feverishly to bridge the gap to race winner Dylan O’Keeffe but had to settle for second.

Will Brown P2
Nathan Morcom P4 from Second last on the grid

Race 3:

The fall of the green flag was nothing different to the previous race with lots of positions swapping heading into turn one. A massive pile up after pole sitter Dylan O’Keeffe got turned around entering turn one which sent the field scattering. The race went less than a lap before the cautions were called with wounded cars trying to get back to the pits.

When racing resumed Brown and Morcom simply drove away from the field in the DPO / Rondo Hyundai i30’s

Will Brown: Race Winner Fastest lap 1.37.343
Nathan Morcom: P2

Race One of the weekend for the TCR Series got off to a great start for DPO / Rondo i30’s.

Off the front row, Will Brown battled hard entering turn one resulting on him running wide in turn 2. An off track excursion via the gravel trap put the pace setting Hyundai towards the back of the pack.

Nathan Morcom came together with a spinning John Martin in the Honda also on the opening lap. He made it back to the pits only for the team to declare the damage too great to continue.

“I was past the spinning car only for it to gyrate into the side of my i30” Stated a depressed Morcom.

Morcom will start tomorrows race 2 from the back.

Brown made some cracking moves to march his way back through the pack and swapped position with James Moffat numerous times to eventually finishing in second position.

“Mad I ran off on the first lap but rewarding to finish second. These i30’s are fast” beamed Brown.

Will Brown P2 Fastest lap 1.37.08
Nathan Morcom DNF

Race 2 saw a repeat of yesterday’s dream start for Jimmy Vernon in the Alfa Romeo.

With perfect car control and precise moves, Vernon's focus had taken him from a rear of the field start to position nine on the very first lap. Faultless driving saw Vernon gain another position by lap 13 and slip into 8th position and secure this spot on the starting grid for race 3.

"The car was throwing me around but i managed to keep control and got a good result which puts me in great position for the start of race 3."

With only 30 minutes for the team to prepare and rectify the mechanical issue, Jimmy remained relaxed and confident in preparation for today’s final race.

The third and final race of the day started with plenty of carnage for the front runners. This saw Vernon move into position 6 within the first two laps. The safety car was deployed that saw the field bunched up ready for another green flag.

With a gutsy outside move, Vernon puts himself into 4th position but an unfortunate error saw him veer off the track at very high speed at turn one. Managing to rejoin the field safely Vernon did well to recover and make up some positions, finishing the race in 11th position.

Vernon had a perfect start to race one moving from twelfth to sixth by turn 1.

Lap 2 he gained another two spots with some demon moves under brakes.

A clash between Bright and Heimgartner left Jimmy with nowhere to go, getting collected on the way past.

This shot Vernon into a wild spin and into the gravel trap backwards. Vernon was unable to continue and resulted in a DNF. 

“Im gutted” stated a fuming Vernon. “We had speed and were making clean passes in the opening laps to leapfrog a bunch of cars”. “Those two got together and I got spat out of 3rd spot. We had a fantastic car today and im devastated for my guy’s and the team” claimed Vernon.

Vernon certainly put on a show and if his faultless start is anything to go by, we are set for a fantastic racing tomorrow.

Although it’s freezing in Sydney, this will play into the hands of Jimmy Vernon as he acclimatises to the conditions expected at Phillip Island in just over a weeks’ time.

Vernon was the first to commit to the Australian version of the world wide series with Garry Rogers Motorsport (GRM) in the Alfa Romeo.

Round one showed glimpses of potential and heading into Round two the team at GRM has undergone some R&D to better understand the characteristics of the TCR Alfa under the guidance of Greg Crick.

“We’ll be much better prepared for round 2 and hopefully straight out of the box we’ll be on the money” stated Vernon.

“I’m heading to Melbourne early to do some pre event preparation with the team and do a bit of bonding” he went on to say.

Round 2 kicks off on Friday 7^th June with Practice.  Racing on both Saturday and Sunday.  Live streaming via The National Website  www.thenationals.com.au and LIVE Free to air TV on SBS on Saturday 2pm till 3pm and Sunday from 1pm till 3pm AEST.

Follow Jimmy’s progress via his website www.JimmyVernon.com  or via Facebook @JimmyVernonRacing