THERE IS just 21 points covering the top three going into the penultimate round of the Skye Sands Sports Sedan National Series at Queensland Raceway’s Shannons Nationals this weekend.
Series leader Steven Tamasi, ten-time title holder Tony Ricciardello and Supercar Development Series gun Thomas Randle will be out to firm up their chances at “the paperclip” and fend off the return of former champ Kerry Baily.
Six-time Championship/Series title holder Kerry Baily is set to race in John Gourley’s Chev-powered Audi which has been a race winner with Jack Perkins at the wheel.
The inclusion should make for a feisty fourth round, with 2017 series winner Birol Cetin (Chev Camaro) wanting to atone for a couple of bad runs and fellow New South Welshman Steve Lacey (Camaro) who is getting faster at each outing.
Baily competed in three races last year before selling his Aston Martin/Chev and has not competed at Queensland Raceway in two years where he qualified third fastest and finished third in one race.
“I rang John to see where he was at with the second car and he said the Audi was available and so we did a deal,” Baily said. “If I can run with those fast guys I will be happy.”
Long-time rival Ricciardello who is chasing a record eleventh title still rates Baily. “Should be interesting, Kerry knows how to steer and even at his age, will be quite quick. But we will be concentrating on our own car which has been very good at QR in the past.”
In the meantime, Lacey has been continually developing his car. He broke through the 1 minute 30 second mark at Sydney Motorsport Park recently and set a new benchmark in the state sports sedan championship. He followed that with another strong performance last weekend.
“We had a clean sweep at Wakefield Park,” he said. “Set a new state qualifying record lap, and finished the final 15-lap race with the fastest lap on the last – just to show how strong the car was,”
Others to watch over the three races, two of which will be livestreamed next Sunday, are the Transam spec cars of Shane Bradford (Camaro) and Phil Crompton (Ford Mustang).
Shane Woodman sports a new livery on his BMW/Chev and will want a performance to match, the MARC 2 V8 piloted by Adam Hargraves is a top five contender while among the 17-car entry the Holden Monaro/Chevs driven by Colin Smith and Michael Robinson will be hovering.
POINTS: Steven Tamasi 354, Tony Ricciardello 347, Thomas Randle 323, Steve Lacey 250, Michael Robinson 201, Shane Woodman 200, Shane Bradford 182, Colin Smith 169, Birol Cetin 162, Phil Crompton 118.
ENTRY LIST:
1 Birol Cetin (NSW) Chev Camaro
4 Kerry Baily (VIC) Audi A4/Chev
5 Tony Ricciardello (WA) Alfa Romeo GTV/Chev
9 Steven Tamasi (VIC) Holden Calibra/Chev
12 Phil Crompton (QLD) Transam Ford Mustang
16 Shane Woodman (VIC) BMW M3 GTR/Chev
18 Lisa Montgomerie (QLD) MARC CAR Ford Focus V8
20 Adam Hargraves (QLD) MARC 2 V8
32 Michael Robinson (VIC) Holden Monaro/Chev
44 Colin Smith (QLD) Holden Monaro/Chev
49 Thomas Randle (VIC) SAAB 93/Chev
68 Shane Bradford (QLD) Transam Chev Camaro
71 Ashley Bright (QLD) Holden Commodore
92 Jason Busk (QLD) MARC CAR Ford Focus V8
95 Geoff Taunton (QLD) MARC CAR Ford Focus V8
118 Steven Lacey (NSW) Chev Camaro Words - Garry O'Brien
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