SHANNONS NATIONALS SANDOWN WRAP

Tony Bates and Geoff Emery shared the wins today thanks to shorter pit stop times in the Australian GT Sprint. Fraser Ross was left frustrated after race 1 when he diced Peter Hackett for 3rd as Emery’s shorter stop saw him emerge with a comfortable lead after not being a factor in the first half of the race. Emery then backed it up with another win in race 3, also thanks to a short pitstop time.

See our Gallery of Images from this Shannons Round Here 

Cooper Murray won GT3 Challenge after Chelsea Angelo crashed heavily at turn 9 in the second race, which resulted in a red flag and half points. Angleo had finished 2nd in the Saturday race and followed Simon Fallon over the rise at Dandenong Road and missed her entry into the esses. A wide exit saw the Payce Car ride the ripple strips at the exit of the corner and spear the Porsche back across the track. The car hit the armco head on and then spun back onto the race track at turn 9. Murray won the final race after an error by Fallon while in the lead saw him drop to 4th. Fallon struggled with a subsequent handling issue and dropped to 5th place. Murray and Fallon were tied on points, with Murray awarded the round win from Fallon on count back. Luis Leeds finished 3rd for the weekend. Max Vidau could manage no better than 4th from the weekend after an impressive debut at The Bend. Daniel Stutterd took the round win in Class A and David Greig did likewise in Class B.

Beric Lynton  took a clean sweep of wins in the Production Car category as the reigning series champion and 2018 Bathurst 6 Hour winners, Grant and Ian Sherrin, recorded a dnf in race 2 after suffering front end damage to their BMW M4. Rod Salmon was one of seven other entries to dnf in the rain affected Saturday race. Earlier, the Jim Pollicina and Ryan Simpson Lotus Exige looked a potential winner in race 1, when Jim Pollicina moved past Lynton on the main straight. A ptistop cycle saw the lead change, with Simpson strapped into the Lotus. The car stopped in the braking area at turn 1 a short time later, as a haze of translucent blue smoke appeared from the rear of the McComm Motorsports/Parramatta Smash Repairs car. Ryan later put his hand up for an over rev, which resulted in damage to the engine. The car was repaired for Sunday, though another dnf for Simpson followed from a strong result for Pollicina in race 3. 

Jason Makris won both races in the Prototype category, while Kim Burke and Simon Haggarty shared the spoils in the Radical Australia Cup. Burke won the round courtesy of pole position in race 1.