HIGHS AND LOWS FOR T86 SERIES LEADER BROOK AT SANDOWN

PRESS RELEASE/Tim Brook Motorsport – Photo: John Morris

Tim Brook experienced a weekend of highs and lows at the fourth round of the Toyota 86 Racing Series at Sandown last weekend. Leading the points standings heading into the weekend, Brook was immediately on the pace after qualifying on pole and racing to victory in the opening race of the weekend.

Another strong result in Race 2 set the stage for the final encounter of the weekend, a race marred by a multi-car crash in the closing stages as Brook ended the ten lap affair in 23rd place.

During the course of the weekend, the McLaren Real Estate team crossed paths with Australian motorsport legends Garry Rogers, Garth Tander, and Jason Bargwanna, who posed for photos with the Brook and the retro liveried car.

“To have Garry Rogers, Garth Tander, and Jason Bargwanna spend some time with us was great,” Brook beamed.

“Running number 34 we thought it made sense to run a retro livery for one of Garry Rogers cars, since they run the 34 in the Supercars Championship.

“So it was nice that those guys could take a few minutes to have a look at the car and chat with the guys.”

Stunning pace from the McLaren Real Estate entry saw Brook claim his second pole of the 2018 campaign.

A damp circuit saw him slip to second at the start of the opening race, but the Oran Park local quickly charged his way back into the lead to take his fourth race win of the season.

Second place in Race 2 was equally encouraging as Brook extended his advantage at the top of the championship standings heading into the final race on Sunday morning. An almost perfect getaway saw Brook in control before quick reflexes avoided an opening lap incident when a rival made a late move at Dandenong Road Corner.  The delay saw Brook fall into the clutches of the chasing pack, becoming embroiled in a thrilling door to door battle with championship rival Luke King.

A touch between the pair as the race entered its closing stages left Brook in the gravel trap at Dandenong Road, before recovering to 23rd at the flag to take important points in his title quest.

“The weekend didn’t end as we’d planned but we had really good pace in the McLaren Real Estate Toyota all weekend,” said Brook. “The guys did an awesome job tuning her up, so all I really had to do was go out there and drive the car.

“We had a bit of a drama in the final race, but I guess these things happen when we’re all pushing as hard as we do in this series. “The competition is so close that we can’t afford to ease up, and when you’re that close to the limit every now and then you’ll step over it. “But we’re still in contention for the championship, that’s the important thing, so we’ll regroup and come out swinging when we get to Bathurst in a few weeks time.”

With near perfect points for the weekend leading into the final race, Brook ended the round fourth, just 22 points off the round winner. It means he continues to lead the points standings, though with a reduced margin to King in second place.

“Things are a bit closer now than what they were heading into Sandown, but we still collected some good points and we still lead the championship,” said Brook. “Next up is Bathurst, which is one of the best circuits in the world, so we’ll go there looking to build on the pace we had at Sandown and pick up some more good results.”

The fifth round of the Toyota 86 Racing Series heads to the iconic Mount Panorama in support of the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 on October 4-7.

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