Following the most competitive start to a season in recent years, a host of new cars are set to further energise the 2016 Touring Car Masters series when racing resumes at Winton Motor Raceway this weekend.
Up to four brand-new cars – including a model that is yet to compete in TCM – are entered for the ‘Rare Spares Rose City Trophy’ to be held at the Benalla venue, alongside the Woodstock Winton SuperSprint in country Victoria on 20-22 May.
Five different drivers have won the last five races contested in this year’s TCM series, with Greg Ritter’s success in the opening two races at the Clipsal 500 making him the only driver to win more than once.
Since Ritter’s race two success at Clipsal, Adam Garwood (Torana SL/R 5000), Jim Richards (AMC Javelin), John Bowe (Torana SL/R 5000) and Andrew Fisher (Falcon GTHO) have all tasted success. The series has never had six different race winners in a row since its formation in 2007.
Steven Johnson will return to the Synergy Race Engines GTHO Falcon and look to open his account, while Winton should prove a strong circuit for Glenn Seton’s Thunder Road Racing Ford Mustang. Proven winners Mark King (Camaro), Tony Karanfilovski (Mustang) are also yet to open their accounts for this year.
The Winton grid will see the debut of several new cars, including the first ever Torana Hatchback to race in the series.
Taking advantage of a rule change two years ago that allowed cars built up to 1978 to compete, Jason Gomersall’s iSeek Racing outfit – operated by Supercars team Matt Stone Racing – has recently finished the construction of a brand-new Holden Torana Hatchback that is set to debut this weekend.
It will be the first two-door Torana to race in the series and the fourth Torana on the grid this year.
The team will unveil the car for the first time later this week ahead of its on-track debut this weekend.
Victorian Bruce Williams will make his TCM debut, as well as that of his recently-finished 1974 SL/R 5000 Torana.
Williams’ entry was built by renowned engineer Les Small and is liveried as a tribute to the 1975 Bathurst 1000 winner driven by Peter Brock and Brian Sampson.
The former Thunderdome racer will make a racing return after several years on the sidelines this weekend and successfully shook down his new Torana at Winton at the weekend.
Winton’s new TCM metal will include the debut of Leo Tobin’s brand-new 1969 Ford BOSS Mustang, the Victorian driver trading in his HQ GTS Monaro for five-litre Ford power for the first time.
Tobin’s Monaro will remain on the grid having been purchased by Queenslander Darren Beale, who will make his TCM debut at Winton.
Another classic Holden – this time a HQ Monaro GTS – is also a chance to debut in the hands of Rob Burns, the car having been built by Bendigo Retro Muscle Cars.
The car is nearing readiness with the squad hoping to hit the track on home turf at Winton for its first outing.
The Winton grid will welcome the Porsche brand back to Touring Car Masters, IROC Challenge racers Sven Burchartz and Rohan Little to run their 1974 RS-model 911s against the more powerful V8’s.
After two rounds this season John Bowe holds a narrow lead over Steven Johnson in the ProMaster TCM standings, with the ever-consistent Eddie Abelnica third and Mark King fourth.
Jason Gomersall leads ProAm by just seven points ahead of Paul Freestone and round two winner, Andrew Fisher.
Tassie teenager Adam Garwood leads ProSports in his Holden Torana.
The Rare Spares Rose City Trophy will see the Touring Car Masters return to the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship at the Woodstock Winton SuperSprint.
Three races will be contested across the weekend with each to be broadcast live on FOX Sports.
