Rookie sets the pace in final TA2 Muscle Car Series round at Winton Raceway.
 "Rookie sets the pace in final TA2 Muscle Car Series round at Winton Raceway.")
First year TA2 driver Brock Paine claimed the RAS Pole Award after setting the fastest time in qualifying for the final round of the TFH TA2 Muscle Car Series - presented by Maritimo Luxury Yachts at Winton Raceway Benalla today. His time of 1.24.08 edged Ben Gomersall’s Mustang by 4/10ths of a second with TFH Racing’s Josh Thomas 3rd from Blake Tracey, Josh Webster and Hayden Hume.
Diesel Thomas in the second TFH Hire Mustang had a drive line issue and qualified mid field with Gomersall and the Thomas Brothers still fighting out the final two podium positions for the series and TFH team bragging rights.
GM Performance driver Jarrod Hughes effectively wrapped up the title at the last round and is not competing this weekend, due to his GT4 commitments with the final round at Hampton Downs New Zealand.
Paine had the jump under green for Race One, while IES Racing’s Graham Cheney ran wide at Turn 3 dropping back to 13th. Gomersall pressured Paine hard with Blake Tracey, Josh Thomas, Hayden Hume and Josh Webster all running nose to tail before Tracey fired off at Turn 1 returning to the pits to clear debris from the radiator ducts.
South Australia’s Lee Stibbs, a last-minute replacement for Ben Kavich in the Hi-Tec Oils Camaro, stopped mid race with steering failure as Gomersall continued to pressure Paine for the lead before making the move under brakes into Turn 11.
Alientech Camaro driver Glen Ebert pitted on Lap 10 with overheating issues while Gomersall’s Unit Racing Mustang pulled out a 4 second gap on Paine to the flag. Josh Thomas, Hayden Hume and Josh Webster rounded out the Top 5 from Mark Crutcher, Des Collier, Graham Cheney and Danny Reidy. Paine set the fastest lap with a 1.26.1
Another 20-minute TA2 race wrapped up the afternoon and while Ben Gomersall made a clean start, Lee Stibbs in the Hi-Tec Oils Camaro went off at Turn 2 lightly hitting the outside wall. Josh Thomas was also in trouble, dropping from P3 after hitting the Turn 1 kerb hard on cold tyres dropping back to P12. Diesel Thomas made a great start from P6 to P3, then inherited P2 when Gomersall ran off at Turn 7, handing the lead to Paine and falling back to P6 before being handed a 5 second penalty for a dangerous re-entry.
Mark Crutcher and Graham Cheney had a strong battle for the Circo Master Class before Blake Tracey fired off at Turn 9 with steering issues in the Camaro.Hayden Hume, Josh Webster and Ben Gomersall had a three-way battle as the Unit Mustang came back through the field, before Webster pitted with power steering issues.
Paine went on to win by 4 seconds from Diesel Thomas, with Hayden Hume in the Total Parts Pro Mustang having a strong result in 3rd. Gomersall climbed back to 4th from Crutcher, Cheney, Josh Thomas and Des Collier. Former speedway racer Danny Reidy finished 9th on target for a top 10 overall result for the weekend in the Danny Orr Earthmoving Camaro with Glen Ebert 10th from Hayden Pullen and veteran Warren Wadley.
The championship battle for 2nd and 3rd is still alive, with another qualifying session and two more races tomorrow. The final round of the Hi-Tec Super Series will be televised live on SBS, Fox Sports and Kayo from 1pm tomorrow.
QUOTES
Brock Paine, #33 Brock Paine Motorsport Chev Camaro
“Mega day here at Winton! I scored my first pole position in TA2 and backed it up with my first race win in Race 2 this afternoon, I couldn’t be happier. We made a few adjustments to the car between races and it definitely paid off with a big improvement. It was extremely hot out there, so for the car to hang on the way it did was awesome. Massive thanks to my team for all their hard work, we’ll prep tonight and come back strong tomorrow.”
Hayden Hume, #45 Total Parts Pro Ford Mustang
“I’m absolutely thrilled to take my first podium finish in the TA2 Muscle Car Series. None of this would have been possible without my incredible team, who gave me an outstanding car all weekend, and HCC Distributions for making it all happen. The start was a bit chaotic, but we managed to stay clear of the drama and focus on running our own race."
