The rumble of the Shannons V8 Touring Car National Series is set to fill the air at Eastern Creek Raceway this weekend, as the Ford versus Holden contest joins an action packed line up for the eighth round of the Shannons Nationals Motor Racing Championships.The category has proven to be one of the success stories of season 2010, with continual improvement in grid numbers for the ex-V8 Supercars, which have a lowered engine rev-limit to increase component longevity.
This year has seen several new competitors join the class, taking on a group of highly experienced touring car veterans.
Tony Evangelou, who has raced in the highest levels of the sport, made a toe in the water entry at Symmons Plains in April, and has carried on with the series since.
The Victorian currently holds down a strong lead in the points standings after three of five rounds.
Making his V8 Touring Car debut at Eastern Creek will be Sam Walter, who has converted his ex-Development Series Greg Murphy Racing VZ Commodore back to VY specifications for the event.
“Eastern Creek is a great opportunity to get out there and show what the car is capable of, hopefully from that we will be able to sell the car,” Sam Walter said.
“We’ve changed the bodywork back to VY specifications, and had the log book re-issued, it’s all ready to go.
“I ran in the Commodore Cup Enduro at Winton, and had a good look at the category then.
“It seems to have a good structure in place, it’s well presented and well run, and it’s something that will grow in time.
“There is a fair bit of experience in the field, but I think we should be capable of making it to the podium, and if we can get up for a win, all the better.”
Scott Loadsman will also be making his Series debut, while Stephen Voight will be lining up alongside Aaron Tebb for Sydney Star Racing.
Bevan Garioch will be stepping up from the Saloon Car class aboard a Falcon, while Steve Ingwersen has upgraded from his VS Commodore to Adam Wallis’s 2009 championship winning VX model machine.
Falcon pilots Chris Smerdon and Dean Neville starred at the most recent round at Winton, while West Australian’s Matthew Hansen and Dean Kovacevich will be making the long trek across the Nullarbor Plain to compete.
Rounding out the field will be local New South Wales drivers Chris Delfsma and John Vergotis, as well as Victorian Mark Sheppard.
The growl of the V8s will continue in the Kerrick Sports Sedan Series, as well as in the Commodore Cup National Series.
Local drivers will be out in force in the Sports Sedans, with Scott Bulter and his wild Chevrolet Camaro leading the charge alongside Damien Jamieson (Jaguar), Anthony Macready (Nissan 300ZX), Fred Axisa (Holden Commodore), Sam Silvestro (Mazda RX7), Chris Jackson (Holden Calibra), Darren Steeden (Ford Escort) and Garry Stevens (Mazda RX7).
The battle at the front of the field will be intense, with Darren Hossack (Audi) and James Sera (Saab) tied in points at the top of the standings, while former champion Kerry Baily (Nissan 300ZX) sits only six points off the pace in third.
Adam Beechey may be holding down a solid lead in the Commodore Cup standings, but title contenders Scott Andrews, Tony Bates and Nick Parker will be out to prove a point.
Defending series champion Brett Holdsworth will also be racing, and is expected to figure prominently in the results.
Queenslanders Matt Kingsley and Roger Lago look set to battle out the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge presented by Mission Foods, however some other visitors from north of the border will be looking to make an impression.
Shaun Juniper was a winner at the corresponding round last year, and his newer 997 model car is once again expected to be a front runner.
Joining Juniper on the grid will be Phil Holzberger in his ex-Le Mans Porsche GT3 RS, while Chinese-Dutch driver Danny Chu will be making his return to competition alongside Singaporean Yuey Tan for McElrea Racing.
The Formula 3 Australian Drivers Championship is also on the line, with the battle of the front expected to involve Ben Barker, Tom Tweedie and Mitch Evans.
John Magro will be returning to the championship with R-Tek Motorsport, while Queenslanders backing up after the recent Morgan Park round include Chris Gilmour, Ben Gersekowski, Roman Krumins and James Mann, with John Boothman and Graeme Holmes returning in their National Class cars.
Rounding out the program will be the fifth round of the 2010 PRB Race Series sponsored by L. W. Parry Engineering, as well as Formula Vees, which have received entries from five different states and territories.
Action commences at 9:00am on both Saturday and Sunday, with admission free on Saturday, while adult tickets on Sunday are $20, concessions $15, and children under 12 are free.
Racing on Sunday will be streamed live on the internet, with details available at www.thenationals.com.au over the weekend.
