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ASTC: Report Phillip Island
Morris Wins - Auger Crashes at 200km/h 1st June 1997 Release from TOCA Australia Web Site <http://www.toca.com.au/news/news.html ...
Edited: Feb 17, 2005, 5:49 AM
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Morris Wins - Auger Crashes at 200km/h 1st June 1997 Release from TOCA Australia Web Site <http://www.toca.com.au/news/news.html#aust>
-------------------------------------------------------------------------= --- Paul Morris extended his lead in this years BOC Gases Australian Super Touring Championship and fellow-Queenslander David Auger escaped injury i= n a spectacular 200km/h crash in a dramatic second round of the series at Phillip Island in Victoria on Sunday(June 1)
Auger's Alfa Romeo 155 was badly damaged after slamming into a trackside tyre barrier on the opening lap of the second of the two 15-lap races. Th= e 41-year-old Brisbane driver=EDs car flipped, spun, and then crashed secon= ds after it had made contact with the IBC Vauxhall Cavalier driven by NSW=ED= s Bob Tweedie. Race Director Peter Wollerman later announced that Tweedie, who finished ninth, had been excluded from results and given a severe reprima= nd after being found guilty of driving dangerously.
Morris the 1995 champion, went into the Phillip Island round leading the series by eight points and extended his advantage to 14 over BMW Motorspo= rt team-mate Geoff Brabham. In the first race Brabham led the opening 11 lap= s until being passed by Morris, who went on to win in 24-min 44.46-secs. He was followed by Cameron McConville in an ORIX Audi Sport Australia A4, an= d fellow Victorian Steven Richards, who was a superb third in his debut in = a British-sourced Nissan Primera.
Brabham and 1996 champion Brad Jones, driving an ORIX Audi Sport Australi= a A4, were both forced to make pit-stops to replace deflating tyres. Brabha= m eventually finished fifth and Jones 12th. Five times Bathurst champion Ji= m Richards retired on lap eight because of electrical problems with his Vol= vo Racing Australia 850, while Italian Gianfranco Brancatelli also withdrew because of a brake failure.
Brabham won the second race in 24-mins 47.33secs after leading from start= to finish. Morris finished second after starting from the rear of the grid, following his exclusion from then second qualifying session on Saturday (= May 31) because his car would not start under its own power after a pit-stop = for weighing. Jones was third followed by McConville, Jim Richards and Steven Richards.
Morris now leads the championship with 60 points with Brabham second on 4= 6, McConville and Jim Richards equal third on 26 and Queensland=EDs Cameron McLean fifth on 21 in a Greenfield Mowers Opel Vectra. BMW Leads the Manufacturers Championship with 60 points, ahead of Volvo and Audi both o= n 34. McLean holds first place in the TOCA Challenge Independence Cup with = 43 points, from NSW=EDs Justin Matthews on 40 in a Fabre-Castell BMW 318I an= d Steven Richards on 33. The third round of the championship is at Calder P= ark in Melbourne on June 22.
Driver Quotes:
Paul Morris (BMW Motorsport 320I): =ECWhen I found out I was starting the second race from the back of the grid I thought my championship lead migh= t be lost. Instead, I=EDve gained some points. In the first race I was behi= nd Geoff (Brabham) for a long time and then I got a good run up the inside a= t Turn two and made the pass. The second race was tough coming through the field and second was as good as I could have hoped for.=EE
David Auger(Gun Racing Alfa Romeo 155): =ECIt was a big shunt I was hit f= rom behind and the car turned around and went into the tyre wall. It was a strange feeling when the car was spinning because you don=EDt really know what=EDs happening. Hopefully we can repair the car, but it=EDs going to = be a lot of work.=EE
Geoff Brabham(BMW Motorsport 320): =ECI=EDve made a good start to the championship and now I=EDve got to go on with it. In the second race I wa= s able to maintain a constant gap to Brad (Jones). although I knew Paul (Morris) would be coming through. I flat-spotted a tyre in the first race and had to come into the pits - that=EDs cost me some points for sure.=EE
Brad Jones (ORIX Audi Sport Australia A4): =ECA tyre started going down i= n the first race and I slid off the track. When I was coming into the pits one = of the guards was damaged. Paul (Morris) is looking good at the moment - he=ED= s a race win clear of everyone. Hopefully we can close the gap on the BMWs.=EE
Jim Richards (Volvo Racing Australia 850): =ECI had to stop in the first = race because we had a problem with a coil pack. On the second lap the engine started to misfire and it got worse. The second race was better.=EE
Steven Richards (Team Valvoline Nissan Primera): =ECMy aim this weekend w= as to try and finish and learn some more about the new car. We surprised oursel= ves - finishing third in the first race was just fantastic. We=EDve had some = help this weekend from Nissan Motorsport Europe and that was crucial to our performance. I think we=EDve shown this car has potential for more improv= ement and even better results.=EE
Driver championship Points (after round 2)
* Morris 60 * Brabham 46 * J Richards 26 * McConville 26 * McLean 21 * Jones 18 * Matthews 16 * S Richards 15 * Newman 12 * Wakefield 10, * Auger 6 * Tweedie 3 * Cornish 2 * Pickett 1
Manufacturers Championship Points (after round 2):
* BMW 60 * Volvo 34 * Audi 34
Teams Championship Points (after round 2 ):
* BMW Motorsport 106 * ORIX Audi Sport Australia 53 * HVE Motorsport 20
TOCA Challenge Independents Cup Points (after round 2):
* McLean 43 * Matthews 40 * S Richards 33 * Newman 32 * Wakefield 24 * Auger 13 * Cornish 11, * Tweedie 6 * Pickett 4
Race 1
POS DRIVER CAR LAPS TIME
1 Paul Morris BMW 320i 15 24:44.4687
2 Cameron McConville Audi A4 quattro 15 25:03.6685
3 Steven Richards Nissan Primera 15 25:03.4030
4 Cameron McLean Opel Vectra 15 25:14.1223
5 Geoff Brabham BMW 318i 15 26:02.4477
6 Justin Matthews BMW 318i 15 26:02.4477
7 Tony Newman Peugeot 405 15 26:21.1700
8 Bob Tweedie Vauxhall Cavalier 15 26:22.4423
9 David Auger Alfa Romeo 14 26:23.3828
10 Paul Pichett Hyundai Lantra 14 25:01.4765
11 Jim Cornish Hyundai Lantra 14 25:26.9223
12 Brad Jones Audi A4 quattro 14 25:46.3205
DNF Jim Richards Volvo 850 8 13:32.1905
DNF Gianfranco BrancatelliFord Mondeo 3 5:46.7694
Race 2
POS DRIVER CAR LAPS TIME
1 Geoff Brabham BMW 318i 15 24:47.3322
2 Paul Morris BMW 320i 15 24:49.5318
3 Brad Jones Audi A4 quattro 15 24:50.0610
4 Cameron McConville Audi A4 quattro 15 25:06.0398
5 Jim Richards Volvo 850 15 25:06.2616
6 Steven Richards Nissan Primera 15 25:07.7647
7 Tony Newman Peugeot 405 15 26:26.2314
8 Justin Matthews BMW 318i 15 26:26.5231
DNF Gianfranco BrancatelliFord Mondeo 9 15:35.9590
DNF Paul Pichett Hyundai Lantra 8 15:17.7064
DNF Cameron McLean Opel Vectra 8 15:41.7786
DNF Jim Cornish Hyundai Lantra 7 13:44.6824
DNF Bob Tweedie Vauxhall Cavalier 0 No Time
--=20 Brett Ramsey Watch In Pit Lane Optus Local Vision Melbourne
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