Poolrite 3-Hour Bathurst Showroom Showdown Results

POOLRITE 3-HOUR BATHURST SHOWROOOM SHOWDOWN SATURDAY, 13th NOVEMBER, 1999

MAZDA DUO TAKE 3-HOUR FIGHT AS FERRARI DESTROYED IN FIERY CRASH

New South Wales Mazda drivers Terry Bosnjak and Mark Williamson survived a dramatic race of attrition to win the Poolrite 3-Hour Bathurst Showroom Showdown at Mount Panorama today.

In a steady drive, the pair worked their way to the front at two-thirds distance as smashes and mechanical failures claimed several other fancied competitors, including the Ferrari F355 Challenge of Wayne Park and Darren Palmer, which crashed and exploded into flames on the 47th of 60 laps.

With Bosnjak at the wheel, his five-year Mazda RX7 SP crossed the line nine seconds ahead of a Porsche 911 RSCS driven by Ed Aitken and John Faulkner.

Jamie Cartwright and Aaron McGill were third in a Toyota Supra RZ.

"This was a sweet victory. Last year we started the race in pole position in this car but lasted only three laps, so we came to the Mountain today with unfinished business," Bosnjak said.

"Our car ran beautifully all day - it would have lasted 24 hours," Bosnjak said.

The race was over before it began for polesitters Garry Waldon and John Bowe. They withdrew their 290 kmh Dodge Viper GTS this morning after discovering cracked front wheels.

Crashes brought out the safety car five times, the first on lap three when Megan Kirkham found the wall at Forrest’s Elbow in her Mazda MX5. The second occasion was on lap 17, when second-placed Geoff Morgan’s Porsche 911 RSCS smacked the concrete barrier at the Dipper.

Race favourites and 1998 winners Peter Fitzgerald and Jim Richards retired their Porsche at the same time with a broken gearbox.

Chris Kousparis and Mark Brame took out the Autobarn High Performance Class B and finished an impressive fifth outright in a Subaru Impreza WRX.

The hotly-contested Meguairs Killer Shine Class C for family sedans went to Peter Phelan and David Wood, driving a Holden Commodore SS.

Poolrite Class D honours were taken by Steven Richards and Greg Murphy, driving a Holden Vectra, motoring journalists Paul Gover and Peter McKay won Hippies Class E in a Proton M21 Coupe and Queenslanders Bruce Lynton and Ian Simpson drove their BMW 323i to victory in the Autobarn Class S.

A total of 54 cars started the race, but 16 failed to finish. The expensive crash toll included one Ferrari, a Dodge Viper GTS, a Porsche 911 RSCS and a BMW M3R.

RACE RESULTS 1. - Terry Bosnjak/Mark Williamson - Mazda RX-7 SP Turbo - 3:02:27.001 2. - Ed Aitken/John Faulkner - Porsche 911RSCS - 3:02:36.077 3. - Jamie Cartwright/Aaron McGill - Toyota Supra RZ Turbo - 3:01:04.090 4. - Matt. Stoupas/Christian D’AgostinPorsche 911 RSCS - 3:01:12.866 5. - Chris Kousparis/Mark Brame - Subaru Impreza WRX - 3:02:15.243 CLASS B: Chris Kousparis/Mark Brame - Subaru Impreza WRX - 3:02:15.243 CLASS C: Peter Phelan/David Wood - Holden Commodore VT SS - 3:02:29.743 CLASS D: Steven Richards/Greg Murphy - Holden Vectra - 3:01:20.535 CLASS E: Peter McKay/Paul Gover - Proton M21 Coupe - 3:01:32.637 CLASS S: Bruce Lynton/Ian Simpson - BMW 323i - 3:00:46.020

http://www.gtprod.com.au/ Payl Ryan paul@pr2.com.au