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Finalists close on Pit Stop Challenge showdown

31 Jul 2019
Last chance to break into Bathurst finale looms
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Brad Jones Racing, Triple Eight and Tickford Racing look set to fight it out in the 2019 PIRTEK Pit Stop Challenge's Bathurst finale, with one points-scoring round remaining.

Queensland Raceway hosted the eighth of nine regular rounds, with the last to be held at the OTR SuperSprint next month.

The top four teams will then progress to a televised grand final during the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 weekend, eyeing the $20,000 major prize and Golden Rattle Gun.

There was no change at the top of the order in Ipswich, leaving the leading four with one final hurdle to clear at The Bend.

Long-time leader BJR continues to hold first and third in the standings, with its Nick Percat and Tim Slade entries.

Maintaining those places would mean BJR has a team in both Bathurst semi-finals, which will pit first against fourth and second against third.

They are split by Jamie Whincup's Red Bull Holden Racing Team crew, which is four points behind Percat and six clear of Slade.

PIRTEK Pit Stop Challenge points after eight events

On Whincup's way to a drought-breaking victory on Saturday, the #88 Holden was the quickest through pitlane at Queensland Raceway, at 40.0395 seconds.

Slade's Freightliner Racing entry was sixth, one spot ahead of Percat's Hare & Forbes-backed Commodore.

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Tickford crews occupy fourth and fifth in the overall standings, with garage mates Chaz Mostert and Lee Holdsworth.

Mostert's #55 is one point behind Slade in the order and Holdsworth's #5 a further three adrift.

The Mustang pair were a Holdsworth-led fourth and fifth fastest in Saturday's race.

That has built a comfortable cushion over the Kelly Racing entries of Rick Kelly and Andre Heimgartner behind them.

Having headed to Queensland six and 10 points behind Mostert, Kelly and Heimgartner were 12th and 15th quickest through the lane.

It leaves Kelly 13 points off the top four and Tickford in the box seat to join BJR and Triple Eight in the Bathurst final.

Race 19 PIRTEK Pit Stop Challenge results

Behind Whincup on the Queensland Raceway times, Tickford's Cameron Waters entry took second and Shell V-Power Racing third through Fabian Coulthard.

Waters and Coulthard are 11th and 19th in the order respectively after troubles earlier in the season.

Scott McLaughlin's crew is 17th, a recent run of high scores coming to an end with a slow left-front wheel change.

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