Grand Finale to Decide Dunlop Series Winner

The Championship is not over – the Dunlop Series will go down to the final round at the Sydney 500.

GB Galvanising/Wilson Security driver Dale Wood leads Infants Friend’s Ash Walsh by 228 points – so with 300 on offer over the two races at the 500, the young gun is still in for a shot.

Interestingly, the two competitors are teammates of sorts in today’s Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, both racing for Dick Johnson Racing, Wood with Chaz Mostert and Walsh with Tim Blanchard.

The Bathurst round winner Steve Owen also features in the 1000km race – but unfortunately, doesn’t feature in the Dunlop Series Championship race, having entered the series after the first round, replacing Mostert when he received the call up to the main series, and recorded DNFs at the recent Winton round. 

“I think these guys are too on top of their game for me to make up a whole round,” Owen said of his chances of fighting his way to contention after the late start.

“We’ve had a bit of momentum with the car and I’m getting more and more comfortable with it so that always helps … We’ll be at Homebush and hopefully have another strong round for all the sponsors and the team.”

While it may mean a lot of commitments for the drivers, Owen admitted the chance to participate in both categories at Mount Panorama was a positive. He is contesting the race with Will Davison in the Pepsi Max FPR Falcon, which is starting seventh on the grid.

“It is surprisingly an advantage (driving a main series car here) because my debrief sounds very similar for both cars," Owen said.

"Whereas when you talk to some of the other guys their cars are a lot different.

“I’m lucky like that because my car has very similar traits and steering wheel set up, pedal weights and all that sort of thing, and I think the team knew that which is why they pushed me to do that.”

Wood, sharing the flashback Greens’-Tuf Falcon with Mostert, has his work cut out for him in the Great Race, starting on the back row after a large accident in practice from his teammate. However, the Dunlop Series Championship is well within grasp with just two more races to complete.

“It’s all looking pretty good for the Championship but I’ve tried to avoid talking about it,” Wood said.  

“I’ve seen it before where people start to work out ‘I need to finish here or there’ but in my eyes I just want to win races. If I can just keep on doing that the rest of it plays itself out.”

Yesterday’s race wasn’t without action, with the Dunlop Series cars bumping and grinding at Mount Panorama, and a safety car period not just bunching up the field, but shortening the time certain race, meaning the drivers had to push for position.

Casey Stoner looked on track for a strong result but ran out of road coming into Reid Park while in fourth position.

"It was a lot of fun and the car was fantastic," Stoner said.

"We had a lot more to show there but unfortunately I probably went into that corner a little too gingerly and it cost me."

The Sydney 500 is stacking up to be a great weekend for the Dunlop Series with the Championship on the line and Stoner racing his last stint in the category.

Tickets are still available for the event.