TCM titles to be decided at Phillip Island
The most open and competitive ENZED Touring Car Masters season yet will see two of the series' three classes decided in a fitting finale' at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit this weekend.
While Mark King (Chevrolet Camaro) has an unassailable lead in the ProAm class, the ProMaster and ProSports title fights will go down to the wire at one of Australia's fastest circuits in the Shannons TCM Southern 90.
John Bowe (Ford Mustang) leads old foe Jim Richards (Ford Falcon Sprint) by just three points in the outright ProMaster class, while Chris Stillwell can seal the ProSports title with a strong weekend thanks to a solid 40-point lead over fellow Mustang driver Cameron Mason.
180 points are up for grabs in each class across the three races this weekend.
The Bowe-versus-Richards battle has ebbed and flowed since the opening round at the Clipsal 500 in March and has seen the pair finish 1-2 in rounds on three occasions this year - including Richards winning the Winton round on a count back after the pair ended racing tied on points.
Both have won two rounds this season however Bowe holds the advantage in race wins (6) and podium finishes (12) this year. Richards' consistency has enabled him to stay in contention this season, with a final-race DNF at Bathurst allowing Richards - who finished on the podium - to close on Bowe ahead of the final round.
Bowe has also scored pole position at every round contested this season - with no driver having ever scored pole in every round in TCM history to date.
Keith Kassulke (94 points from the lead) and Andrew Miedecke (155) also remain in title contention should Richards or Bowe slip up this weekend - and both have had strong seasons.
Kassulke finished on the podium at Bathurst, while only Bowe has more top-three race finishes than Lubrimaxx Camaro driver Miedecke.
Kassulke could be the surprise packet this weekend as he enters the round as the defending Phillip Island winner, having won two of the three races held at the venue during the 2013 season finale.
His Savy Motorsport / Outbound racing teammate, HQ Monaro driver Les Walmsley, will also draw on last year's form in an effort to end his challenging season on a high - the Victorian took his Savy Motorsport-prepared Holden to a race win and the class lap record at Phillip Island twelve months ago.
An absorbing ProSports class battle will also go down to the wire with former TCM class champion Chris Stilwell hoping to hold out young-gun Cameron Mason in the final round.
Mason is coming off the back of an outright race podium at Mount Panorama in October.
The Sydney driver is the only driver in his class to win more than one ProSports round this season, the six rounds split by five drivers in a competitive 'race within a race' this year.
Ford Mustangs fill the top three spots in ProSports with Will Vining only 71 points from the class lead.
Mark King locked away the ProAm class fight thanks to his Bathurst class victory, switching attention to the battle for second place. Mustang driver Tony Karanfilovski, HQ Holden driver Brett Youlden and Torana ace Jason Gomersall head into the final round split by less than 70 points in the fight for the remaining spots on the podium.
24 cars are entered for the Shannons-supported TCM 2014 finale.
Wayne Mercer will switch from his regular Ford Falcon GTHO to the Phil Morris-owned XA Falcon GT, while Sven Burchartz will race a Porsche 911 RS, having alternated rounds with Chris Stilwell in a Ford Mustang so far this season.
10 Fords, 5 Holdens, 4 Chryslers, 3 Chevrolets and two Porsches constitute the Phillip Island field.
Head to www.touringcarmasters.com.au for more information.
