The 2017 circuit racing season gets underway on Sunday at Symmons Plains with round one of the six-round Tasmanian Super Series.
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While entries are down on what was expected, the twenty-event program should provide plenty of action with a number of last year’s series winners back to defend their titles.
Hobart’s Tony Warren dominated Sports GT A last year in his Mitsubishi Evo 7, more than doubling the final series points score of second-placed Robert van der Niet in his earlier model Evo 2 RS Mitsubishi.
It’s difficult to see Warren being beaten in his record-breaking car, having won five of the six rounds last year and finishing second in the other one.
Fly-in driver Matthew Grace won Sports GT B last year in his giant-killing Datsun 1600 Coupe.
However, for this meeting he has been moved up to the outright class A, together with Steven Noble who finished third in class B last year in his Nissan 350Z.
For this meeting Noble will run a Nissan GTR and if he enjoys the same reliability and consistency as last year, he should be competitive.
In Sports GT B, last year’s class C winner David Wrigley will be the man to beat in his Mustang, while in class C there should be an interesting battle between Mick Williams in his Datsun 240Z and Mark Kendrick in his BA Falcon.
Phil Ashlin finished second in last year’s HQ Holden title and, with winner Andrew Toth not running at this meeting, Ashlin has a good opportunity to take over the front running.
Others likely to be in the mix are Craig James, Neville Rattray, Andrew Bennett and Paul Beechey.
In Formula Vee, last year’s series winner and national champion Wade McLean will be out to continue his winning form, but he could face some stiff opposition from Lindsay Murfet and James Nesbit.
Veteran Nino Bocchino and out-of-retirement Michelle Fish could be in the mix as well.
With James Burdon not running in the Hyundai Excel series round, it will be up to last year’s second and third placegetters Peter Kemp and Mick Farrow to set the pace, but in this category you never know what is likely to happen.
Matthew Grace will be doing double duty in the Datsun 1600 Coupe, and could be the man to beat in the Improved Production class.
There could also be an interesting battle between Adam Williams in his V8 Torana and Jason Woolley in the VC Commodore.
Practice and qualifying will get underway at 9am with the first event for Regularity cars due to start at 10.40am.
A presentation of trophies and a barbecue will be held at the end of the day.