May 29, 2011: Australian Production Touring Car Endurance Championship, round 1

 

 

Nathan tunes up for his USA return with Phillip Island enduro success

 

Nathan and Barry Morcom and their Rondo BMW 335i, with which they won their class in the Australian Production Touring Car Championship round at
Phillip Island. James Smith photo.

 

 

With a four-week break between F2000 Championship Series rounds, Nathan Morcom didn’t want to idle away the time. So, during a flying visit home to Australia, the 19 year-old Sydney driver popped down to Phillip Island in Victoria last weekend for a touring car race.

 

Not just a sprint event, but the first round of the Australian Production Car Endurance Championship, over six hours! Nathan co-drove a Direct Plasterboard Outlet/Eastern Creek Karts BMW 335i in the race with his father, Barry, and Garry Holt, and they won their class – by no fewer than five laps!

 

The car performed faultlessly throughout the marathon, the only hiccups being when Barry received a drive-through penalty for overtaking under yellow flags, and a delaminating tyre near the finish.

 

Nathan, who clocked the fastest race lap of the three drivers, said track conditions made the high-speed 4.5km Phillip Island circuit even more demanding than usual. “It didn’t rain but the track was very slippery, so I had to concentrate on being consistent as well as quick. One small slip-up on any of the fast corners and the race would have been over for all three of us.

 

“Our only worry was when a tyre started delaminating with a few laps to go – there was a massive vibration through the steering – but luckily it held together until the end. Unfortunately it happened just after we’d moved into third outright behind the turbos, otherwise we’d have been on the podium.”

 

 

AUSTRALIAN PRODUCTION CAR ENDURANCE CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 1

 

Phillip Island (4.55km) - Westernport Bay, Victoria

 

 

CLASS B

1.  Nathan Morcom/Barry Morcom/Garry Holt    BMW 335i     180 laps

2. P. O'Donnell/J. Bowe                                      BMW 335i     175 laps

3. M. Holt/B. Howard/A.Loscialpo                       HSV GTS      162 laps

 

 

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