AFTER a slow start, Ben Grice put on an overtaking masterclass around Mount Panorama while Nathan Herne claimed a hat-trick of wins over the course of the Trans Am Series’ round at the Repco Bathurst 1000.
Grice finished the final race of the week in fifth after successfully pulling off some great passes over the top of the mountain, first on Christopher Formosa and then on Mark Crutcher at Skyline.
Despite these moves, Grice was frustrated with the performance of the car over the week after claiming a fourth and two fifth-place finishes over the course of the three races.
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“It was pretty tough, we struggled with straight-line speed all weekend,” Grice told V8 Sleuth.
“We got really showed up at the start so I was racing against some cars that I normally wouldn’t be around and were just getting smashed in a straight-line and had to work my arse off over the top to keep with them.”
“It’s a bit disappointing but we got the handling and the chassis right but yeah, it’s just a bit of a shame.”
While the results weren’t what the team were hoping for, Grice finished with an undamaged car and says that he always enjoys racing around the Bathurst circuit.
“It’s always a privilege and a pleasure to race around here, so we just made the best out of a good opportunity.
“We have a straight, brand new car and we will work on it and make it better for the next one.”
Race 3 finish under the Safety Car after a heavy crash for Matthew MacKelden at Reid Park who lost control of his #5 Ford Mustang and hit the outside wall.
Herne claimed his third win of the weekend and celebrated this victory and his championship win with burnouts on the front straight, finishing with a 153 point gap over second place in the standings for the 2021 season.
With his second place finish in Race 3, Tim Brook (907 points) beat Edan Thornburrow and his Race 3 fourth place (906 points) to the runner-up spot in the championship by only one point.
