TMR takes fourth consecutive Australian Manufacturers Championship
In a weekend of fraught racing, the TMR Performance
Mitsubishi Evo X RS of Stuart Kostera and Inky Tulloch sealed the Australian
Manufacturers Championship for Mitsubishi- the fourth time on the trot that TMR
have delivered this trophy.
Held at Sandown from November 24-25, the final round
ManChamp battle saw Kostera arrive with a slim driver’s championship lead over
Tulloch, with Dylan Thomas- also Mitsubishi Evo X RS mounted- close enough in
the standings to make a real fight of it.
After qualifying fifth to Thomas in eighth, the first 40 lap
race on Saturday afternoon proved a hard-fought battle between Kostera/Tulloch
and their championship rival, who drove solo after a late withdrawal from
Dylan’s co-driving father David. As sunset loomed, Thomas took the initiative
to pass the TMR Evo X with two laps remaining totake outright victory by a
slender four-tenths of a second.
Sunday’s cooler conditions saw Beric Lynton’s rapid BMW 1M
come to the fore as he joined the fight at the head of the field. After another
intense final lap, Lynton beat Kostera/Tulloch to the flag by under two-tenths
of a second. With Thomas finishing fifth it was enough to put a final seal on
both championships for TMR, Stuart Kostera emerging as driver’s champion for
the third time in a row.
“It was great racing throughout the weekend, and we are
extremely proud to have won both titles again,” explained TMR team boss Alan
Heaphy. “In the context of this round, we were somewhat disappointed to have
been so close to victory on both days, but in the end caution and two second
places gave us the points we needed to close out the season as champions.”
With the Australian Manufacturers Championship now
completed, TMR has sold their multiple-championship winning Mitsubishi Evo X RS
on to a client. “After four years at the forefront of the championship, we will
now look to other in-house projects. We will continue to supply parts and
expertise to our customer Evo Xs in the Australian Manufacturers Championship,
but watch this space for news on what direction we’re going to take next!” said
Heaphy.
