The 2023 AWC Race Tasmania has officially wrapped up with a dramatic final day ending the first round of the Shannons SpeedSeries season.
Capping off what has been a successful opening event, an impressive crowd of 11,676 flocked to Symmons Plains over the course of the weekend to watch on as all categories produced some entertaining racing.
Sunday was no exception, with plenty of drama coming in the National Trans Am Series, where its second race of the weekend was cut short due to an enormous crash between Ben Grice and James Simpson.
The crash came shortly after the Hyundai Safety Car was called into action following Tim Slade’s dramatic crash at the hairpin.
Click here to see some of the highlights across the weekend. Or watch full race replays in Australia via Stan Sport.
Thankfully all three drivers walked away from both incidents unharmed, however Grice’s 2023 campaign took a massive hit, while James Moffat was ultimately given the win.
Moffat then went on to win the category’s final outing of the round, seeing the chequered flag ahead of Lochie Dalton and Jaylyn Robotham, giving him round honours over Dalton and Robotham.
Click here for the daily Trans Am recap.
In the S5000 Australian Drivers’ Championship, Joey Mawson picked up where he left off yesterday with wins in both of the category’s races today, including the main event.
While it was a straightforward victory in the day’s first race, with Cooper Webster and Spanish international Roberto Merhi behind, the reigning champion was made to work for it in the category’s final race when Webster snatched the lead early on.
However, Mawson managed to wrestle his way back into the lead to seal a clean sweep of wins with Webster finishing ahead of James Golding.
Click here for a wrap on the weekend for S5000.
Steven Johnson had a solid run of his own in the Gulf Western Oils Touring Car Masters as he won the round, however he just missed out a clean sweep after John Bowe won the final race.
Bowe missed out on yesterday’s race and was forced to work his way back into contention in the second race, where he finished third, before winning the final outing by just two tenths of a second.
Trophy Race runner-up Danny Buzadzic rounded out the outright podium in the remaining two races.
Click here for a wrap up on TCM.
The final race of the weekend belonged to the Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series and it was the perfect way to wrap up the round as Bailey Sweeney took out top honours for the race.
Behind him was reigning champion Tony D’Alberto, while Jordan Cox overcame a tough first race to secure a podium.
Click here for a full race recap.
As for the state-level categories, Sunday saw dominant runs in both, as Hugo Simpson completed the perfect weekend courtesy of his two wins on Sunday in Hyundai Excel Racing Tasmania.
A further two podiums for Jeremy Bennett saw him comfortably end the weekend in second overall, while Damien Midgley snuck into third courtesy of his fourth place in the finale.
Click here to view full results from the weekend for Excels.
In the Tassie Tin Tops, Eddie Maguire picked up where he left off yesterday afternoon – winning both of today’s outings and claiming the round win as a result.
Race one winner Liam Hooper returned to finish second in the day’s opening race, but retired in the second – allowing Tim Mann and Troy Johnson to round out the podium respectively.
Click here to see full results from the weekend.
In addition to the on track action, the Tasmanian event also saw the introduction of the Shannons Volunteer of the Round – recognising the hard working officials who help run every event.
The inaugural winner was 16-year-old Scrutineer, Sophie Nichols.
With the AWC Race Tasmania now complete, all attention turns to the next Shannons SpeedSeries event, which will be the Hi-Tec Oils Bathurst 6 Hour on 7-9 April.
Tickets for the event are available at www.motorsporttickets.com.au.
