MRF Tyres NSW PTC Title on the Line at SMP

The 2020 MRF Tyres NSW Production Touring Cars Championship will be decided with a pair of sprints and a one-hour endurance race this weekend, as part of the Australian Motor Racing Series (AMRS) event at Sydney Motorsport Park.

The overall title is set to be fought out between Daniel D’Aquino (Class B2) and Zach Loscialpo (Class D). The two drivers are separated by 23 points in the standings, making it vital for each driver to finish the races at the sharp end of their respective classes.

D’Aquino has generally been the fastest runner in his class throughout the season aboard his VE Commodore SS, but suffered his first defeat at the hands of Corrine Virag in the previous round.

Meanwhile, Loscialpo has been involved in some thrilling dices with last year’s Class D champion, fellow Toyota 86 racer Edan Thornburrow this season, and whether or not he can keep Thornburrow at bay this weekend is likely to have a significant bearing on the final championship outcome.

While the title contest will provide plenty of interest across the weekend, the endurance format will undoubtedly produce its own intriguing storylines, with some teams opting for well-credentialled co-drivers.

One such example is the Secure Wealth Racing outfit, which debuted a brand-new BMW M4 for Simon Hodges in the previous round. While the car is still in the early stages of development, Hodges has recruited Dunlop Super2 Series competitor Jayden Ojeda as his partner for the one-hour. As well as providing the team with valuable feedback, Ojeda can be expected to set some scorching times during his stint.

After borrowing Chris Reeves’ Mazda 2 and Dylan Thomas’ Toyota 86 for the last couple of rounds, Anthony Soole’s BMW M4 finally makes a welcome return to the circuit, while Brent Howard will be hoping the mechanical problems that plagued his M3 in the previous round have been ironed out.

Family commitments have seen Michael Sheargold vacate the RAM Motorsport GWR Mercedes A45 AMG, which will now be shared by Alex Bryden and Ryan Godfrey, while former Supercar driver Tyler Mecklem will team up with Hadrian Morrall in a Mitsubishi Evo.

After running predominantly in the Australian Production Car Series, Dimitri Agathos has entered his Subaru WRX this weekend while Ollie Shannon returns to his Toyota 86 after a stint in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge; Shannon will no doubt take the fight up to Loscialpo and Thornburrow in the contest for Class D honours.

Joe Krinelos makes a return in his mighty supercharged F-Series HSV GTS and Corrine Virag will be joined by her father Tony, the driver with the most starts in NSW PTC history.

The battle in Class E will be one to watch as well; veteran Bruce Colbey is joined by the enthusiastic Cody McKay in a Suzuki Swift, while Jamie Cannellis and Brianna Wilson team up in the Phil Alexander-run Road to Bathurst Mazda 3.

The cars will hit the track for four practice sessions on Friday, followed by two qualifying sessions and two races on Saturday and the one-hour endurance race on Sunday.

MRF Tyres NSW Production Touring Cars Round 4 Entry List