The Jacuzzi Spas Australian Production Car Series hold their final round this weekend with a six-hour endurance race at Phillip Island to take out the 2018 season.

As the race for the title heats up, Tony D’Alberto and Grant Denyer hold a 24 point lead over Grant and Iain Sherrin, while Beric Lynton sits a further three points behind the Sherrins. 

 

Tony D’Alberto and Grant Denyer 

Following their opening crash during the practice session at Sandown, few would have predicted D’Alberto and Denyer to be occupying top spot leading into the final round of the season.

The Fight in the Night at Queensland also did not bode well for the Lotus pilots, with the pair unable to finish the race and score solid points leaving their season in the balance.

However the next day the pair found new life and secured their maiden race of the season, beginning their charge up the table.

Following the win, the pair haven’t looked back, claiming every race to make it four in a row, putting them in the best shape to pick up a maiden series victory for Lotus. 

While the team will be confident in securing the title following their recent form, the title fight will be determine by which D’Alberto and Denyer turns up.

 

Grant and Iain Sherrin

For the whole season, the Sherrins have occupied second place after three runner-ups along with a third place in Winton. 

While the pair have been consistent this year finishing most races in the top three, it’s the opening round in Sandown which they will look back on as the catalyst for their title loss should they fall short.

The pair opened up their 2018 account as runner-up to Lynton, only to sit out of the next two races and lose valuable points,

After being a bridesmaid for every round this year, the Sherrins will need to win their first round for 2018 if they are to be any chance to take out another APC title.

 

Beric Lynton

It’s not been the finish to the year Lynton would have hoped for, after kicking off the season strongly, putting on a brilliant solo effort at Sandown to claim an opening round victory.

Alongside co-driver Tim Leahey, Lynton then took out another round win at Queensland Raceway thanks to a brilliant Fight in the Night victory.

It’s all been downhill from there though, with Lynton failing to pick up any valuable points since, only registering only 25 points in total from Winton and Sydney.

Lynton will be desperate to finish the 2018 season finale race, which will be the first box he will need to tick. All he needs to do is finish above the other two and the title could be his.

 

Class A2

Chris Lillis and Nathan Callaghan sewed up the class title with the pair holding a 200-point lead over the next closest rivals in Justin Anthony and Karl Begg. Even if the pair doesn’t show up – they should be class winners come the end of the round.

 

Class B1

James Keene and Dominic Martens have held the class lead for a majority of the season and would be unlucky not to come away with it on Saturday.

In second place, Scott Turner trails the pair by 83 points and will have to win the class and hope Keene and Martens fail to make the podium.

 

Class B2

Like Lillis and Callaghan, the three-driver team of Katilyn Hawkins, Ross Donaldson and Hadrian Morrall have all but claimed the B2 class, holding a 120 point lead over second place – making it pretty much impossible to lose.

 

Class C

Calum Jones leads the way in the class as 50 points separates him with Blake and Kyle Aubin.

The Aubins led Jones all year, only relinquishing their stronghold over the class in Sydney thanks to a DNF.

Whoever wins the round should take out the class, providing third place Colin Osborne finishes somewhere on the podium.

 

Class D

Teammates Matt Thewlis and Richard Luff hold the strong advantage over the rest of the class, but it will be Thewlis who celebrating the title at the end of the weekend after Luff missed a round. With just under a 300-point buffer, Thewlis will enjoy his final round.

 

Class E

Mark Griffith has one hand on the class title, following James Bock’s absence from the previous round with 65 points separating the two.

However with Bock having led the whole season and wanting to make amends for lost points, the class is set to go right down to the wire.

 

The Phillip Island Six Hour held by the Jacuzzi Spas Australian Production Cars, will take place at the iconic Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit on 2-4 November.