James Golding holds off teammates to win S5000 Tasman Series Bathurst opener
James Golding has held off teammates Nathan Herne and Aaron Cameron to claim the S5000 Tasman Series opener at Bathurst.
James Golding, Nathan Herne, and Aaron Cameron finish in team formation at Bathurst. (S5000)
Golding made a rapid start from second on the grid and was into the lead off the start line, before leading the Valvoline Team GRM pack around Mount Panorama to claim the race victory.
Further back, Tim Macrow tried to find space for his fast-starting UCS Group TMR car through the melee at the start, but found John Martin's car instead.
The pair made contact with both drivers retiring from the race.
The order off the start was Golding, Cameron, Herne, as the newly-crowned Trans Am champion made his move on lap three.
Herne was past Cameron around the outside at the chase and was unleashed to challenge Herne for the lead.
The three-car pack ran exceptionally close before Luis Leeds found the barrier at turn two, bringing out the safety car for the end of the race.
Leeds was battling with Jordan Boys and Blake Purdie for sixth place and was passed by Boys down Conrod Straight.
Fighting back into turn two, Leeds locked up and was lucky to avoid major contact with Boys and he continued straight on into the tyre wall.
Golding also set the fastest lap, a 1:59.838 tour that stands as the new category lap record and just over half a second away from the fastest ever lap around The Mountain.
Aaron Cameron holds the lead of the Tasman series on 139 points.
Roberto Merhi battled with Form 700/Alabar Team BRM teammate Joey Mawson throughout the race, and was able to hold off Mawson after a spirited attempt into the chase.
Merhi finished fourth to move to second in the championship standings.
The Shannons S5000 Tasman Series returns at 10:05am on Friday for the first of two reverse-grid races before the feature race and championship decider on Sunday.
Shannons S5000 Tasman Series - Race 4 Results
- James Golding
- Nathan Herne
- Aaron Cameron
- Roberto Merhi
- Joey Mawson
- Jordan Boys
- Blake Purdie
- Yoshiaki Katayama
- Luis Leeds - DNF
- Tim Macrow - DNF
- John Martin - DNF
Shannons S5000 Tasman Series Standings
- Aaron Cameron - 139 points
- Roberto Merhi - 113 points
- James Golding - 104 points
- Tim Macrow - 90 points
- Joey Mawson - 85 points
- Luis Leeds - 75 points
- Jordan Boys - 58 points
- Nathan Herne - 53 points
- Blake Purdie - 52 points
- Cooper Webster - 48 points
- Yoshiaki Katayama - 48 points
- Ben Bargwanna - 35 points
- John Martin - 6 points
