R8 RACES - Bargwanna benefits as Seton slides out of race
16/7/2000 19:26 (Press Release) - Jason Bargwanna took an unlikely victory in round eight of the Shell Championship Series at Winton Raceway after frontrunners, Glenn Seton and Garth Tander, fell victim to an oil spill in the decisive third heat.
Bargwanna's victory at the Winton circuit in his Valvoline Cummins Commodore was his second in as many years. It came after he scrambled to sixth, third and first in the three heats after qualifying ninth.
"I'm over the moon, it's very satisfying" said Bargwanna. "I thought it would be Glenn's day today, but that's racing. Lucky for us I guess."
It marked the 16th consecutive Shell Series round win for Holden, breaking the existing manufacturer record set by the Ford Sierras in 1988-89.
Shell Helix Ford driver, Paul Radisich finished second overall with seventh, sixth and second in the three heats, while Seton salvaged third.
Seton had taken pole position and finished second to Tander in the opening heat before reversing the order in the second heat, setting up a dramatic finale in the third.
He had looked likely to claim his first round win since 1997, and the first for the Ford camp since Darwin last year, until he spun his Tickford Racing Falcon on the opening lap of that race.
Garth Tander was hot on Seton's heels and, consequently, found himself in the same situation. Tander's woes were compounded when he collided heavily with John Bowe as he fought to rejoin the race.
"There was a heap of oil on the track and we came up on it with no warning. Garth and I both went around on it and there wasn't much we could do," said Seton. "It's probably one of the most disappointing days of racing I have experienced."
Bargwanna and Radisich watched as the lead pair spun in the oil and clambered to avoid it, snatching their podium finishes as a result.
"I saw them skating around and got off the throttle and just snuck around them," said Bargwanna.
Craig Lowndes trailed the pair through and barged in front of them a couple of laps later, but a stop and go penalty for illegal contact with Bargwanna as he overtook ended his victory hopes.
Radisich's second place is just his second Shell Series podium result and is a tonic for his Shell Helix Racing Team.
"We got the run of things here," said Radisich. "It's good to put it to bed and get the points and my first podium for the year. Glenn showed he had the car to win this weekend and our team is going strongly in the right direction so that Ford win is on the cards."
The recovery of the day went to Mark Skaife and his Holden Racing Team. He looked to have his healthy Series lead under threat when a race one, lap one crash with Larry Perkins saw him limping back to the pits with extensive damage.
Some frantic work by his crew saw him wheel his car out to start race two, where he charged from 35th to 14th. In the third heat, he glided through the field for third place and a valuable points haul.
Perkins, by contrast, parked his Castrol Holden for the rest of the day due to the front-end damage he sustained.
Skaife managed to minimise the impact on his points lead with his strong recovery. He will carry a 120-point lead over Seton into the next Shell Series round at Oran Park on 29-30 July.
**RACE ONE TOP TEN**
1st GARTH TANDER (Team Valvoline-Cummins) - VT Commodore
2nd GLENN SETON (Ford-Tickford Racing) - AU Falcon
3rd NEIL CROMPTON (Ford-Tickford Racing) - AU Falcon
4th CRAIG LOWNDES (Mobil-Holden Racing) - VT Commodore
5th GREG MURPHY (K-mart Racing) - VT Commodore
6th JASON BARGWANNA (Team Valvoline-Cummins) - VT Commodore
7th PAUL RADISICH (Shell Helix Racing) - AU Falcon
8th RUSSELL INGALL (Castrol Perkins Racing) - VT Commodore
9th JOHN BOWE (CAT Racing) - AU Falcon
10th TODD KELLY (Mycar Holden Young Lions) - VT Commodore
**RACE TWO TOP TEN**
1st GLENN SETON (Ford-Tickford Racing) - AU Falcon
2nd GARTH TANDER (Team Valvoline-Cummins) - VT Commodore
3rd JASON BARGWANNA (Team Valvoline-Cummins) - VT Commodore
4th GREG MURPHY (K-mart Racing) - VT Commodore
5th CRAIG LOWNDES (Mobil-Holden Racing) - VT Commodore
6th PAUL RADISICH (Shell Helix Racing) - AU Falcon
7th JOHN BOWE (CAT Racing) - AU Falcon
8th TODD KELLY (Mycar Holden Young Lions) - VT Commodore
9th STEVEN ELLERY (Super Cheap Auto Racing) - AU Falcon
10th STEVEN RICHARDS (K-Mart Racing) - VT Commodore
**RACE THREE TOP TEN**
1st JASON BARGWANNA (Team Valvoline-Cummins) - VT Commodore
2nd PAUL RADISICH (Shell Helix Racing) - AU Falcon
3rd MARK SKAIFE (Mobil-Holden Racing) - VT Commodore
4th TONY LONGHURST (Caltex Havoline-Racing) - AU Falcon
5th CRAIG BAIRD (Pirtek Racing) - AU Falcon
6th STEVEN JOHNSON (Shell Helix Racing) AU Falcon
7th RUSSELL INGALL (Castrol Perkins Racing) - VT Commodore
8th NEIL CROMPTON (Ford-Tickford Racing) - AU Falcon
9th CAMERON McLEAN (Greenfield Mowers Racing) - AU Falcon
10th PAUL MORRIS (Big Kev Racing) - VT Commodore
**ROUND EIGHT OVERALL POINTS**
1st JASON BARGWANNA (Team Valvoline-Cummins) - VT Commodore [102]
2nd PAUL RADISICH (Shell Helix Racing) - AU Falcon [90]
3rd GLENN SETON (Ford-Tickford Racing) - AU Falcon [84]
4th GARTH TANDER (Team Valvoline-Cummins) - VT Commodore [80]
5th GREG MURPHY (K-mart Racing) - VT Commodore [74]
6th CRAIG LOWNDES (Mobil-Holden Racing) - VT Commodore [68]
7th NEIL CROMPTON (Ford-Tickford Racing) - AU Falcon [60]
8th STEVEN JOHNSON (Shell Helix Racing) AU Falcon [56]
9th CRAIG BAIRD (Pirtek Racing) - AU Falcon [52]
10th RUSSELL INGALL (Castrol Perkins Racing) - VT Commodore [50]
**CHAMPIONSHIP TABLE**
1st MARK SKAIFE (Mobil-Holden Racing) - VT Commodore [918]
2nd GLENN SETON (Ford-Tickford Racing) - AU Falcon [798]
3rd GARTH TANDER (Team Valvoline-Cummins) - VT Commodore [756]
4th CRAIG LOWNDES (Mobil-Holden Racing) - VT Commodore [714]
5th PAUL RADISICH (Shell Helix Racing) - AU Falcon [671]
6th GREG MURPHY (K-mart Racing) - VT Commodore [563]
7th RUSSELL INGALL (Castrol Perkins Racing) - VT Commodore [544]
8th TONY LONGHURST (Caltex Havoline Racing) - AU Falcon [529]
9th STEVEN JOHNSON (Shell Helix Racing) AU Falcon [527]
10th JASON BARGWANNA (Team Valvoline-Cummins) - VT Commodore [487]
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