PERKINS WINS DRAMA PACKED ISLAND ROUND.

PHILLIP ISLAND, VIC AUSTRALIA SUN APRIL 14 ....Reining Bathurst Champion
Larry Perkins kept his head and came out on top in Round 5 of the Shell
Australian Touring Car Championships at Phillip island.

In a drama packed day in difficult conditions Perkins out lasted Ford
Credit Racing driver Glen Seton and Queensland Folk hero Dick Johnson in
the battle for overall points.

Current series leader Craig Lowndes took the first heat with Perkins
second and defending champ John Bowe third.

But in an incident packed second heat Lowndes, Bowe and Peter Brock all
went off on the sodden surrounds of the circuit with Lownde's Holden and
Bowe's Ford both sustaining serious damage.  Thankfully none of the drivers
were hurt.

This left Perkins to fend of the fast finishing Glen Seton which he
managed to do by only 0.14 seconds. Johnson was third from Tony Longhurst
in the Falcon.

Peter Brock managed to repair his car in time for heat 3 but started from
the rear of the grid. Seton won the start over Perkins and was never
headed. Perkins tangled with Wayne Gardner and dropped back to eighth
which let Alan Jones in the Pack Leader Racing Falcon through to its best
finish so far while Dick Johnson took third.

The teams now stay in Victoria for the next round at Melbourne's Calder
Park circuit on April 28.

-----------------------------------------------------------
RESULTS
===========================================================
HEAT ONE
Craig Lowndes    Mobil/Holden Racing Team       Holden Commodore
Larry Perkins    Team Castrol                   Holden Commodore
John Bowe        Shell/FAI/Dick Johnson Racing  Ford Falcon
Peter Brock      Mobil/Holden Racing Team       Holden Commodore
Russell Ingall   Team Castrol                   Holden Commodore
Alan Jones       Pack Leader Racing             Ford Falcon
===========================================================
HEAT TWO
Larry Perkins    Team Castrol                   Holden Commodore
Glen Seton       Ford Credit Racing             Ford Falcon
Dick Johnson     Shell/FAI/Dick Johnson Racing  Ford Falcon
Tony Longhurst   Team Castrol                   Ford Falcon
Paul Romano      Pack Leader Racing             Ford Falcon
Max Dumsney      Valvoline Auto Pro             Ford Falcon
===========================================================
HEAT THREE
Glen Seton       Ford Credit Racing             Ford Falcon
Alan Jones       Pack Leader Racing             Ford Falcon
Dick Johnson     Shell/FAI/Dick Johnson Racing  Ford Falcon
Russell Ingall   Team Castrol                   Holden Commodore
Wayne Gardner    Coca Cola/Wayne Gardner Racing Holden Commodore
Steven Richards  Valvoline/Cummins              Holden Commodore
===========================================================
OVERALL
Larry Perkins
Glen Seton
Dick Johnson
===========================================================
POINTS
Craig Lowndes  195
John Bowe      182
Glen Seton     161
Peter Brock    130
Larry Perkins  107

NEXT ROUND CALDER PARK, MELBOURNE APRIL 28

-- 
Brett Ramsey