Taking the Checkered Flag!
TMR Performance and the Mitsubishi Evolution have successfully defended their 2009 title to become 2010 Australian
Manufacturer Champions at Sandown Raceway in Victoria.
Out in front!
Stuart Kostera completed the perfect weekend in his West Surfing Products TMR Evolution X, dominating the sixth and
final round of the AMC at Sandown Raceway, part of the Shannons Nationals. Kostera took pole position, won both races,
and set fastest lap time in both races, resetting his own record in race two. Clearly focused, Kostera's TMR Evo
was also fastest in every session.
Evo X Domination.
Impressively, it is TMR's second back-to-back manufacturers championship, making it a trio of titles for the TMR squad,
with the manufacturer's title, the driver's title for Stuart Kostera, and the Class A championship for high-performance
all-wheel drive vehicles.
Fun in the Wet.
Kostera's victory proved even more rewarding given he entered the weekend, and spent much of the 2010 AMC season,
chasing the championship-leading BMW 335i of Garry Holt, following Holt's victory at the Bathurst 12 Hour, round one
of the championship, where Kostera did not finish. Throughout the remaining five rounds, Kostera worked hard
to recover, an incredible mix of speed and consistency earning the West Australian every round win across the five
tracks in four different states.
Carving it up.
At Sandown, Holt's BMW was involved in a first race, first corner accident which put him out. It was this, and his fourth
place in race two, that fell short of Kostera's dominant charge and allowed the TMR driver to overhaul the BMW and
claim the 2010 trophy. "It's great, I'm very happy with the result this weekend and the year," said Kostera.
"We've always had a quick car, but everything really clicked at Eastern Creek in the Six Hour. We've had a really
good year, Inky has pushed us all the way, and it was very pleasing to lower the lap record again today."
Kostera's TMR Performance teammate Ian 'Inky' Tulloch was second in both races, making it a double for the Mitsubishi Evolution.
Poetry in Motion.
TMR Performance Team Manager Alan Heaphy was equally thrilled with the result. "Stuart has done a fantastic job
all season. The Bathurst round was a frustrating start to the season, with a minor mechanical issue resulting in zero
points, but it was this that provided added inspiration throughout the season, Stuart has never put a wheel wrong.
Eating up the Tarmac.
His dominance of the final five rounds was as much a credit to his consistency as his determination.
Through the turns.
"It takes a lot of effort to put a program together like this and I'd like to congratulate and thank everyone involved,
from all the TMR drivers throughout the year, to everyone in the TMR team. Building a race-winning Mitsubishi
Evolution X is TMR's speciality, but it takes a driver like Stuart and Inky to put the results down race after race."
Loading up the Car.
With support from Tulloch whose race-winning pace often pushed rivals down the field, the two-car TMR team's finest
moment was the Eastern Creek 6 Hour endurance race, where a total lack of safety cars throughout the entire race
meant it was run on pure pace and strategy. It was the pairing of Kostera and V8 Supercar driver Warren Luff who
took a very dominant win, with the TMR Evo X of Tulloch/Steve Jones in second, and the TMR Evo X of
Glyn Crimp/Matt Cherry in fourth.
On the Knifes Edge.
The Sandown victory wraps up a dominant and incredibly satisfying Australian Manufacturers season for the
TMR Performance team, showcasing the performance of the Mitsubishi Evolution, and reinforcing it as the
kings of production car racing for the second year in a row.
Coming in for a Pitstop.
2010 AMC RESULTS (S. Kostera, TMR Evo X)
Round Venue Result
1 Bathurst, NSW DNF
2 Symmons Plains, Tas 1st
3 Phillip Island, Vic 1st
4 Eastern Creek, NSW 1st
5 Morgan Pk, Qld 1st
6 Sandown, Vic 1st
Control in the Elements
And the Winner of the 2010 Australian Manufacturers Championship, Stuart Kostera!
