The National Sports Sedans Series (NSSS) returns to the Shannons card this weekend for the first time since the historic opening of The Bend and some of the category’s biggest names will be on show at Queensland Raceway.
Inaugural National Sports Sedan champion and category legend Kerry Baily headlines the 25-car field with his Audi A4 in what is his first Sports Sedan race since March last year.
Steven Tamasi and ten-time NSSS champion Tony Ricciardello will continue their entertaining battle for the top spot on the overall standings, with Tamasi well aware of the quality of Ricciardello.
“It feels good to compete with someone like Tony Ricciardello but we don’t want get too ahead of ourselves,” Tamasi said.
“We’re trying to stay quite modest as there is a long way until the end of the championship.”
Fresh from his maiden victory at Sandown in May, Thomas Randle sits close to the pair and the SAAB 93 driver will be looking to make it two consecutive round wins in a row.
Behind the wheel of a Chev Camaro will be some of the series’ other big names including fourth placed Steven Lacey and 2017 champion Birol Cetin, while Shane Bradford will be looking for his breakthrough win.
Bradford, who sits in seventh overall, goes into the round closing in on the tight battle for fifth as just one point separates Holden Monaro pilot Michael Robinson (fifth) and Shane Woodman (sixth) who remains the only BMW driver on the grid.
The 2017 runner-up in Robinson will also be competing against fellow Holden Monaro driver Colin Smith, with Smith himself hoping to climb up the standings after an average 2018 season so far.
After claiming his first top-five result for the year in the previous round, Ford Mustang driver Phil Crompton will be looking to utilise his home race to close in on ninth place, while Ashley Bright will make just his second appearance of the year after finishing 11th last round.
The Series’ fourth round will also welcome five debutants, with all five drivers coming from the sunshine state.
Both Geoff Taunton and Jason Busk will be behind the wheel of the MARC CAR Ford Focus V8 along with Lisa Montgomerie who is the sole female on the grid.
Fellow Queenslanders Michael Kulig and Adam Hargraves will also be making their debuts with Kulig driving a Chev Monte Carlo and Hargraves to compete in a MARC 2 V8.
The National Sports Sedans Series opens up the Shannons Nationals weekend with qualifying on Saturday to set up the three races across the weekend.
The Shannons Nationals is at Queensland Raceway in Ipswich on 27-29 July, with live coverage of Sunday’s session once again to be available for viewing via speedseries.com.au.
Tickets are available at the gate.
