Sherrin Racing has persevered through a weekend of frustration to bring home three class X podium finishes from four races and third for the round in class despite suffering from tyre challenges in each race.

With the Phillip Island Grand Prix circuit – hosting round four of the 2024 Meguiar’s Australian Production Cars season this weekend – recently resurfaced, many in the field struggled with expiring tyres across the four races, with race one in particular seeing a large amount of cars run into issues, including multiple failures for individual cars.

In race one, the #27 Sherrin Rentals BMW M4 was leading the race outright and in class X with three minutes remaining on the clock before suffering a right rear failure, which was then immediately followed by a front right failure upon returning to the race track for the final lap of the race, with Grant Sherrin working hard to get the #27 across the line to claim fifth outright and third in class X.

In race two, the #27 with Iain Sherrin at the wheel was third outright and advancing on the leading cars in the final stages when he was forced to the lane with 15 minutes left on the clock due what was thought to be a deflating right front tyre, as indicated by issues with the steering. He would push hard over the final moments with a new front right to make up what ground he could, passing for fourth outright on the final lap before coming whisper close to overtaking third outright and 2nd in class on the final run down the straight.

In race three, Grant again took control of the #27 and was lining up a challenge on P2 outright and in class with 21 minutes to go when a front right tyre blew soon after the car passed the pit entry, forcing the team to watch valuable time running away as Grant nursed the car around the entire circuit back to the lane. Upon returning to the track, Grant – who was leading the outright and class X points standings heading into this weekend but will thankfully be able to drop this weekend from his points tally thanks to the category’s ‘drop your worst round’ rule – was able to bring the #27 back to eighth outright and third in class across the final moments.

This left one final race on the docket, with Iain taking the wheel as dark clouds threatened overhead. Unfortunately, it seemed the tyre gods had saved the worst for last, with a failed front right tyre taking out that corner of the car – including the wiring for the external kill switch – with 21 minutes elapsed while Iain was fourth outright and third in class. The fact that the car no longer had any power meant it was stranded on turn 2 and needed a lift tow to get back to the lane.

“Everyone was having tyre troubles, but we just seemed to have them worse – we tried multiple things to stop it from happening but we just couldn’t get it right; the others obviously found a secret as the weekend progressed to be able to finish, even if it was with blistered tyres,” Grant reflected.

“When the car was going it had pace, it was really good, and we feel that we should have been able to have a crack at all four race wins, but we just couldn’t keep the tyre under it.

“We will be dropping that round for sure and now we will regroup and get ready for the next round.”

Iain Sherrin said while it was disappointing, he was proud of how the team dug deep across a challenging weekend.

“In that last race there I couldn’t bring it around as the kill switch is in the panel that was taken out by the blown tyre,” he explained.

“We tried everything over the weekend that we could, and in that last race I was driving really gently – we were hoping to make it to the first pit stop and then see how things were playing out, and hopefully attack in the final stages, but it just wasn’t to be.

“The team really dug deep all weekend as we tried all we could think of – we haven’t had tyre issues for a little while now, so we will be having a good look at it when we get back.

“Thankfully Grant can drop this round from his championship tally so he can still have a good crack at it, and we look forward to putting this one behind us and doing everything we can to go after the title.” 

Sherrin Racing will next be on-track for the Meguiar’s Australian Production Cars for the penultimate round of the season at Sydney Motorsport Park across October 18-20.

Sherrin Racing is supported on-track by Wirtgen Group, Spaceframe, Hi-Tec Oils, Custom Plastic Fabrication, Industrial Protective Coatings Qld (IPCQ), Action Mechanical Specialists, Welding Solutions, Symmetry Engineering, Brisbane Isuzu, Hydraulink Brisbane North, Dynapac CEA, Clark Equipment, Great Whites Lighting, Sherrin Rentals and Sherrin Equipment. For more information, visit www.sherrinracing.com.au

 

Photo thanks to Speed Shots Photography