Touring Car Masters race cars still pulling the crowds at the Superloop Adelaide 500

They are the cars from yesteryear but they are still popular among race fans at the Superloop Adelaide 500. See who triumphed in the Touring Car Masters and other support races on day two.

• Ultimate guide to Superloop Adelaide 500
• Day two live blog: Re-cap all the action

Good old fashioned noise, horsepower and - in some cases drivers – pull Superloop Adelaide 500 fans to the fence every time the Touring Car Masters hit the Adelaide street circuit.

Research undertaken on behalf of event organisers finds the Touring Car Masters was the most popular support category among spectators last year after the Stadium Super Trucks, which have been deemed by CAMS as not being able to appear this year.

The category features touring cars from yesteryear, ranging from Monaro and Mustangs to Valiants and Pontiacs from the 1960s, 70s and 80s.

Whiteline Racing driver Adam Bressington in the Touring Car Masters at the Superloop Adelaide 500. Picture: AAP/Brenton Edwards

It is the 12th time the retro muscle cars will start their season in Adelaide.

Bob Middleton, owner of the only SA-based team, Whiteline Racing, said people often commented that they loved to see the old cars in the category go around the track.

“It’s got a good following,” he said.

“The cars are not highly technical. There’s only so much you can do, it’s not sophisticated like a V8 supercar.

“They are more related to a car that people have driven over the years.”

Whiteline Racing has two cars competing in the season – the number 95 1969 Camaro driven by Adam Bressington, and the number 85 1970 Camaro, which previously has been raced by Mark King.

King is out injured this round, leaving Middleton to call in the original driver of the car, SA’s Bernie Stack.

Stack, 66, has had a long racing career but typically has raced Porsches.

“Usually my wife and I have this standing joke that no one rings me (to race a car) for Clipsal,” he said.

“That was the first thing I thought (when got the call), I thought, is this real?

“I’m still getting used to (the car), I’m used to racing a Porsche.

“It’s like a go-kart compared to the big Camaro.”

Stack qualified close to the rear of the field and said he was not on his game but was hoping to have ironed out a few niggles during the Trophy race held early Friday afternoon.

“The aim is to be in the top 10,” he said.

Whiteline Racing headed into the Adelaide event in good form, with Bressington winning the final two races of the 2018 season in Newcastle.

Middleton said the 95 car had been in the top four at Adelaide for the past 10 years, and won on four occasions.

Middleton and Stack said they received a lot of support from South Australia.

“When you get to my age, people will come up to you and remember you from Bathurst,” Stack said.

Touring Car Masters Ford Mustang driver Steve Johnson on his way to victory on Friday. Picture: AAP Image/Brenton Edwards

TOURING CAR MASTERS

Reigning champion Steven Johnson has taken last year's momentum into this a new season after winning Race 1 of the Touring Car Masters in a 1969 Mustang..

Johnson controlled the race from early on and never looked like being passed.

There were two cars that had mishaps: Allen Boughen's Mercury Comet packed it in on the first lap and soon thereafter Andrew Fisher's day came to an end when he put his Falcon into the wall.

Whiteline Racing’s Adam Bressington finished second in his Camaro while John Bowe was third in his Torana.

ECB SUPERUTES SERIES

The rolling start to race 1 saw five utes race side-by-side into the chicane on the first lap, with utes everywhere through turns 2 and 3, leading to a crash that left Chris Formosa’s Ford Ranger on its roof at turn 5.

SA’s Dean Canto was caught up in the carnage but managed to stay on track while the safety ute was deployed to clean up the carnage.

However the mess could not be cleared during the time period allocated to the race and it finished under the yellow flag.

Luke Van Herwaarde’s Toyota Hilux was the first ute past the chequered flag followed by Adam Dodd’s Mazda BT50, Cameron Crick’s Mitsubishi Triton, Craig Wood’s Toyota Hilux, and Craig Dontas’ Mitsubishi Triton.

Aussie Racing Car driver Justin Ruggier leads race 1 in his Mustang. Picture: AAP Image/Brenton Edwards

AUSSIE RACING CARS

Two crashes within moments of each other brought out the safety car in the second race of the Aussie Racing Cars.

Craig Woods mistimed Turn 8 on lap 3, flying through the inside with two wheels off the ground then smacking the side of his Ford Mustang replica into the outside wall.

Then after turn 9, David Makin had to be helped from his Camaro replica after he came into contact with another car and smacked head first into the wall, ripping the front off the race car.

Justin Ruggier’s Mustang lookalike stayed out of trouble at the front of the pack, taking the win from Blake Seiberras’ Mustang and Kel Treseder Camaro.

AUDI R8 LMS CUP

Tony Bates has posted the fastest time in the first qualifying session of the Audi R8 LMS Cup.

His time of 1:21.5742 was marginally ahead of Bhurit Bhirombhakdi’s time of 1:21.9201 and Daniel Bilski’s of 1:22.0234. The 11-car field will have a second qualifying session on Saturday morning before the first race is held at 1.20pm.

The one-make category has international competitors alongside of Australians and will race around the world in coming months.

PORSCHE CARRERA CUP AUSTRALIA

Nick McBride quickly snatched first position off the start and never relinquished it after starting second in the first Porsche Carrera Cup Australia race.

David Wall finished second in the straight swap for the pair.

They were being followed by SA driver Michael Almond in third until he suffered a mechanical issue on lap 5 and dropped through the field rapidly, pulling into the pits and leaving Dale Wood, who started sixth, to take his spot.

Tim Miles suffered a worse fate, however, as he had to be towed out of the pebbles at turn 11 when he ran off the road a couple of laps later, triggering the safety car.