After coming on board to sponsor the qualifying pole awards, at the 2024 Pitcher Partners Sydney 300, Lendrive Finance has increased its investment in the signature event of the Motor Racing Australia season, by sponsoring the division that will set the pace and tempo on May 18, Division A.
Division A entries have taken outright honours in three of the four races here at Sydney Motorsport Park thus far, including Benny Tran’s historic triumph here last July, and Todd Herring’s infamous win in 2019, where he snatched the lead off the Division B Mitsubishi Evo, of Stephen Thompson and Ed Kreamer, in the final 300 metres of the race.
The heavyweights of Division A represent three different manufacturers, Mazda, BMW, and Honda, and they’ve all got (at least) one pole position to their name. Benny Tran and Matt Longhurst (Honda Integra) set the one-lap pace in 2019, Todd Herring (Mazda MX5) in 2021, Lloyd Godfrey and Josh Buchan (Honda Integra) in 2022, and in 2023 as well, when they teamed up with Adrian Wilson (BMW M4), set the fastest lap in qualifying, and brought the 48-car field to green.
Todd Herring’s record is among some of the very best in the history of this format of racing. In Sydney alone, outright victories in 2019 and 2021, which doubled as division wins, before driving from 43rd to 3rd in 2022, to again be the first Division A car home.
Last year, it just wasn’t meant to be for the Herring Racing stable, but Todd persevered through mechanical issues, to still make it to the chequered flag, to finish third in Division A, and keep the podium run alive.
In 2022, his drive from 43rd to 3rd came after he was unable to take to the track for qualifying, as the team was replacing the drive shaft, which let go during the morning practice sessions. It remains the record for most positions gained in a Pitcher Partners Sydney 300. He was originally scheduled to start in 44th, until the Nissan Pulsar of Travis Annabel and Daniel Beckinsale (Blend Line TV) was a late withdrawal.
Benny Tran got the monkey off the back last year, winning his second 300, but his first in Sydney, and his first in a Division A entry.
After starting from pole position before failing to finish here in 2019, and limping home 11 laps down, 4th in class, 26th outright in 2021, Tran cracked a top five finish here, with Jimmy, in 2022, and that was despite a late race skirmish through Corporate Hill.
The result doubled as 2nd in class – Benny’s first division podium finish in Sydney.
Last year, a tyre delamination resulted in an unscheduled pit-stop in the early stages, before several factors fell into his favour, including two well-timed safety car deployments, and mechanical issues for Todd Herring.
Tran’s Honda ran faultlessly for the balance of the evening, and he went onto notch up the biggest winning margin in the short history of the Sydney 300.
Adrian Wilson has two Division A podium finishes to his name, but just like Adam Burgess and Anthony Soole, the 2022 race was the one that got away from him.
Former TCR Australia regular, Lachlan Mineeff drove a magnificent opening stint in the BMW M4, in rather dicey conditions, controlling the race, leading the field for much of the night, but their undoing was a late race safety car, and their decision to pit the lap after it was deployed, rather than immediately. They went on to finish third in Division A, 7th outright, but it could’ve been a completely different story.
In saying that, Wilson has taken that BMW M4 to three division podium finishes in as many attempts, and has done so with a different driver line-up each year.
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They have offices right across the metropolitan Sydney area, including in Parramatta, Brookvale, Hornsby, Penrith, Hurstville, Liverpool, Kellyville, Chatswood and Burwood.
For more info, visit their website: http://www.lendrive.com.au/
As per other division, $1750 in prizemoney will be shared amongst the Division A podium finishers; $1000 for first, $500 for second, and $250 for third.
