The switch from a Showroom 4WD Subaru WRX STI to a Sports Trophy Jaguar F-Type Coupe R wasn’t a problem for Launceston’s Ben Newman and co-driver Crichton Lewis.

At the lunch break in Euroa they were 53 seconds ahead of their nearest rival, the Porsche 944 Turbo of Shane Navin and Graeme Baker.

Martin and Angela Farkas were third, a further seven seconds behind, and just three clear of Colin Zytveld and Martin Stewart in a Ford FPV GT Boss 335.