Harpas' Day Cruelled as McIlveen Takes Pole
Australian Superkart Championships - Rnd 2, Mallala

from Mark Jones

Setting a quick time early was the key at the Dave Potter Honda Australian Superkart Championship, as Warren McIlveen (Mac's Marine Stockman-Honda) set pole position in the first qualifying session with a 1:06.5112 lap time, nine tenths of a second faster than local racer Yiani Harpas.
 
Almost everyone was slower in the second session with the track surface much slower later in the day. After recording a 1:07.4609 lap time in the first session Harpas pulled over early in the second session with a mystery engine ailment. The team have diagnosed a bottom end engine problem which cannot be easily fixed trackside and will struggle to make their hard won front row starting position. The team still have younger brother Ilya starting from sixth grid position to concentrate on in this afternoon's first race.

Series points leader Darren Hossack will start from third on the grid after working down to a 1:07.6. The RMR Superkarts team start fourth and fifth with Gary Pegoraro improving to fifth grid postion in the second session, one of the few to go quicker in the second overcoming gearbox problems, while Matt Wall will start fourth, with clear grid in front of him. Wall stopped on the track during qualifying but it was a simple matter of a loose chain to be fixed.

Series front runner Sam Zavaglia (Stockman Superkarts Stockman MR2 Yamaha) will start seventh after a fraught qualifying, delayed by persistant electrical gremlins. Carlo Chermaz (Buildersmile Construction PVP), also in title contention, has suffered from a down on power PVP engine as well as handling difficulties on his first time at the track and will start twelfth.

Anthony Lappas improved throughout the day in the Romeo's Foodland / IGA Supermarket Stockman MR2 Honda, qualifying in pole position for the 125cc class by seven tenths of a second over the Telgrit P/L Stockman-Honda of Jeff Reed. Series leader Brad Stebbing (Suburban Accounting Stockman-Honda) will start from third position alongside Tim Philp (George Floth Engineering Stockman-Honda).

Martin Latta qualified on pole position for the thin 250 National class in the MJR Bricklaying / Safe Evolutions Stockman-Yamaha ahead of the Aardvark Polishing Anderson of David Yuill.

The first of four races will be held this afternoon, with three following.

Pole Position - Warren McIlveen (Mac's Marine/Stockman Superkarts Stockman MR2 Honda): "It was a bit slippery. It was very hard to get a consistent lap out there with the available grip. Always happy to be on pole though."

Second - Yiani Harpas (Internode / Metaplanners / Davtec Zip Eagle II BRC): "It's something inside the bottom end, either a crank or a tandem drive. We're done for the day, but hopefully we can come back tomorrow to prove a point."

Pole 125 Gearbox division - Anthony Lappas (Romeo's Foodland / IGA Supermarkets Stockman MR2 Honda): "Looks like we've got the chassis on pace, it's our first time here with it. Hopefully we get a bit of luck and not crash like at Eastern Creek."

Pole 250 National division - Martin Latta (MJR Bricklaying / Safe Evolutions Anderson Maverick Yamaha): "The track was a bit off from this morning, we're happy being down in the 1:12's. The kart feels strong."

 

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