Pegoraro On Pole At Superkart Nationals
from Mark Jones (event results/timesheets HERE)
Gary Pegoraro (right) has taken pole position at the opening round of the Dunlop Australian Superkart Championship after recording a 1:33.9613 lap time in the Dunlop / BRC Engines Anderson at a picture perfect Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit for round three of the Shannons Nationals Motor Racing Championships.
The experienced local recorded the only '33' of the day in the first qualifying session and his nearest rivals in the Stockman Superkarts team could not pick up the three tenths gap in the second session.
Seven time Australian Champion Warren McIlveen stayed second fastest after the two sessions were combined with a 1:34.2304 lap time, but cured a problem with his quick-shift gearbox in the second session. Reigning champion Sam Zavaglia will start out of position three in his Stockman-Honda.
Anton Stevens was the major improver in the second session, leaping into fourth position in the artmotorsport.com.au PVP, just pushing front running European Championship front runner, Northern Ireland's Trevor Roberts by .03 of second. Starting alongside Roberts on the third row of the grid for this afternoon's first race will be young Queensland Jason Smith having his best ever run at national level in his new Fuji Xerox Anderson-FPE. Chryss Jamieson will start seventh in the Coach Design Anderson-Honda ahead of Darren Hossack (Safe Evolutions Anderson-SAFE). Yianni Harpas struggled into ninth position in the Internode / Davtec Zip-BRC. Tenth fastest Carlo Chermaz however is out for the weekend after a major engine failure in the Buildersmile Construction PVP.
Martin Latta (Viper Racing Anderson-Honda) qualified on pole position for 250 Nationals with a stunningly quick 1:41.0526 to be over a second ahead of Luke May (Velocity Management Anderson-KTM) and David Yuill (Crispy Racing / Aardvark Polishing Anderson-Honda).
In the 125cc bracket reigning champion Steven Tamasi secured pole position in the opening session with a 1:44.2256 to be well clear of Jeff Reed (Cycle City Stockman-Honda). In the second session Darren Dunn in his Topkart-Honda improved to pip Reed for second after shedding a tyre in the opening session to be just two tenths behind Tamasi.
Pole Position: Gary Pegoraro (Dunlop / BRC Engines Anderson-BRC): "I can't complain, it's always nice to start of the front row. The Anderson-BRC-Dunlop combination work well in qualifying but it is only the start of the weekend. We've got to turn that into results. I have to thank the crew and the sponsors and see how we go at the end of the weekend."
Second 250 International: Warren McIlveen (Soundy's Tamworth Stockman-Honda) "It's a good idea with these rolling start to start from the front row. Heopfully we can get in front of Pegoraro and stay in front for the whole race. We've fixed the mis-fire and the quick-shifter so we're in the best shape we can be for the first race."
Third 250 International: Sam Zavaglia (Stockman Superkart Stockman-Honda) "I've helped Trevor Roberts a lot this weekend and haven't focussed enough on myself. I put a good lap in the first session that I though was respectable and played with the setting in the second session, but it didn't work and I think I've gone slower myself on top of the kart. Still in third, I've got to try and make it better for the race."
Fifth 250 International: Trevor Roberts (Demon Tweeks / Nilfisk Stockman-Yamaha) "We made a lot of wrong choices yesterday with the chassis but we seemed to have it dialled in this morning. Qualifying and racing is two different things. As long as you've qualified in the first couple of rows."
250 National Pole Position: Martin Latta (Viper Racing Anderson-Honda) "I'd like to thank Ian and Trevor from Viper Racing for coming out from England to help this weekend. The kart is awesome the way it is around Phillip Island, I'm absolutely loving racing and looking forward to the first race."
125 Gearbox Pole Position: Steven Tamasi (Domain Prestige Homes Stockman-Honda) "I've had a couple of hiccoughs through Lukey Heights and I can't get the gearing worked out, but we should be faster now that we've cured the problem."
