R2 QUALIFYING - HRT rule in the west
19/3/2000 1:52 (Jason Whittaker) - The Holden Racing Team continues its love affair with the Barbagallo Raceway with Mark Skaife setting a new record in taking the team's eighth consecutive pole position at the West Australian circuit.
Skaife's 56.97 second sizzler broke Craig Lowndes' 1996 mark while Lowndes completed an all red front row with a 57.04, as the pair aim to give their team their fifth straight Shell Series round win at Barbagallo.
Hometown hero, Garth Tander, set the early qualifying pace in his Valvoline Cummins Holden but was relegated to third by the HRT duo. Russell Ingall set the fourth fastest time and promptly parked his Castrol Commodore mid circuit with mechanical problems.
Tander's teammate, Jason Bargwanna, completed an all Holden top five. Ford filled the next seven grid positions with Mitre Ten Racing's Mark Larkham sixth, followed by the Shell Helix Racing pair of Paul Radisich and Steven Johnson.
The first of three 20-lap sprints will be held this afternoon with the round to be completed tomorrow.
**TOP 10**
1st MARK SKAIFE (Mobil-Holden Racing) - VT Commodore
2nd CRAIG LOWNDES (Mobil-Holden Racing) - VT Commodore
3rd GARTH TANDER (Team Valvoline-Cummins) - VT Commodore
4th RUSSELL INGALL (Castrol Perkins Racing) - VT Commodore
5th JASON BARGWANNA (Team Valvoline-Cummins) - VT Commodore
6th MARK LARKHAM (Mitre 10 Racing) - AU Falcon
7th PAUL RADISICH (Shell Helix Racing) - AU Falcon
8th STEVEN JOHNSON (Shell Helix Racing) - AU Falcon
9th TONY LONGHURST (Caltex Havoline Racing) - AU Falcon
10th CAMERON McLEAN (Greenfield Mowers Racing) - AU Falcon
| |
