White Takes Pole For First Konica Minolta Clipsal Race
18/3/2004 19:56 (Press Release) -
Gulf Western Oil/Jayco driver Matthew White has qualified fastest for the first of two Konica Minolta V8 Supercar Series races held at the Clipsal 500 tomorrow, just ahead of Team Fujitsu’s Owen Kelly and Team BOC Andrew Jones.
Experienced V8 Supercar driver Cameron McLean, who will campaign Howard Racing’s number 27 Ford Falcon in 2004, held the fastest lap time of the day before a late charge by Kelly and White relegated McLean to fourth fastest.
The tight Adelaide Street Circuit played havoc on a number of Konica Minolta drivers earlier in the day, including Wastecorp’s Dean Wanless who damaged the front left hand side of his Commodore VX in the first practice session, before retiring to the paddock area to resurrect the car before the second practice session started.
Wanless’ team-mate and pole position winner Matthew White also encountered difficulties in the first session of the day, crashing into a concrete wall on only his second lap.
“We wanted to get the car good in the first session of the day,” White said. “It was a 20-minute practice, so we thought that would give us enough time to get the car prepared for the first race tomorrow but then I put the car into the wall on the second lap.”
“Thankfully we came back from there and it was really rewarding to get pole position after we had a few problems at the first round at Wakefield Park.”
Level One backed Team Fujitsu showed they aim to be championship contenders this year, with Kelly consistently clocking up fast lap times in each of the three sessions.
“I made a few mistakes on the first set of tyres this morning, but overall I am happy with being able to stay out of trouble and to start the car from the front of the grid tomorrow,” Kelly said.
The Konica Minolta race at the Clipsal 500 has been extended to two 24-lap races this year, rather than the one race that was held at the event last year. Jones, who finished with the third fastest lap time of the day, said that running the two races over Friday and Sunday of the event is a great idea.
“I think it is fantastic,” Jones said. “The longer the race the better because it allows us to bring in the car set up and gives the drivers an opportunity for a bit of dicing if there are three or four drivers battling it out at the front.”
The Konica Minolta V8 Supercar Series is racing at the Clipsal 500 as the major support category to its ‘Big Brother’ Series, the V8 Supercar Championship Series from 18th March through to the 20th.
Experience all of the excitement that the Series has to offer with Warm Up starting at 3.35pm and the twilight Race One commencing at 6.35pm
Qualifying Top Ten
1. #28 Matthew White Gulf Western/Jayco 1.23.7746
2. #71 Owen Kelly Team Fujitsu 1.23.8662
3. #19 Andrew Jones Team BOC 1.23.9310
4. #27 Cameron McLean Howard Racing 1.24.0320
5. #70 Alan Gurr Smiths Trucks 1.24.2400
6. #56 Kevin Mundy Actron Air/PCR 1.24.3432
7. #111 Mark Porter Hydraulink Racing 1.24.3505
8. #30 Luke Youlden Super Cheap Auto Racing 1.24.4720
9. #40 Wayne Wakefield Greenfield Mowers Racing 1.24.5205
10. #81 Jose Fernandez Team Fujitsu 1.24.8566
Release Date: 18/03/2004
AVESCO (Konica)
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