Jones Finishes Fastest On Home Track By Smallest Of Margins
19/4/2004 13:30 (Press Release) -
Local Albury-based driver Andrew Jones has placed his Team BOC Ford Falcon on the front of the grid for the first race of Round three of the Konica Minolta V8 Supercar Series tomorrow after qualifying with the fastest lap time at Winton Motor Raceway today, despite having fierce competition from new Holden Young Lions recruit Steve Owen.
Owen got the call up to replace previous Holden Young Lions driver Michael Caruso at 6pm last Thursday night due to a contractual dispute between the Young Lions and Caruso left the seat vacant going into the third round of the series this weekend.
“I got a phone call on Thursday night from the team asking if I was doing anything on the weekend,” Owen said. “I hadn’t driven the car until today and so I am wrapped with the how we went in the qualifying session this afternoon.”
Owen clocked his fastest lap time around the Winton track with a time of 1.23.6571 and held it until lap 11, with just over one minute remaining in the qualifying session when Jones took pole position for race one tomorrow morning with a lap time of 1.23.2090.
Jones will be looking to repeat his performance from last year when he won the round ahead of current Konica Minolta V8 Supercar Series leader Matthew White. Jones also needs a good result this weekend to place him in a competitive position on the points table to have any chance of taking out the 2004 title.
“The set-up this morning looked after the tyres really well so we will run again with that for the first race tomorrow and hopefully we will get some consistency out of the car.”
White’s Gulf Western Oil/Jayco sponsored Ford Falcon finished the day with the third fastest lap time, knowing that his team will need a top three finish at Winton this weekend to maintain the lead he currently has.
“The times that we have done at this track have been very impressive and the car has been consistent so far,” White said. “Cars need to be consistent this year to have any chance of taking out the title but you do also need to have pace. Not finishing can really damage any chances of winning with the point score the way it is this year, so we will be looking for a top three spot this weekend.”
Round two winner Team Fujitsu’s Owen Kelly finished with the fourth fastest lap in the qualifying session, while TKR/Hydraulink Racing’s Mark Porter will sit on the third row of the grid with the fifth fastest lap time.
All the action continues at Winton Motor Raceway tomorrow with the first of three races starting at 11.25am.
Konica Minolta V8 Supercar Series Qualifying Top Ten
1. #19 Andrew Jones Team BOC 1.23.2090
2. #46 Steve Owen Holden Young Lions 1.23.6571
3. #28 Matthew White Gulf Western/Jayco 1.23.9402
4. #71 Owen Kelly Team Fujitsu 1.24.1186
5. #111 Mark Porter Hydraulink Racing 1.24.1240
6. #30 Luke Youlden Super Cheap Auto Racing 1.24.1851
7. #64 Tony D’Alberto Independent Race Cars 1.24.3989
8. #40 Wayne Wakefield Greenfield Mowers Racing 1.24.4536
9. #27 Cameron McLean Howard Racing 1.24.7157
10. #81 Jose Fernandez Team Fujitsu 1.24.7668
Konica Minolta V8 Supercar Series Event Program
Sunday 18th April
9.30am – 9.50am Konica Minolta V8 Supercars Warm Up
11.25am Konica Minolta V8 Supercars Race One – 14 Laps
1.20pm Konica Minolta V8 Supercars Race Two – 14 Laps (Full Reverse Grid)
3.10pm Konica Minolta V8 Supercars Race Three – 24 Laps
Race End Konica Minolta V8 Supercars Podium Presentation
After Podium Konica Minolta V8 Supercars Media Conference
Konica Minolta V8 Supercar Series Championship Points – Top Ten
1. #28 Matthew White Gulf Western Oil/Jayco 343pts
2. #30 Luke Youlden Super Cheap Auto Racing 331pts
3. #111 Mark Porter TKR/Hydraulink Racing 303pts
4. #27 Cameron McLean Howard Racing 299pts
5. #81 Jose Fernandez Team Fujitsu 293pts
6. #71 Owen Kelly Team Fujitsu 270pts
7. #46 Michael Caruso Holden Young Lions 256pts
8. #89 Adam Wallis Rupprecht Motorsport 253pts
9. #98 Grant Elliot Sydney Star Racing 218pts
10. #66 Gary MacDonald Rod Lynch Motorsport 218pts
Release Date: 17/04/2004
AVESCO - Konica Minolta
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