R4 QUAL - Skaife celebrates tonne with pole
29/4/2000 18:45 (Jason Whittaker) - Mark Skaife has claimed pole position for this weekend's Shell Championship Series round at Eastern Creek, a fitting way to mark his 100th round.
Skaife's 18th Shell Series pole position was earnt with a flying lap of 1:30.98, a fraction outside the qualifying record he set here in 1999. Skaife set the time early in the session and no other driver could better it.
"It's always good to get pole," said Skaife. "We put a fresher set of tyres on the car and got good grip around the track and the results were there."
Second fastest was Skaife's Holden Racing Team partner, Craig Lowndes, providing an identical front row to the corresponding round last year.
"We have made a few good changes to the car with the tyres playing the biggest part," said Lowndes. "We have made huge inroads with the suspension which has kept our times up."
Shell series leader, Garth Tander is in third place in the Valvoline Cummins Holden. This continues a trend which has seen the trio of Tander, Skaife and Lowndes qualify on the front two rows at every round this year.
"The car is a bit average in the rear so we had to make some adjustments," said Tander. "I have a good points lead but we are only at round four of thirteen so I will be attacking the HRT guys as much as I can and going for the race win and getting as many points as I can."
Russell Ingall's Castrol Commodore rounds out an all-Holden top four, and he will be looking for a race win after a disappointing start to his season.
"The races should be pretty entertaining tomorrow as my championship hopes are pretty much wrecked so I can go berserk," said Ingall.
"Unless something drastic happens to Skaife, Lowndes and Tander, like them getting burnt or maimed or something, then I've got no hope (for the title) so I will just go hard for the race wins."
Shell Helix Racing's Paul Radisich was again the fastest Ford driver, ahead of Tony Longhurst's Caltex Falcon. Radisich was languishing in fifteenth place before a last gasp flier saw him climb up the timesheets.
"Better late than never," said Radisich. "We made a few changes during the session and the set of green tyres we put on at the end suited those changes and we got a quick lap in."
Glenn Seton's Tickford Ford is seventh, sharing the fourth row with the CAT Falcon of John Bowe. Todd Kelly impressed in the third HRT car, qualifying in ninth place.
This could be the last time the Holden's hold the upper hand over their Ford rivals following the CAMs decision to take steps to return parity after Holden had claimed victory in 35 of the last 38 Shell Series races.
The Holden VTs will have 100mm cut from the front airdam undertray for the next three rounds, making the undertray the same dimensions as those on the AU Falcons.
This will reduce their on track stability and slow them in an effort to ensure V8 Supercar racing delivers tight and even racing as it is intended to do. This change will be enforced for the next three Shell Series rounds before it is reviewed.
With Holdens dominating the front of the grid again at Eastern Creek, it would seem the Ford teams will welcome the change, while some of the Holden teams towards the back of the grid are asking why they are being punished for the success of others.
**TOP 10**
1st MARK SKAIFE (Mobil-Holden Racing) - VT Commodore [1:30.98min]
2nd CRAIG LOWNDES (Mobil-Holden Racing) - VT Commodore [1:31.39]
3rd GARTH TANDER (Team Valvoline-Cummins) - VT Commodore [1:31.42]
4th RUSSELL INGALL (Castrol Perkins Racing) - VT Commodore [1:31.56]
5th PAUL RADISICH (Shell Helix Racing) - AU Falcon [1:31.63]
6th TONY LONGHURST (Caltex Havoline Racing) - AU Falcon [1:31.96]
7th GLENN SETON (Ford Tickford Racing) - AU Falcon [1:31.99]
8th JOHN BOWE (CAT Racing) - AU Falcon [1:32.22]
9th TODD KELLY (Mycar Holden Young Lions) - VT Commodore [1:32.29]
10th NEIL CROMPTON (Ford Tickford Racing) - AU Falcon [1:32.31]
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