R6 PRACTICE - Larkham survives Canberra concrete to be fastest
9/6/2000 22:03 (Press Release) - Mark Larkham has claimed provisional pole position for round six of the Shell Championship Series in Canberra today and the Mitre 10 Ford driver will enter tomorrow's top 15 shootout in an ideal position to claim just his second career pole.
Larkham seized the early initiative in the inaugural GMC 400 ahead of defending Shell Series champion, Craig Lowndes in the Holden Racing Team Commodore, with the Shell Helix Ford of Paul Radisich and Tony Longhurst in the Caltex Havoline Falcon third and fourth fastest.
Current Shell Series leader, Mark Skaife recovered from a heavy shunt into the concrete to post the fifth fastest time.
"The car is just excellent and I am confident we can get out there and do it again tomorrow," Larkham said.
Larkham showed the form which saw him set the fastest qualifying time at last year's FAI 1000 shootout at Bathurst, negotiating his way around the 4km track in a time of 1:44.09 and raising hopes of a Ford pole position for the first time of in 2000.
"The team is doing a sensational job, analysing the car really well, and we have higher expectations now," Larkham said. "There are no more stories of bad luck or excuses, we have to get out there and do the business."
There is little margin for error at the new street circuit which is well liked by all the V8 Supercar drivers, but they appreciate the respect they must show it if they are to survive this weekend's racing.
"I really enjoy the circuit. It reminds me of the challenging F3000 circuit in Helsinki and all credit to the designers," Craig Lowndes said. "But there were a few guys today who found out about the cost you can pay for a small error and we will have to work hard this weekend."
Russell Ingall, John Faulkner and Paul Morris joined Skaife in the concrete eating club today, while Glenn Seton and John Bowe had near misses when they spun mid corner.
The top 15 drivers from today's provisional qualifying will go head to head in a Canberra cut throat shootout tomorrow to decide their final grid positions. Each driver will have one opportunity to set a quick time in the fight for the vital front spot for the opening 100km leg tomorrow afternoon.
"It's pretty important to get near the front with the new format this weekend as there are so many things that can go wrong and they increase the further back on the grid you are," Paul Radisich said.
Ford drivers, Cameron McLean and Steven Johnson, plus Holden's Steven Richards and Larry Perkins improved their morning practice times significantly to force their way into the top 15. Big names to miss the shootout included Holden's Ingall (19) and Jason Bargwanna (17) and Ford's Neil Crompton (21) and Craig Baird (24).
The excitement will reach new heights in the V8 Supercar category on Sunday when a reverse grid is trialed for the first time. The finishing order of tomorrow's first leg will be reversed to set the grid for the second 100km race. Combined results will determine the grid placings for the 200km, double points third stanza.
"It is going to be a very entertaining format for the spectators," Skaife said. "There is no real strategy you can plan here as there are just so many things which can go wrong so you've just got to focus on keeping it fast, straight and near the front, simple as that."
Some concerns were raised that the tight entrance to turn one could be a recipe for disaster, especially in the reverse grid race two on Sunday morning.
"I think a rolling start would probably be the safest way to go about it to avoid a huge pile up there," Tony Longhurst said.
"It will be like a car park at the rear of the grid as we stop off the line to wait for cars to filter through that very tight corner. Perhaps we should have a one-by-one rolling start and pick the race up from turn two," Radisich said.
Lowndes agreed that there may be problems but suggested that the drivers were resigned to accepting and making the most of the weekend.
"We all knew the format before we got here this weekend and all 32 drivers face the same difficulties as each other. We just have to go out and be professional and try to do our best and keep the cars together," Lowndes said.
**TOP 15 QUALIFIERS**
(Starters for tomorrow’s Top 15 Shootout)
1st MARK LARKHAM (Mitre 10 Racing) - AU Falcon [1:44.09min]
2nd CRAIG LOWNDES (Mobil-Holden Racing) - VT Commodore [1:44.45]
3rd PAUL RADISICH (Shell Helix Racing) - AU Falcon [1:44.58]
4th TONY LONGHURST (Caltex Havoline Racing) - AU Falcon [1:44.76]
5th MARK SKAIFE (Mobil-Holden Racing) - VT Commodore [1:44.77]
6th TODD KELLY (Mycar Holden Young Lions) - VT Commodore [1:45.00]
7th JOHN BOWE (CAT Racing) - AU Falcon [1:45.03]
8th CAMERON McLEAN (Greenfield Mowers Racing) - AU Falcon [1:45.15]
9th GLENN SETON (Ford-Tickford Racing) - AU Falcon [1:45.20]
10th GARTH TANDER (Team Valvoline-Cummins) - VT Commodore [1:45.24]
11th STEVEN ELLERY (Supercheap Auto Racing) - AU Falcon [1:45.37]
12th GREG MURPHY (Kmart Racing) - VT Commodore [1:45.42]
13th STEVEN JOHNSON (Shell Helix Racing) - AU Falcon [1:45.48]
14th STEVEN RICHARDS (Kmart Racing) - VT Commodore [1:45.61]
15th LARRY PERKINS (Castrol Perkins Racing) - VT Commodore [1:45.62]
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