R13 QUAL – Ambrose unbeatable in Sandown qualifying
29/11/2002 22:54 (V8 Wire - Jason Whittaker) -
Marcos Ambrose hasn’t given up hope of an unlikely second-place championship finish after claiming provisional pole in record time at the season-ending V8 Ultimate at Sandown Raceway.
Ambrose was unbeaten throughout practice and qualifying, clocking a one-minute 10.98sec fastest lap ahead of tomorrow’s shootout for pole.
Ford’s best performer this year, sixth-placed Ambrose hopes to disrupt the battle for the bridesmaid position between TWR stablemates Greg Murphy and Jason Bright.
Both qualified for the shootout: Bright in fifth, Murphy sixth.
“This is the first time we have been quickest in all three sessions on a Friday,” Ambrose said.
"I've scored four poles so far this year and it would be great to get number five and equal the record set last year by Mark Skaife.”
Ambrose said the Melbourne circuit – “basically a couple of drag strips joined by a couple of squiggly bits” – could favour the Falcon racers this weekend.
Series champion Mark Skaife set the second fastest time, a tenth slower than Ambrose.
David Besnard was third, ahead of the man tipped to replace him at Stone Brothers Racing next year, Russell Ingall. Ingall is driving for Larry Perkins’ Castrol-backed team for the final time this weekend.
Craig Lowndes, Steven Ellery and John Bowe will also represent Ford in the shootout, all qualifying inside the top ten.
Todd Kelly is in a position to steal the vice-championship from Kmart Racing teammate Murphy and grabbed the tenth quickest time today. Steven Richards, also in contention, was 12th.
The expanded Top 15 Shootout will see solo team battlers Cameron McConville, Cameron McLean and Team Kiwi Racing’s Jason Richards make a welcome appearance in the televised pole runoff.
The shootout will precede tomorrow’s 150km event, a warm-up for Sunday’s 300km marathon.
Qualifying results:
http://www.natsoft.com.au/cgi-bin/results.cgi?01/12/2002.SAN.Q1
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