Oran Park II: Round three qualifying report

Series front runners set the pace.

Kerry Baily showed the way in the two initial practice sessions leading up round three of the REWARD INSURANCE Australian Sports Sedan Championship but when it came to the session where it mattered most, the first qualifying outing, he was bumped off the front row by series front runners Tony Ricciardello and Darren Hossack.

While there is little the top five qualifiers, Ricciardello has provisional pole in his Chev-powered Alfa Romeo after a blistering 1:07.5102 around the Grand Prix circuit of Oran Park at Narellan near Sydney. Just three thousandths of a second slower is championship leader Hossack, his Saab/Chev recording its fastest ever laps of the circuit.

Fourth fastest was the TRANZAM Jaguar of New Zealander Andrew Fawcett. His car is only a five litre engine (compared to six for the Chevs) and somewhat heavier than the Australian cars, and competes in rounds of the ASSC in the invited category, thus not eligible for championship points.

Category stalwart Des Wall in his second drive back is provisionally fifth in his Toyota Supra/Chev while Mark Stinson is looking for more from his Holden Calibra/Chev after placing sixth. A lack of boost has the Nissan Turbo powered RX7 of Terry Shiel seventh ahead of local boy Tony Wilson in a Commodore/Chev while Queenslander Jeff Barnes will be looking at being more prominent after mixing it with the top bunch in practice earlier. Victorian Dean Randle completes the top ten in his Saab while engine drama in the Jaguar meant Daniel Jameson did not get in a single lap.

<pre> QUALIFYING SESSION ONE (Friday July 26 16:14 hrs) 1 Tony Ricciardello (WA) Alfa Romeo GTV/Chev 1:07.5102 2 Darren Hossack (Vic) Saab 93/Chev 1:07.5435 3 Kerry Baily (Tas) Nissan 300ZX/Chev 1:07.9679 4 Andrew Fawcett (NZ) Jaguar XKR 1:07.9940 5 Des Wall (NSW) Toyota Supra/Chev 1:08.0916 6 Mark Stinson (NSW) Holden Calibra/Chev 1:08.4784 7 Terry Shiel (NSW) Mazda RX7/Nissan Turbo 1:08.6806 8 Tony Wilson (NSW) Holden Commodore VS/Chev 1:08.9451 9 Jeff Barnes (Qld) Pontiac Trans Am 1:09.1368 10 Dean Randle (Vic) Saab 93 Aero/Chev 1:09.4794 11 Glen Taylor (NSW) Holden Commodore VN/Chev 1:10.4232 12 Ivan Mikac (ACT) Mazda RX7 20B 1:11.1420 13 Ray Ayton (Vic) Holden Calibra/Chev 1:11.9684 14 David Krause (NSW) Holden Commodore VS 1:12.0648 15 Stephen Lichtenberger (NSW) Mazda RX7 1:12.2781 16 Vince Matulovich (NSW) Ford Cortina 1:13.2078 17 Graham Smith (NSW) Opel Calibra/Fiat Turbo 1:13.2362 18 Llynden Riethmuller (NSW) Mazda RX7 20B 1:13.8726 19 Wayne Cooper (NSW) Porsche GT3 1:15.9061 20 Kevin Clark (NSW) Ford Mustang 1:16.3681 21 Milton Seferis (Vic) Holden Commodore VS 1:18.2606

ROUND THREE SCHEDULE

Saturday July 27 0925-0955 Sports Sedans Qualifying 2 1325-1345 Sports Sedans Race One (17 laps)

Sunday July 28 1005-1015 Sports Sedans Warm Up 1315-1330 Sports Sedans Race Two (12 laps)

CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS (after two rounds) Hossack 83 Riccairdello 76 Wilson 63 Jameson 51 Baily 44 Wall 37 Monterosso 33 Randle 33 Youlden 32 Mikac 24

-www.sportssedans.com.au