Konica: Winton qualifying report

Jones Finishes Qualifying Fastest on Home Track by Smallest of Margins

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 Brad Jones Racing backed car will run with the same set-up in the first of three races tomorrow as they ran with today.

"The set-up this morning looked after the tyres really well so we will run again with that for the first race," Jones said. "We looked after the tyres really well and hopefully we will get some consistency tomorrow."

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. <pre> 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. #111Mark 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. #81Jose Fernandez           Team Fujitsu                    1.24.7668

-avesco-