LOCALS LEAD THE WAY AT QUEENSLAND CHAMPIONSHIPS

Local driver Mason Barbera qualified on pole position in both the Rotax Heavy and Clubman Super Heavy categories (Pic: AF Images/Budd)

Drivers from the host state led the way during qualifying for the 2013 Bundaberg Marineland Queensland Karting Championships at Bundaberg’s Dromeside Raceway today.

Local Bundaberg driver Mason Barbera kickstarted his chase for a career first state championship in the best way possible by qualifying fastest in both the Rotax Heavy and Clubman Super Heavy categories in his CRG kart.

“It’s a fantastic start to the weekend, I don’t think I could ask for much more but there is still a long, long way to go before the championship plates are handed out,” said Barbera.

“Over the past few months I’ve done a lot of racing interstate, which has really helped improve my driving and be more competitive.

“Quite a few of the guys I’m racing against have been around for more than a decade in the sport, so to be able to race wheel to wheel with them across the weekend is something I’m really looking forward to.”

Joining Barbera on the front row of the grid for the preliminary heat races in the Rotax category will be fellow Bundaberg driver Kel Treseder aboard his Kel’s Karts and Parts supported Energy kart. New South Wales driver Thomas Macdonald was third fastest ahead of Gold Coaster Brendan Nelson.

(L-R) Local drivers Troy Loeskow, Kel Treseder, Mayor Mal Forman, Club President Robin Petersen, Bundaberg Regional Council CEO Peter Bryne and Mason Barbera (Pic: AF Images/Budd)

In the Clubman Super Heavy ranks, Barbera upstaged his more fancied rivals to claim the number one spot when he was 0.058 seconds faster than Lismore’s Joshua Herne.

Barbera is also competing in the Leopard Heavy category this weekend where he qualified eighth fastest in the class that V8 Utes regular Kris Walton was fastest in. Walton also set the pace in the Clubman Heavy category.

Four-time Australian Champion Pierce Lehane was another driver to secure a pair of pole positions in the Leopard Light and Rotax Light categories.

The TF Race Engines-backed driver is aiming for his third major victory in as many weekends having won the TaG Light Victorian Championship two weeks ago and winning at the Rotax Pro Tour in Ipswich last weekend.

Pierce Lehane set the pace in both Leopard Light and Rotax Light categories (Pic: Mid Corner/Gould)

Albury’s Jordan Boys joined Barbera, Lehane and Walton in the ‘Double-up’ Club by setting the fastest time in both the Junior National Heavy, in which he is the reigning national champion, and the Junior Rotax classes.

Other drivers to begin their weekends on a high by setting the fastest time during qualifying include Harrison Hoey in the Rookies category, Nicholas Rowe (Junior Clubman), Nathan Herne (Cadets), Bryce Fullwood (Junior National Light), Bevan Garioch (Clubman Over 40’s), Scott Sorensen (Senior National) and Roland Legge (Clubman Light).

The opening round of heat races will be contested this afternoon with round two to be contested tomorrow morning ahead of the pre-finals in the afternoon. The championships will all be on the line in the finals on Sunday.

Updates will be posted on the Australian Karting Association’s Facebook Page (facebook.com/AustralianKartingAssociation) and Twitter feed (twitter.com/karting_net_au) throughout the weekend.

Results will be updated on the AKA’s CM:S Results system as they happen, these can be viewed by clicking here (link: https://app.austkarting.com.au/aka/results/view/QLD/BKC/2013-06-28/Rookies).

Race Order
1. Rookies
2. Leopard Light
3. Junior Clubman
4. Cadets
5. Rotax Heavy
6. Junior National Light
7. Clubman Over 40s
8. Rotax Light
9. Junior Rotax
10. Leopard Heavy
11. Junior National Heavy
12. Senior National
13. Clubman Super Heavy
14. Clubman Light
15. Clubman Heavy