LOCAL STARS: Local drivers Troy Loeskow, Kel Tresder, Mayor Mal Forman, Club President Robin Petersen, Bundaberg Regional Council CEO Peter Bryne, and Mason Barbera. (Pic: AF Images/Budd)
DRIVERS from the host state led the way during qualifying for the 2013 Queensland Karting Championships at Dromeside Raceway.
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.
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.
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 pole position in 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 at the Rotax Pro Tour in Ipswich last weekend.
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 morning ahead of the pre-finals in the afternoon. The championships will all be on the line in the finals on Sunday.
