Jason Pringle leading Kel Treseder and Matthew Wall at Todd Road. (Pic: IKD)
Round 2 of the 2013 Rotax Pro Tour has already provided some of the closest racing amongst the largest field seen at a Pro Tour event in its history. A record DD2 Masters field, along with oversubscribed entries in Rotax Light have ensured fans and fellow racers alike are looking for the next move in the hotly contested races.
Victorian Daniel Richert was able to secure home track knowledge and pull not only the fastest but second fastest time of the eight minute session, setting the benchmark over Michael Robson and Hamish Leighton by two tenths of a second. Danny Wright and Adam Hunter were close followers by a mere one tenth from Robson and Leighton. It proved a whitewash for Richert throughout the three heats, defending challenges from Leighton, Robson and Hunter. The former Commodore Cup racer will start from pole position for the pre-final ahead of Hunter and Leighton.
A strong start in qualifying from Matthew Wall fastest, with less than a tenth of a second separating the top five, a regular dice for the lead was engaged between Wall, Troy Woolston, William Yarwood and Michael Saller. The five were engaged in a battle for the lead in the heats all vying for their own heat victory, and for a strong grid position for the pre-final. Troy Woolston will start from pole ahead Yarwood, Wall, Saller and Queensland’s Lane Moore who rounds out the top five.
Canberra runner-up Zane Goddard stepped it up notch this weekend progressing himself to pole position in qualifying. On debut, William Brown impressed on lookers with a strong 4th place in the first heat, while the dice between Goddard and Chris Bregonje in the first two races resulted in Bregonje setting up his weekend with two race wins. Goddard will start the pre-final from pole position ahead of Jonathan Bradshaw, Chris Bregonje, Jordan McGregor and Stephanie Stones.
Being the only oversubscribed category of the event, Rotax Light was assured to provide some of the closest racing of the event. Back from his World Finals performance, Pierce Lehane soared to pole position for the heat races, and the front of the field is where the Sydney sider would remain, despite the split heat race format. Tyler Greenbury broke the run of Victorian drivers amongst the top of the pre-final grid placings, with the Queenslander starting from 3rd behind Lehane and Andrew Carey. Daniel Rochford and Brad Jenner rounded out the top 5, while Rotax Light debutant Matthew Smith will start the 15 lap race from 6th.
A field of 39 in Junior Max meant the drivers required an effective strategy to ensure they could maximise their opportunities in the single 8 minute qualifying session. It was Joseph Burton-Harris who would hold down pole position for the heat races, ahead of 2012 round winner Liam McLellan and Blaine Densley. McLellan’s momentum continued through the heat races taking two of the three victories, sharing the spoils with Burton-Harris. Consistency proved key for Jordan Boys, who will start out of 3rd behind McLellan and Densley. After his South Australian State Title victory, Nicholas Andrews continued his strong performance, and will start from 5th.
In one of the largest ever DD2 fields seen at the Rotax Pro Tour, a home track advantage to Jason Pringle proved helpful as he took a clean sweep of qualifying and all heat races, while dicing continued behind the CRG driver. Fellow Victorian Matthew Wall held on for 2nd for the opening two races, with Bundaberg’s Kel Treseder assuming the second place behind Pringle in the third heat. Consistency from Lucas Ward, Adam Lindstrom and Travis Millar will see them start behind Pringle and Wall for the pre-final, with Treseder completing the third row on the grid.
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