GARRY’S PERTH SUPERCARS SUPPORT WRAP – FRIDAY

Ash Walsh leads Australian GT after the first part of qualifying – Photo: Dirk Klynsmith

IN THE qualifying sessions for the support races at the Perth Supersprint, Ash Walsh, Nick Rowe and James Duckworth starred while Jake Kostecki featured for an entirely different reason.

Walsh headed a one-two-three Audi R8 LMS shutout of the top three spots at Barbagallo Raceway in qualifying one for round three of the CAMS Australian GT Championship.

The session was for the higher seeded drivers and will be followed by a second qualifier for the second seeded drivers tomorrow morning. The best times out of the two sessions will determine the grid for the first one-hour race which top rank driver must start.

Behind the Audi threesome of Walsh, Kelvin van der Linde (fastest in the earlier practice session) and Daniel Gaunt were three Lamborghinis, the R-EXs driven by Peter Major and Roger Lago, and Brad Shiels in the new Huracan.

Nick Rowe qualifies on pole for Formula 4 in Perth – Photo: Dirk Klynsmith

While it was close at times, AGI Sport’s Nick Rowe will start race one of the third round of the Australian Formula 4 Championship from pole position. The round two winner headed the session early until pipped by Cameron Shields (Team BRM) and then bounded back to claim pole by 0.14 seconds.

Shields’ team mate and round one winner, New Zealand’s Liam Lawson was third fastest ahead of Tyler Everingham (Zagame) and the Team BRM drivers Simon Fallon, Josh Denton and Aaron Love who was fasted in practice one.

James Duckworth fasted in Aussie Racing Car qualifying – Photo: Rhys Vandersyde

Aussie Racing Cars turned on a Supercars-like stoush for pole involving 2016 title holder James Duckworth and Craig Woods. The pair, driving Camaro and Mustang bodied cars respectively, swapped the top qualifying spot several times before a blinder by Duckworth right at the end of the session.

Kel Treseder (Camaro) was third fastest ahead of local Saloon Car front runner Travis Sharpe (Mustang), Reece Chapman (Camaro) and round two winner Jaie Robson (Camaro).

Jake Kostecki’s wrecked Stadium Super Truck – Photo: Rhys Vandersyde

Having a break from the Dunlop Super 2 Series, Kostecki did his unintentional best to break a Stadium Super Truck. In their first category race outing in the west, Kostecki came off one jump sideways and had a spectacular crash. He even attempted to continue but the truck was not going anywhere as it was minus a wheel.

After a red flag the race resumed with American Sheldon Creed a clear-cut winner. Fellow countryman Travis Millburn withstood pressure from Paul Morris for second with series supremo Robbie Gordon a close fourth.