Rookie Hughes stuns at Sandown
By Thomas Miles
Date posted: 15 September 2024
Image Racing rookie Jarrod Hughes flew to a maiden Super2 pole by mastering changing conditions at Sandown.
Hughes was in a league of his own, being the only driver to record a 1m8s time in the 20-minute session on a drying track.
The Image Racing rookie’s 1:08.8738 was a tenth clear of wildcard racer Brad Vaughan and Cooper Murray.
Jobe Stewart ensured there were two Image Racing Commodores in the top four, while championship leader Kai Allen could only manage seventh and Saturday winner Jack Perkins was ninth.
For Hughes, it was a big breakthrough after getting on the second row in Townsville.
“Unbelievable,” Hughes beamed.
“I lost my voice because I was screaming like crazy after I found out.
“Can’t thank the team enough because they gave me an awesome car and all my sponsors.
“My family has put in a lot to help me get to this and it is great to give back to them.”
The session began under sunny skies, but drivers faced a slightly wet track.
Aaron Cameron set the early benchmark of a 1:14.5216, which was four tenths clear of Sinni.
But after five minutes most of the track had dried and the intensity lifted.
Vidau was the first to beat Cameron and soon became the first to record a 1m11s time.
Kelly was on the pace and came within half a tenth of the Anderson Motorsport Mustang, which did not stop slowing down.
Vidau also was the first to dip into the 1m10s window, but could not match the same pace of Bates and Stewart.
Auddino and Gray were the first to have an off track moment as they went off together at Dandenong Road.
At the halfway mark the pace was into the 1m9s threshold thanks to Cameron, who enjoyed a three-tenth advantage over Vaughan.
But it was a revolving door as McLeod and then Bates went to the top with just 0.0025s the difference.
With six minutes to go teams started bolting on new slicks with the likes of Allen, Stewart, Perkins and Murray all ninth and below.
Jordyn Sinni then surprised by firing a 1:09.4479 and hit the lead, only for his teammate Murray to beat him.
This was when the fight for pole hit a new level as rookie Hughes stopped the clock with a rapid 1:08.9831.
Vaughan also put the foot down, falling short by just 0.0191s.
Both Allen and Perkins found themselves down in the bottom half in the final minutes before improving, but could only get into the top 10.
The Image Racing rookie did not stop, setting a purple final sector to find an extra tenth and cement the special pole.
He will be aiming to convert it when race 2 takes place at 12.40 AEST.
Image: DMAC Photography
Dunlop Series Race 2 qualifying
2024 Sandown 500
Practice 1: 1: C. Waters 1:08.7478 2: C. Mostert +0.1445 3: D. Reynolds +0.1834
Practice 2: 1: S. Pye 1:08.8398 2: D. Fraser +0.0780 3: D. O’Keeffe +0.0785
Practice 3: 1: J. Le Brocq 1:08.2772 2: W. Brown +0.0394 3: A. Heimgartner +0.1377
Practice 4: 1: R. Stanaway 1:14.4910 2: B. Feeney +0.0361 3: L. Holdsworth +0.0422
Practice 5: 1: W. Brown 1:13.0865 2: R. Stanaway +0.1550 3: M. Payne +0.1586
Qualifying: 1: B. Feeney 1:12.8980 2: C. Mostert +0.0404 3: M. Payne +0.0879
Top 10 Shootout: 1: W. Brown 1:10.2549 2: C. Waters +0.0647 3: A. De Pasquale +0.1015
Warm up: Sun 9.55
Race: Sun 14.05 161 laps
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