Flying Evans grabs two pole positions in TR86 qualifying

A calculated performance by Simon Evans in qualifying this morning has given the Giltrap Racing ace and championship leader pole position for races one and three at the third round of the championship at Hampton Downs Motorsport Park.

Conditions were dry but overcast as the 20 drivers headed out for the 20 minute session, with the extreme humidity of previous days remaining and making in car conditions challenging.

Right from the first hot lap of the session championship leader Evans was setting the pace. His early sub 1 minute 18 second effort - set on his second flying lap - proved too good to beat. When he went a tenth quicker again on his second effort on his eighth lap, it gave the Giltrap Racing ace not one but two impressive pole position starts for the weekend's races.

The driver who looked for most of the session like Evans' major challenger was none other than Action Motorsport's Matthew McCutcheon, the North Island Formula Ford champion getting within two hundredths of a second of Evan's first effort on his third flying lap. Evans increased the margin to a tenth and a half with his second effort, but a front row start for McCutcheon looked on until a big lap in the dying seconds grabbed champion Rowan Shepherd the number two slot on the grid.

McCutcheon will therefore start Race 1 from the second row, alongside Hugo Allan who once again showed solid pace in the Heart of Racing entry. Justin Allen and John Penny will start from the third row, with Dion Pitt and Brock Gilchrist on row four. Completing the top ten starters are Clay Osborne and Evans' team mate Marco Giltrap.

With four races this weekend instead of the usual three - the second fastest times achieved in qualifying will be used to form the grid for Sunday morning's race and that means Evans has pole position for Race 1 and Race 3 in the bag.

Race 2 will have a grid formed on the reverse top ten finishers of the first race while the last race grid will be formed from points accumulated over the first three races. Race 1 and Race 2 will be run on Saturday afternoon.

Missing from the action will be Rianna O’Meara-Hunt who damaged her car beyond immediate repair during Friday’s testing sessions. Christina Orr-West will start from the back after her Dayle ITM car failed a ride height check.

2022 TOYOTA 86 CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 3 – HAMPTON DOWNS - QUALIFYING