In just his second round with the Tyrepower V8 SuperUte Series, Western Sydney Motorsport’s Justin Ruggier has signalled his race-winning intentions by taking home his first Uniden Pole Position Award with a time of 1m00.3939s.
As the series debuted a new knockout-style qualifying format at the Tyrepower Tasmania Super 440, Ruggier (#88 Toyota HiLux) was one of eight drivers to make it through to Qualifying Part 2.
After the initial all-in 10-minute session to set positions from ninth onwards, the top eight drivers had their times reset before heading into a final 5-minute hitout, allowing just enough time for a one-lap dash to set their fastest times.
Last year’s Apple Isle round winner, Team Motion Racing’s Aaron Borg (#4 Team Motion Racing Isuzu D-Max), and Cody Brewczynski (#18 Thrifty Western Sydney Motorsport Mazda BT-50) – who claimed his first series win here last year – both recorded a time of 1m00.5870s in Part 2. However, as Borg set his time before Brewczynski, Borg will also line up on the front row of the grid for Saturday’s Race 1 in second. After scoring the fastest time in Qualifying Part 1, Brewczynski was left to settle for third.
Rossi Johnson (#333 Shorebarge / Apogee Motorsport Holden Colorado) entered Part 2 sitting in third but fell back to fourth in Part 2, ahead of current champion David Sieders (#1 WeatherTech Mazda BT-50) in fifth.
David isn’t the only Sieders on the grid this weekend, with son Ashton stepping into a V8 SuperUte for the first time. Sieders Jr is running the #3 All-Trans Mitsubishi Triton this weekend, a car number long associated with the Sieders family, and will start Race 1 from 15th on the grid.
Adam Marjoram (#15 Team Motion Racing Isuzu D-Max) is another winning driver from last year’s Symmons Plains event who made it into the Top 8, improving one place from his Part 1 result to start this weekend’s racing from sixth on the grid. Meanwhile, Cameron Crick (#7 EFS 4×4 Accessories Isuzu D-Max) dropped one place from the first session to finish in seventh.
Michael Sherwell, running the #55 Spanline Newcastle Mitsubishi Triton, looked to be just inside the top eight towards the end of Part 2. However, as the field came around for a final lap, Craig Woods (#64 Thrifty Western Sydney Motorsport Toyota HiLux) pipped the Hooligan by just six-tenths to secure the final berth in Part 2’s Top 8, where he would stay.
Sherwell will start Race 1 from ninth, with Jason Norris (#8 Auto Masters Racing Toyota HiLux) rounding out the top 10. Norris put forward a very strong showing across the day, wrapping the morning’s practice session in P2.
After a monster crash during the first round of the season at Sydney Motorsport Park, Jonathon Hanbury was back behind the wheel of the fully rebuilt #22 Apogee Motorsport Holden Colorado to qualify 18th.
While Ruggier and Sherwell were celebrating qualifying personal bests on Friday, the biggest heartbreak of the day went to rookie Brock Stinson (#31 Anytime Finance Racing Ford Ranger). Engine issues in the #31 during practice resulted in a red-flag stoppage and an all-hands-on-deck engine swap. Sieders Racing Team crew scrambled to turn the car around in less than 60 minutes, a job that usually takes up to six hours. Despite their valiant efforts, Stinson was unable to join the field on track and will start his first Tyrepower V8 SuperUte Series race from the rear of the grid on Saturday.
Round 2 of the Tyrepower V8 SuperUte Series at the Tyrepower Tasmania Super 440 continues on Saturday with Race 1 at 11.30am and the Reverse Grid Race 2 at 2.50pm, with both races broadcast live on Kayo or Fox Sports 506.
FULL QUALIFYING RESULTS:
