Dry-wet qualifying revs up Toyota 86 Championship
New names and returnees share pole for two of the weekend’s three races as the 2017-2018 Toyota 86 Championship kicks off this weekend.
Aucklander Connor Adam is part of a two-car lockout of the front row for race one tomorrow at Pukekohe; his team-mate Michael Scott is alongside and edged out of pole by just 0.0630 seconds.
The second qualifying session began in the dry but as light drizzle fell CareVets scholarship racer Bramwell King took pole in treacherous going with returning champion Tom Alexander alongside him. The margin between the two was 0.749 seconds.
Adam said scoring the first pole of the championship was ‘sensational’.
“Super happy we could pull it off in the dry. Unfortunately the car was a bit of a demon in the rain for our second qualy and we ended up 12th. Can’t wait for the first race tomorrow. Massive thanks to everyone who have got us here this weekend.
King, meanwhile, was similarly excited to have scored pole for the third race of the weekend.
“I’m stoked to have put the car together for a wet Q2 and banked pole. Q1 saw dry conditions and we had small struggles, landing us p8 for race one. Head down, eyes forward for race one and two tomorrow to make some places up.”
The light rain and limited grip caused problems for some. Jordan Baldwin slid off the track in the wet conditions and softly hit a tyre wall but was able to continue to complete the session. Australian Dylan Gulson survived a scary slide off onto the grass at the crest of Pukekohe’s ‘mountain and regained the track undamaged.
Gulson qualified 11th in the first session and eighth in the second; his countryman Cameron Hill was fifth and fourth.
There are two races for the championship on Saturday 4 November at 10.45 am and 3.00 pm; the final race of the weekend is at 1.20 pm on Sunday 5 November.
