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BOWE EDGES MIEDECKE BY 0.03 FOR CLIPSAL POLE
JOHN BOWE has narrowly edged out the most competitive ENZED Touring Car Masters field yet seen to score pole for the opening round of the season at the Clipsal 500 Adelaide this morning.
Bowe’s 1m30.0032s lap edged out Chevrolet Camaro racer Andrew Miedecke by just 0.0388s to set up a feisty race to the first corner in race one later today.
Bowe needed the 6th of his eight laps in the session to score pole after his earlier 1m29.80s lap was disallowed thanks to kerb hopping at turn one.
It shaved a ‘comfortable’ 0.2s margin to Miedecke to the tiny 0.03s gap now between the pair ahead of race one.
The record-setting run of qualifying firsts continued for Bowe today with what was his ninth consecutive TCM pole position – a run dating back to the final round of the 2013 season at Phllip Island. Ironically the last driver other than the Tasmanian hero to score a TCM pole was Glenn Seton who makes his full-time return to the category this weekend.
Seton had finished the session 6th however was one of 13 drivers to lose their best time following the session after gaining a kerb hopping ‘strike’ at the turn one / two Senna chicane.
As such the two-time ATCC Champion will start race one from last position in the Thunder Road Racing Mustang.
Behind Bowe and Miedecke Greg Crick placed his Chrysler Charger third and just 0.46s from the top spot two-time champion Gavin Bullas (+0.50s) was fourth and Jim Richards’ brand-new AMC Javelin fifth – the two-time TCM champion finsihing 0.6408s from pole despite logging only minimal laps in the car prior to qualifying this morning.
Brett Youlden (HQ Holden Monaro GTS) was elevated to a superb sixth thanks to Seton’s lack of a time with Keith Kassulke (XB Falcon Hardtop) seventh Cameron Mason (Shelby Mustang) eighth 2014 Clipsal 500 race winner Mark King (Camaro) ninth and the fan-favorite Valliant Pacer Hemi of Cameron Mason completing the top 10.
One second covered the top seven cars; a top seven featuring six different models (’69-’70 Mustang ’64 Mustang Camaro Charger and Javelin).
For the third time from three sessions there were no red flag interuptions for the clean and competitive 30-plus TCM field.
Race one gets underway with a rolling start from 4:35pm (local) today and will be broadcast live on FOX Motorsport – Channel 506 on FOXTEL.
QUALIFYING – CLIPSAL 500 ADELAIDE
Pos Car Competitor/Team Driver Vehicle Cap CL Laps Fastest...Lap Gap1 18 Dunlop Super Dealers/Wilson Se John Bowe (VIC) Ford Mustang Trans A 5800 8 6 1:30.0032* 2 95 Whiteline Transport Racing / L Andrew Meidecke (NSW) Chevrolet Camaro SS 5800 6 3 1:30.0420 0:00.03883 75 Mopar Performance Greg Crick (TAS) Chrysler Charger E55 5570 10 6 1:30.4639 0:00.46074 16 Rain City Racing Gavin Bullas (VIC) Ford Boss Mustang 5800 6 2 1:30.5036 0:00.50045 2 Shannons Insurance Jim Richards (VIC) AMC Javelin 5890 7 3 1:30.6440 0:00.64086 56 Autolite Spark Plugs Brett Youlden (VIC) Holden HQ Monaro Co 5800 7 4 1:30.9574 0:00.95427 52 Outbound Racing / wheels.com.p Keith Kassulke (QLD) Ford Falcon XB Coupe 5800 7 6 1:31.0820 0:01.07888 3 Hercules Engines Cameron Mason (NSW) Ford Mustang Fastbac 5000 9 5 1:31.8319 0:01.82879 85 Whiteline Transport Racing / K Mark King (QLD) Chevrolet Camaro RS 5800 10 5 1:32.3535 0:02.350310 60 Tilleys Racing Equipment Cameron Tilley (NSW) Valiant Pacer 4390 10 4 1:32.4239 0:02.420711 48 Adelaides Cheapest Cars Eddie Abelnica (VIC) Ford Falcon XB Coupe 5800 10 6 1:32.6476 0:02.644412 90 Kalus Kenny Intelex Sven Burchartz (VIC) Porsche 911 IROC 3600 10 3 1:33.6235 0:03.620313 28 Tilley Automotive Brad Tilley (NSW) Ford Mustang Coupe 4735 11 7 1:33.6313 0:03.628114 25 Freestones Transport/Freestone Paul Freestone (VIC) Chevrolet Camaro SS 5800 9 3 1:33.6789 0:03.675715 33 SportsMed Greg Keene (SA) Porsche 911 RS 3600 9 3 1:33.7594 0:03.756216 22 PRT Race Fabrication Nigel Benson (SA) Holden HQ Monaro Co 5800 9 9 1:34.1120 0:04.108817 20 Palmer Promotions Ian Palmer (QLD) Pontiac Trans-Am 5800 10 3 1:35.0598 0:05.056618 46 THD Motorsport Leo Tobin (VIC) Holden HQ Monaro Co 5800 8 8 1:35.0688 0:05.065619 10 Sunliner RV Tony Hunter (VIC) Chevrolet Monza 2+2 5000 8 4 1:35.3137 0:05.310520 32 SportsMed Amanda Sparks (SA) Porsche 911 RS 3600 9 4 1:35.4764 0:05.473221 35 iseek Racing Jason Gomersall (QLD) Holden Torana SL/R 5047 10 2 1:35.8658 0:05.862622 74 Lyndways Builders Wayne Mercer (VIC) Ford Falcon XY GTHO 5800 6 4 1:36.2423 0:06.239123 15 Hercules Engines/Bridgestone Graham Stewart (SA) Chevrolet Camaro SS 5800 8 4 1:37.3217 0:07.318524 17 Red Rock Winery Rohan Little (VIC) Porsche 911 IROC 3600 11 10 1:37.4660 0:07.462825 9 Jesus Racing Andrew Fisher (NSW) Ford Falcon XY GTHO 5800 6 3 1:37.8689 0:07.865726 50 Flo.gineering Carey McMahon (NSW) Holden Torana SL/R 5000 4 3 1:39.5134 0:09.510227 13 Black Cat Racing Rory O'Neill (SA) Porsche 911 IROC 3600 10 9 1:40.1129 0:10.109728 65 On Demand Electrical Graeme Cook (SA) Porsche 911 IROC 3600 11 6 1:40.6437 0:10.640529 72 BMR Industries Bruce McLeod (NT) Ford Falcon XA Super 5550 3 3 1:41.3257 0:11.322530 30 Thunder Road Racing Australia Glenn Seton (QLD) Ford Mustang Coupe 5000 9 6 2:07.3650 0:37.3618