Ojeda takes SMP Super2 pole with record pace

MW Motorsport’s Jayden Ojeda has taken pole position for Race 1 of Round 4 of the Dunlop Super2 Series by breaking the practice/qualifying record at Sydney Motorsport Park.

It will be Nissan Altimas first, second, and third on the grid this evening with Grove Racing debutant Matt Payne and MWM’s practice fast man Declan Fraser also among those under the old circuit benchmark for Super2.

Triple Eight Race Engineering series leader Broc Feeney qualified on the outside of Row 2, with his nearest title rival, Tickford Racing’s Zak Best, set to start seventh.

The gloom continued over Eastern Creek with the session officially declared wet prior to getting underway, although rain never came in either of the Super3 or Super2 parts of the session.

Only five Super2 drivers set a lap time on the first runs, Payne (#10 Nissan Altima) fastest on a 1:31.0785s from Aaron Seton (#30 Matt Stone Racing VF Commodore) on a 1:31.2525s on his second hot lap.

Image Racing’s Jordan Boys was first to set a new benchmark when the rest rolled out again, driving the #49 VF Commodore to a 1:30.7967s.

That was bettered by Feeney’s 1:30.4190s in the #888 VF Commodore and then Fraser’s 1:30.3595s in the #777 Nissan Altima.

Payne went for a second proper run and wheeled the #10 Nissan Altima to a 1:30.2002s, setting himself up for a first-up pole position.

However, several drivers in both Super2 and the Repco Supercars Championship had found their second push laps quicker than their first, and so it was that Ojeda opted for two warm up laps.

With the chequered flag out, last year’s leading rookie set the fastest second and third sectors on his way to a 1:29.9700s, bagging a second pole of his Super2 career.

Behind Ojeda, Payne, Fraser, and Feeney on the grid will be Tyler Everingham in the #27 MWM Nissan Altima, then Boys.

Rounding out the top 10 were Best (#78 FGX Falcon) on a 1:30.7989s which was also under the old qualifying lap record, Tim Blanchard (#88 Eggleston Motorsport VF Commodore), Seton, and Angelo Mouzouris (#6 Triple Eight VF Commodore).

Tony D’Alberto (#38 VF Commodore) ended up 12th and Eggleson team-mate Matt McLean (#54 VF Commodore) 14th, with the 17 Super2 entries filling the top 17 outright.

In the Super3 hit-out which preceded Super2’s 10-minute segment, Nash Morris (#67 Flash Bush Motorsport FG Falcon) took a fourth straight class pole with a 1:32.2149s.

Next was Reef McCarthy (#61 Image FG Falcon) on a 1:32.6624s, Blake Fardell (#77 Blake Fardell VE Commodore) on a 1:33.8660s and Michael Anderson (#5 Anderson Motorsport FG Falcon) on a 1:33.9839s.

Race 1 of the weekend, an 18-lapper, starts at 18:00 local time/AEDT.

Results: Qualifying for Race 1