Super3 Series driver Jobe Stewart has topped the timesheets in pre-qualifying for Round 5 of the 2023 Speedcafe eSeries Championship at Imola.

Stewart was the fastest of the 36 drivers to qualify for the event at the Autodromo Enzo Dino Ferrari setting a 1:40.490s, with the Image Racing driver edging out Andrew Gilliam (1:40.539s) and Zach Rattray-White (1:40.673s).

The 2020 Speedcafe.com GT3 Eseries, presented by Kincrome Tools title winner forms part of a high-quality field that will take to the track, with the top 10 drivers locked in for the round including points leader Mathew Dench, Round 1 and Round 2 winner Damon Woods, Lachlan Caple, Luke Mitchinson, Round 4 winner Rob Carmichael, Round 3 winner Ross Rizzo, Simon Mezzomo, Christopher Ireland, Kenny Conomos and Adam Willison.

Previously in the top 10, Dylan O’Shea and Riley Bilson were required to take part in pre-qualifying, with O’Shea posting a time that would see him qualify 15th fastest, with Bilson five spots further back.

A notable omission from pre-qualifying was SuperUtes racer Aaron Borg, who won’t be taking part in the event.

Speedcafe eSeries Championship Commentator Scott Rankin said pre-qualifying for the event generated some interesting results.

“Jobe Stewart really jumps out and grabs my attention, we know about his real-world racing commitments, but for him to come out and jump up on top, he will definitely be a contender,” Rankin said.

“The big one for me is just how deep in the pack Dylan O’Shea is, Riley Bilson is also a very long way down the order, these are guys who have been contending on the fringes of the top 10.

“A lot of the drivers are out of position in terms of pre-qualifying numbers, but the race is always a different story.”

As the inaugural season of the Speedcafe-hosted online racing competition reaches the halfway mark, Rankin expects the action to further intensify out on track.

“The competition will really heat up following the completion of the Australian leg, as the Speedcafe eSeries Championship races at international circuits for the remaining rounds,” he added.

“While the Australian tracks capture the interest of the bulk of the drivers in the category, we’re starting to move onto the racing tracks better suited for GT3, so the competition will really step up a notch from here on out.”

Round 5 of the 2023 Speedcafe eSeries Championship will commence this evening with a 45-minute practice session, with the times from that session to determine the three qualifying groups.

The three qualifying groups will each take part in a 10-minute session that will set the grid for the race.

The 45-minute race around Sandown will feature a compulsory pit stop for fuel.

The broadcast for Round 5 of the 2023 Speedcafe eSeries Championship commences at 20:30 AEST live on Speedcafe TV.

Register here for the Speedcafe eSeries Championship to get involved in the high-speed GT3 category. 

Speedcafe eSeries Championship Round 5 Qualifiers