The independent Desire Racing SR3 with Terry Knowles and Bart Mawer has been fastest in qualifying for the first race of the 2023 Workhorse Radical Cup Australia at Sydney Motorsport Park with the Shannons Trophy Series.
They will start on pole position for both races as they also had the second fastest time.
“We expected to be fastest, and we were,” said Mawer. “Just shows what a little team out of Melbourne, where Terry drove the truck to Sydney himself, can do against three powerhouse teams.”
Both the times were the best of anyone, while second fastest for both races were Team BRM’s Mark Rosser and Joey Mawson. Destined to start third in the two 50-minute races was 15-year-old Alex Gardner who finished in the top six in the Ferrari Driver Academy Asia Pacific and Oceania Selection Program.
Fourth for both starts will be Garth Walden Racing’s Peter Paddon while next in each outing will be Elliott Schutte for Arise Racing. Also out of Arise and teamed together are Jordon Oon and Ferrari Driver Academy’s Zara Horn. They will start sixth twice.
Next will be 2022 Radical champion GWR’s Chris Perini, Arise’s Cooper Cutts, and the first of the Volante Racing Motorsport troupe in Peter Clare and Josh Hunt who topped the times in practice. GWR’s Ash Samadi has the tenth spot for both races ahead of Nick Kelly who missed practice due to business commitments.
Brad Russell was 12th fastest in qualifying ahead of Zig Fuhrmeister but the latter had a second quicker lap which will put him 12th for race two.
Simon Arthur was 14 th in front of Stephen Champion, Glen Kenny/Melinda Price, Andrew Eldridge, James Hernandez, Sue Hughes and Warwick Churche. Hernandez’s session was a shot one as his engine broke after four laps, stopped on track and brought out a red flag.