TRS returnee Evans pips Brits to double pole at Hampton Downs

Photo: Bruce Jenkins

Mitch Evans has started his 2013 season by claiming a double pole position for his one-off return to the Toyota Racing Series for the Hampton Downs round. It was far from a walkover for the GP3 champion though, with rookie Jann Mardenborough finishing a fine second in the opening session, just 0.052 seconds away, while he denied Alex Lynn by a mere one thousandth of a second in Q2.

Evans, who returns to Europe to prepare for his maiden GP2 season next week, followed up his quick times in Friday practice with a 1m00.754s in the first segment of qualifying. GT Academy star Mardenborough flew as the session came to a close, first moving to fourth before securing himself a place on the front row for Saturday’s opening race

That relegated Lynn to the second row, though he was only 0.076s adrift of Evans’ benchmark. Bruno Bonifacio continued his strong form from last weekend’s races at Taupo to take fourth on the grid ahead of Lucas Auer and Nick Cassidy, who are separated by six points at the head of the standings coming into the penultimate weekend of the campaign, with the latter ahead.

Steijn Schothorst took seventh place ahead of Giles-Fortec duo Felix Serralles and Pipo Derani. Dennis Olsen claimed P10, with series debutant Ignazio D’Agosto in 11th.

Evans and Lynn continually traded fastest times throughout the second session, with the former claiming top spot by the smallest possible margin. Bonifacio took third ahead of Auer, Derani and Schothorst, while Cassidy will have to make do with starting seventh for his defence of? the New Zealand Motor Cup which is up for grabs in the weekend’s third and final race. Mardenborough, Serralles and D’Agosto completed the top ten.

Qualifying 1 times (grid for race 1)

* Penalised three places for causing a red flag

Qualifying 2 times (grid for race 3)