Territorians among frontrunners in quality Combined Sedans

LOCAL drivers have impressed in the Combined Sedan class being run as a 32car support bracket at the V8 Supercars.

Veteran David Ling is well ahead in the Commodore Cup class, winning the first eightlap race in 11 minutes and 14 seconds before backing up with a winning time that was seven seconds faster in race 2.

“Everything went well out there,’’ Ling said. “I can’t even remember a touch between the cars, which is a good result in such a big field.

“I think it reflects on the quality of drivers out there. We haven’t lost any cars through mechanical dramas either, which shows everything has gone as smooth as silk.’’ Rod Jessup’s VE Commodore has dominated the early running in the Improved Production class, winning both races while another local, Tim Playford, and Victorian Matt Logan swapped second and third in the first two races.

Jessup’s 10 minute 41.8 second winning time in race 2 was five seconds slower than his win in race 1, but it was still good enough to beat Logan by six hundredths of a second in a classic race for the line.

South Australians Darren Jenkins and Darryl Crouch are in control in the HQ Holdens.

Jenkins’s No.48 car and Crouch’s No.4 were pushed by another Croweater in David Smith and Territorian Peter Anderson in race 2.

But they were still consistent enough to fill the top two placings in both races and establish a big points lead on their rivals.

Last year’s champion Marion Bujnowski in the No.54 car and another Territorian who has raced in every Supercar round since 2998, Gavin Thompson, are fifth and sixth in the points standing.

The all-Indigenous Racing Together Hyundai Excel team is at the back of the field in the new racing bracket.

It recorded an 11:11 run in the first race and was fifth with in race 2. Broc Feeney and Nash Morris conducted a war at the front of the field. They shared race wins in the first two sprints with race 3 set for Sunday morning.