Crash no problem for Owen

STEVE Owen has set the pace for the Toyota 86 Racing Series after a horror crash marred the second practice session yesterday.

Luke van Herwaarde lost control on the slippery surface coming out of turn six, before spearing across the track and hitting the inside concrete wall.

The driver was able to get out of the car without help, but the incident caused a lengthy red flag stoppage before cars were allowed to resume with 10 minutes left in the session.

Owen was the fastest car across the opening practice session, which proved the better of the two unaffected by the lingering drizzle on the Townsville 400 opening day at Reid Park.

Owen fired a fastest lap time of one minute 29.653 seconds, to finish ahead of Tim Brook and Declan Fraser.

Brook finished at the top of the second practice session with a one minute 34.236 second lap, with Owen second and Richard Peasey in third.

Crick edges out Price to pole position

CAMERON Crick will have pole position for today’s Superutes Series opener at Reid Park after toppling teammate and Dakar champion Toby Price in qualifying yesterday.

The 21-year-old put in a one minute 32.8054 second lap at the halfway point of the 20-minute session in his factory-backed Team Triton Mitsubishi.

His qualifying effort was ultimately 0.2614 seconds ahead of Price, who grabbed a maiden Superutes victory at Winton.

Smith starts with a bang

WHILE his team will celebrate a milestone in Supercars this weekend with a 600th race start, Brad Jones Racing driver Jack Smith kicked off the Townsville 400 weekend with his own celebration setting the pace in the Super2 Series practice rounds.

The 19-year-old turned a one minute 14.5049 second fastest lap with just over one minute remaining in the second of two 40-minute practice sessions, to lead the 18-car field. weekend