by 
12th March, 2002
It's a risk, says Skaife,
but we'll get through
V8 Supercar champ Mark Skaife is acutely
aware that his Clipsal 500 campaign – and, indeed, his championship
defence – could be over before it even begins.
"It's a risk, for sure," said Skaife, who faces a do-or-die
qualifying shootout at Mallala Raceway tomorrow to secure his rightful
place on this weekend’s Clipsal 500 grid.
The four-time V8 Supercar champion is the Holden Racing Team’s
designated hitter, given the task of pre-qualifying for the
not-to-be-missed Adelaide spectacular in place of inexperienced Young
Lion, Rick Kelly.
Worlds will collide if he is not among the fastest eleven on Wednesday,
the undisputed cut-off for the 36-car grid, but he’s taking a cautious
approach nonetheless.
“All things being equal, and barring any dramas, we should get
through,” he said.
Wayne Gardner sees the pre-qualifying requirement as a bonus. The
former motorcycle champion, making a cameo appearance for the Stone
brothers in Adelaide, believes the track time at Mallala will better
prepare him for the Clipsal marathon.
”The thing I am missing is time in the car and we need to make the
most of the practice and qualifying sessions,” he said.
”When you look at the names on the pre-qualifying list I guess there
are a few guys with a lot more to lose than me.”
Along with Skaife and Gardner, the all-star pre-qualifying bill
includes; Greg Murphy, Todd Kelly, Craig Lowndes, Neil Crompton, Larry
Perkins, Tony Longhurst, Simon Wills, John Bowe, Cameron McLean, Steve
Reed, Dugal McDougall, Mark Noske, Tomas Mezera, Greg Crick and Ross
Halliday.
Eleven into 17 doesn’t go, leaving six drivers out in the cold come
Wednesday night.
For the likes of Skaife, Gardner, Murphy, Kelly, Lowndes, Crompton,
Perkins, Longhurst and Wills, pre-qualifying should be a formality.
But the final two positions could be hotly contested. McLean had
one of the fastest Fords at the Grand Prix meeting, while Bowe’s
OzEmail Falcon was less than impressive at the same event. Both
deserve entry – particularly Bowe, who would have been an automatic
qualifier had it not been for his defection from Briggs Motorsport –
but their qualification is by no means certain.
The rest seemingly face an uphill battle to displace any of the
aforementioned stars from the event. Race organisers will be
quietly hoping they don’t.
Drivers will have just 20 minutes to book a spot on the grid, following
a 20-minute practice session.
Mallala will be open to the public on the day, with a $15 entry fee.
AVESCO are donating proceeds to the Adelaide Children’s Hospital.
"With the high level of interest in pre-qualifying at Mallala we
saw this as an ideal opportunity to assist the Adelaide Children's
Hospital, who provide an outstanding health service for South Australian
families,” said AVESCO Chairman Tony Cochrane.
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