Davis tops Q3 as Balestri hits problems in the pits

Jesse Davis topped the penultimate round of qualifying at the Singapore International Nitro Grand Prix, the Infinity driver becoming only the second driver to top the times today at the RCMC Marine Parade track as Dario Balestri’s reign on proceeding ending with a freak incident during his fuel stop.  Having topped seeding, Balestri backed up his opening TQ run with another in Q2 and was looking on target to wrap up an early overall TQ in the third & final of Saturday’s qualifiers.  Making his stop half way through the 7-minute run, as his car was released from refuelling his mechanic’s glove would get snagged by the head of the engine, the resulting chaos causing his retirement.  Having opened with a P2 and followed that up with P3 in the second qualifier, it was Teemu Leino who then took over at the top of the timing screens but with Davis chasing him down.  Setting his fastest lap of the qualifier on lap 22, that was when the Australian took over the TQ pace but worse was to come for the Leino.  Pushing to retake the lead, the Finnish driver would come upon Mugen Seiki’s Shoki Takahata, who had spun his car out of the corner and was facing the wrong way making for a perfect launch pad that would send Leino flying into retirement.  Finishing 1.526 seconds behind Davis a much improved Takakki Shimo took second for the round with Carmine Riola completing the Top 3 with half a second advantage over Jilles Groskamp.  With Takahata surviving the impact from Leino, he would get a 5 for the round having retired with engine issues in Q2 while a struggling for power Naoto Matsukura completing the Top 6.  With the Top 4 going directly into Sunday afternoon’s 45-main final, drivers have one final attempt at qualifying in the morning.

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Balestri takes opening qualifier as Matsukura loses drive

The opening round of qualifying at the Singapore International Nitro Grand Prix saw Dario Balestri carry his morning seeding form into the first 7-minute affair with the Infinity driver topping the times by a convincing margin after main rival Naoto Matsukura went out just after the 3-minute mark with a stripped first gear.  Pushed early on by Matsukura, who seeded second, Balestri in the end was over 5-seconds faster than Teemu Leino, the Finn having a strong morning at the RCMC Marine Parade track.  Up against a stacked field of Infinity drivers, Mugen Seiki’s Shoki Takahata opened his Grand Prix debut with the third fastest time despite his engine struggling with the high humidity and 32 degree heat.  With many drivers making small mistakes on the high speed circuit, it was Tadahiko Sahashi, who is seeded in the second fastest heat, who was fourth fastest ahead of Takakki Shimo and Thailand’s Chavit Saligupta.

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Balestri tops seeding at Singapore Grand Prix

On a very humid morning at RCMC Marine Parade, Infinity’s Dario Balestri has topped seeding for the Singapore International Nitro Grand Prix breaking the lap record on his run to the fastest 3-consecutive laps of the newly resurface track.  Knocking a another tenth of a second of the yesterday’s lap record pace, set in open practice by double World Champion Tadahiko Sahashi, Balestri was quickest over the single round of seeding from 3 times GP winner Naoto Matsukura.  With the Top 2, who between them have won 4 of the last 5 editions of the annual race, having a distinct early advantage in terms of outright pace, it was Finland’s Teemu Leino who completed the Top 3.  Making his first visit to the country’s only permanent track, this the 20th anniversary of the Grand Prix, Mugen Seiki’s reigning World Champion Shoki Takahata set the fourth fastest time ahead of fellow countryman Takakki Shimo.  Today’s scheduled will see drivers run three rounds of qualifying with the fourth & final round taking place Sunday morning ahead of the finals.