Bilinski takes pole for Manfeild Toyota Formula Regional opener, Sceats 3rd

Roman Bilinski will start this afternoon’s 300th Toyota Racing Series/Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Championship race from pole, out-qualifying Australia’s Christian Mansell at Manfeild.

The championship leader’s 1:02.768 was enough to take the top spot by an impressive 0.253 seconds.

Liam Sceats qualified as the fastest of the four-strong Kiwi contingent and will line up third, next to Alpine Academy star Nicola Lacorte.

Kaleb Ngatoa returns to the third row of the grid and starts next to Taupo race winner Gerrard Xie.

Tommy Smith and Titus Sherlock lockout Row 4 ahead of Michael Shin and Patrick Woods-Toth.

Alex Crosbie qualified 12th, one place behind Kaden Probst, but may gain a position after Probst went into the barriers late in the session and triggered a red flag.

Bilinski was the early pacesetter in the 15-minute session, jumping to the top of the timing sheets early and improving later on to extend his advantage over Mansell to 0.253 seconds entering the closing stages.

Sceats vaulted to third mid-session, jumping Lacorte and Ngatoa, who dropped to fourth and fifth, respectively.

With just over two minutes to run, Probst triggered a red flag at Turn 6, running wide over the outside kerb and spearing hard into the barriers, sustaining suspension damage as a result.

A light drizzle had begun when cars returned to the track with enough time left for one final flying lap.

There would be no improvement across the field over the final run, with Bilinski retaining pole over Mansell, Sceatsm Lacorte, Ngatoa and Xie.

Today’s sole Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Championship race begins at 3.11 pm and will be shown live on Sky Sport.

Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Starting Grid Round 2 Race 1

Header Image: Toyota Gazoo Racing (Bruce Jenkins)