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Dutch racer takes pole for first Toyota Racing Series race

Saturday 21 January 2012, 1:49PM

By Mark Baker

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Ready to race at Timaru
Ready to race at Timaru Credit: Bruce jenkins for TRS

TIMARU

ToyotaRacingSeries
Dutch driver Hannes van Asseldonk has qualified fastest for the Toyota Racing Series as round two of the championship gets under way at Timaru. With two race wins to his credit after the first round at Invercargill last weekend, van Asseldonk was fastest from halfway through the session and stayed in control as Bruno Bonifacio fought his way through to second fastest.
Pole time this year was a half second faster than the race lap record for the track, set by Mitch Evans in the 2010 Toyota Racing Series.
Nick Cassidy struggled with his car's balance but changed tyres and found some speed late in the session to be third, while series leader Damon Leitch lined up alongside him fourth fastest overall. Ferrari Driver Academy driver Raffaele Marciello survived an early spin that took him off the track and onto the grass, but was not able to string together consistent laps afterward and qualified ninth.
British racer Josh Hill, making his second foray to New Zealand to race in TRS, was sixth fastest.