MOTOR RACING - Lobb has chance to shine at Taupo

Whangarei's Caine Lobb has an opportunity to improve on his current position in the ENZED V8 Ute Series at the Taupo Motorsport track this weekend, in front of the large crowd of spectators gathered to watch the A1GP International.
Lobb will start the first race of three scheduled races in the class over the weekend in pole position after having the good luck to draw the No1 marble after yesterday's practice session.
The marble means that he will start the second race at 3.15pm today in last place on the grid, which will see him fighting his way through the field to try to secure a second pole position for the week - decided on an aggregate finish from results posted in the first two races.
Last season Lobb had a very strong showing in the same car at Taupo and this year hopes to equal his pace from that weekend.
"Last year I qualified on pole by about 0.8 of a second which was pretty cool, then I won a race and came third in another," he said.
He said after practice yesterday that the Mark Cromie Holden car was about a second off the pace behind the leading drivers and they were hoping to narrow the gap in the second practice session of the day.
Currently Lobb sits in third place in the ENZED V8 Ute Series behind last year's champion Matt Lockwood from Palmerston North in first and Auckland driver Mack Peach in second.