Round 4 – Scandinavian Grand Prix – Oslo, Norway – Pole Position
VICTORY TEAM ARE OSLO HARBOUR MASTERS
* Dubai team leads the way in Norway over invited US challenger *
Ali Nasser and Randy Scism in the Seatek diesel powered Victory 7
catamaran, continued their impressive run of form in the Pole Position run at the
Scandinavian Grand Prix in Oslo Fjord today, winning the speed trial with a best time of
14.480 seconds (151.30mph / 243.65kmh) over a measured kilometer.
Run in front of a huge flotilla of spectator boats, including the imposing SS Norway, the win catapults the pair from fifth to third in the Pole Position standings to compliment the overall championship lead that they secured after the Norwegian Grand Prix in Arendal last weekend.
Close behind were the all American invitation entrants and reigning APBA U.S National Open Class Champions, Matt Alcone and Jerry Gilbreath in the Alcone Motorsports US1 boat, with a best time of 14.570 seconds (150.37mph / 242.24kmh.) Saeed Al Tayer and Felix Serralles in Victory 44 were third (148.53mph / 239.19kmh) and Edoardo Polli and Laith Pharaon in Hyatt fourth (144.80mph / 233.18kmh,) although as the American guests do not score points, both the Dubai and Italian team’s move up a place in the official results to second and third places respectively.
"The last few years we’ve had a boat that was a little down on pace, so it’s great to win here," said a delighted Ali Nasser, who along with American throttleman Randy Scism, took delivery of the new Victory built boat, shortly before the Arendal race. "The conditions were a bit choppy, but we got a good run through all the boat traffic on our second run and so now I’m hopeful that maybe we can now start to challenge our team mates in Victory 4 and Victory 44," he added.
After showing impressive pace to secure his second Pole Position runner up placing in a row, Matt Alcone commented: "I didn’t get it lined up too well, because there was a lot of small boat traffic at the start that we had to weave through, but I can’t complain really. It was very choppy out there, plus these guys are out for points and we’re just running for fun, so we weren’t taking any chances out there," continued Alcone.
Saeed Al Tayer and Felix Serralles’ third place in Victory 44 marked the end of their 100% Pole Position record this season. "I was hoping to run it in third gear and still hit 152mph, but the props we selected were a little large and the boat just didn’t pull," said Puerto Rican throttleman Serralles later. "But this is a good omen for us because there seems to be this thing recently that you win the pole and have problems in the race, so I’m happy with 15 points," added the man, whose 161 mph run in Arendal marked the fastest ever speed recorded by a Class 1 boat.
Meanwhile, their previously dominant Victory team-mates Khalfan Harib and Mohamed Al Ghaith in Victory 4 had a disappointing run in the replacement for the boat they destroyed in a 100mph testing crash last weekend, finishing in ninth place. Ironically, the UAE pair, who escaped injury in the incident, will now run the remainder of the season in the old Victory 7 catamaran that was retired by Scism and Nasser just a few weeks ago in favour of their new race boat.
With an even larger crowd expected for the Grand Prix proper tomorrow, local support will be out in force for Oslo businessman and defending World Champion Bjorn Gjelsten, whose offices overlook the spectacular harbour. Despite a relatively disappointing fifth place in today’s pole run, the Norwegian driver is confident that he and English throttleman, Steve Curtis, can banish the technical gremlins that have so far snatched commanding leads from their grasp at all three rounds of the Championship to-date.