All Queensland Front Row at Phillip Island

Jamieson, the current Phillip Island lap record holder, set the fastest time on a damp track, recording a 1:34.7629 lap to take pole late in the session, after Smith briefly held the fastest time, 12 hundredths of a second behind Jamieson.

Defending champion, New South Wales racer Warren McIlveen (Mac's Marine Stockman MR2 Honda) was third fastest, half a second behind Jamieson. McIlveen had taken to the track with a high downforce wing mounted on the Stockman MR2 nosecone, but the track was not as slow as expected and McIlveen removed the wing for the second session.

Fourth fastest was 2010 champion, Darren Hossack in the Safe Evolutions Anderson-Safe. Like Smith, Hossack was sporting a brand new 2012 Anderson Maverick. Fellow Victorian racer Kristian Stebbing was fast in the Suburban Accounting Stockman MR2 Yamaha to be fifth fastest, but a second behind McIlveen and Hossack, but a tenth up on 2009 champion Sam Zavaglia in the ProComp Electronics Stockman MR2 Honda.

Gary Pegoraro was seventh fastest, chasing setup in the Dunlop Kartsport Anderson Maverick BRC. Brett Purdie was the best of the South Australians qualifying eighth fastest in the Martelco Equipment Hire PVP-Yamaha. Martin Latta (MJR Bricklaying/Viper Racing UK Anderson Maverick-FPE) and Dean McGinty (Lofty Coaches PVP-Yamaha) rounded out the top ten qualifiers.

The Buildersmile SK Evolutions team of Carlo Chermaz and Jason Laker were next, still developing the radical SKE Evo II design. Australian Production Car champion Stuart Kostera was next in the Denture Professionals Zip Eagle II-BRC and he would share the seventh grid row with Darren Kitchen in the Precision Contracting Zip Eagle II-BRC, repaired after being heavily damaged in the multi-kart pile up at Phillip Island last year.

In the 250 National class Brendan Luneman on his home track was expected to take pole position in a class which has undergone radical change since 2011. But it was Dalton Rowell in the DLR Racing Stockman MR2 Honda who snatched pole away from Luneman. Rowell had 2.5 second gap on Luneman in the Autobarn Dandenong Anderson Maverick-Yamaha.

Third fastest in the depleted field was former 80cc champion from the 1990s making his return to Superkart racing, Queenslander Bernie Walsh. Walsh had the ex-Luke May 2011 championship kart so his Anderson-Yamaha was a proven package and he qualified ahead of fellow Queenslander Joe Tyrrell (Angel Blue Marketing Anderson Maverick Honda). The only other kart in the class was Mick Ward in the Austcoat Anderson Maverick. Ward was debuting the Spanish GasGas engine in Superkart form in Australia and he has a big development hill to climb. The kart was unable to set a time in qualifying but will start.

The fiercely competitive 125cc division was headed by reigning champ Jeff Reed (The Chrome Factory Stockman MR2 Honda). Reed was over a second clear of his 2011 rival Tim Philp (Floth Sustainable Building Consultants Avoig Elise-Honda). Paul Campbell was third fastest in the Redback Racepaint Avoig Elise Honda ahead of Lindsay Jamieson in the Linra Properties Stockman MR2 Honda. The battle was well and truly joined between the two New South Wales based chassis constructors. Doug Amiss (Bluff Racing Stockman MR2 Yamaha) was next ahead of Brian Wild (Wild 1 Racing Stockman MR2 Honda), Tony Lappas (Foodland IGA Supermarkets Stockman MR2-BRC) and Phil Silcock (Rockpress Stockman MR2 Honda).

Race 1 will be held later this afternoon ahead of three rces to be held on Sunday to concluded the opening round of the 2012 Australian Superkart Championship, brought to you with the assistance of Dunlop Kartsport.