Vilitan Mountain Challenge Course, Rockii Coast, Vilita :: Cocoabo #23 was ready to attempt one final flying lap. The mark was just set on the board and it was set by the Vilitan driver Juracai Klianiota.
After a disappointing practice session in the rain where Klianiota's Novikov Racing machine could only muster the 17th best time. There was one additional driver on the course during the qualification round as Alyn Terfel finally showed up to join their Team Ignis teammate Lourdina Westgrens. Terfel's time of 1:35.323 was impressive but not as impressive as the lap put in by Klianiota who, at the moment, had bested all drivers with a lap of 1:35.135 - coming in half a tenth of a second faster than their teammate Luna Estrella.
It was a massive turnaround and moment of vindication for Klianiota who was on their cool down lap when Cocoabo #23 was sent out just minutes before the end of the session for one final attempt.
As Klianiota turned down the pit lane, Cocoabo #23 screamed down the front stretch and roared into the first turn. Despite turning fast times in various test sessions throughout the offseason; and despite turning the second fastest lap during Friday's practice session, it still seemed Cocoabo #23 wasn't getting any respect in the paddock. It seemed the nickname "Fast Cocoabo" hadn't yet stuck among Cocoabo #23's colleagues. Instead, things like "Daft Cocoabo" could be heard instead as drivers talked amongst themselves, not looking to include Cocoabo #23 or its training and enrichment team from Tropicorp and the Cocoabo Preservation Society in on the conversations.
Cocoabo #23 would show them up, however, screaming out of turn 14 and past the start finish line, Cocoabo #23 had turned the fast lap. Three one-hundredths of a second was all that separated Fast Cocoabo from Juracai Klianiota but it was enough to deny the Vilitan driver pole position and ensure the finest of starts to the campaign for the native Cocoabo.
While Fast Cocoabo was on pole, however, it was Klianiota's team; Novikov Racing, who looked the early power in the Constructors race as Tropicorp Engineering's other driver, Eastfield Lodge and SinVal-backed competitor Cesaro Whittaker failed to impress with a 13th place qualifying run. With much more expected from Whittaker after topping the charts in Friday practice, Tropicorp Engineers were left scratching their heads as to what went wrong in Saturdays dry conditions that put Whittaker at such a disadvantage.
Nevertheless, Cocoabo #23's effort was enough to bring joy into the Tropicorp Paddock. Likewise, it was a dream front row for the Vilita & Turori Motorsports officials on site as their talent pool was most definitely shining at the Vilitan Mountain Challenge Course with two of their drivers, Fast Cocoabo and Juracai Klianiota, set to kick off the first ever World Grand Prix 2 event from the front row - and hopefully leading the field into Turn 1 on course to a podium run.
