Bathurst 1000: McLaughlin takes pole with record Shootout lap
Scott McLaughlin has taken pole for the 2019 Bathurst 1000 with the fastest ever Supercars lap around Mount Panorama.

Running last in the single-lap dash, the Penske Ford driver showed his hand by going three-tenths clear of next-best Chaz Mostert in the opening sector.
But the end of the lap the margin was 0.4s, McLaughlin's 2m03.378s now the best ever in a Supercar around Mount Panorama.
It's the third time McLaughlin has reset the lap record this weekend, the pole his 15th for the 2019 season.
"Oh my god, bloody hell," he said after completing the history-making lap.
"I was hanging on for dear life there, Jesus Christ.
“Coming down the hill, I was pretty fast and thought ‘jeez, I’ve just got to hold onto the thing’. Then just threw it into the Chase and the last corner and it held on, it stuck well.
“We’ve got one big one to get tomorrow, that’s what I’m focused on a lot more, but we’ve qualified now and we’re starting from the best possible position.”
Mostert ended up second, forced to dig deep to beat Tickford teammate Cam Waters.
Waters was the big mover in the Shootout, turning eighth in qualifying into third on the grid with a wild 2m03.917s.
“I gave that absolutely everything, didn’t really leave much on the table,” said Waters.
“The boys did a really good job with pressures, the fronts were up straight away.”
“All over the top I was using the throttle to turn it and it actually helped me. Sometimes it’ll end up you’re in the fence and sometimes it actually helps you, and luckily it helped me.”
Jamie Whincup was fourth fastest despite a big slide coming onto Conrod Straight, followed by Triple Eight teammate Shane van Gisbergen.
Will Davison dropped a couple of spots compared to qualifying with the sixth-best time, while Erebus' Anton De Pasquale jumped up three spots to grab seventh on the grid.
The two Brad Jones Racing cars both went backwards in the Shootout, Nick Percat unhappy with his Holden's balance after dropping from sixth in qualifying to eighth.
“It’s lacking front and rear grip, to be honest,” said the 2011 Bathurst winner.
“The balance is alright, you can drive it to the walls and all that stuff, we just don’t have the grip, so it’s a bit frustrating.”
Tim Slade, meanwhile, went from a fine fifth in qualifying to ninth after his single-lap effort.
“We haven’t quite nailed the dry car this weekend yet, it’s pretty good in the wet, but we’ll keep chipping away,” he said.
Mark Winterbottom will start the 2019 running of the Great Race from 10th.
Top 10 shootout results:
Cla | Driver | Car | Time | Gap |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | | Ford Mustang GT | 2'03.3783 | |
2 | | Ford Mustang GT | 2'03.7897 | 0.4114 |
3 | | Ford Mustang GT | 2'03.9178 | 0.5395 |
4 | | Holden Commodore ZB | 2'03.9505 | 0.5722 |
5 | | Holden Commodore ZB | 2'04.1136 | 0.7353 |
6 | | Ford Mustang GT | 2'04.3295 | 0.9512 |
7 | | Holden Commodore ZB | 2'04.3830 | 1.0047 |
8 | | Holden Commodore ZB | 2'04.6705 | 1.2922 |
9 | | Holden Commodore ZB | 2'04.8395 | 1.4612 |
10 | | Holden Commodore ZB | 2'04.980 | 1.6017 |
View full results |

Bathurst 1000: Mostert sets pre-Shootout pace
Mostert concerned by boring Bathurst Shootouts

Why Courtney and Tickford are a dream match
James Courtney has been around the block in his motorsport career it's fair to say. After a single-seater career cut short, he's won everything there is to win in Supercars. Following a rocky ride recently in the Australian category, he's found a happy hunting ground with Tickford Racing.
How taming his temper shaped Supercars' slow-burn star
His decision to leave Brad Jones Racing was the biggest shock of the Australian Supercars silly season so far. But for Nick Percat, it comes as the culmination of a personal journey that has made him into one of the most rounded drivers in the series, now in search of a seat that can make him a champion
Why replacing Supercars' GOAT with a teenager is worth the risk for T8
On the face of it, picking an 18-year-old rookie to replace arguably the greatest Supercars driver of all time is a risky move. But as Jamie Whincup takes up a team principal role and hands his car to Broc Feeney, it's one that he is confident will be rewarded in the fullness of time - time which wasn't afforded to Whincup in his early days
How Randle went from fighting cancer to battling for Supercars contention
After his fledgling career was paused by a battle with testicular cancer, Thomas Randle then had to wrestle with finding a drive in Supercars after he got the all-clear. It's been a long road for the Melbourne native but, after two lengthy battles, he's finally got a full-time drive to look forward to
How crisis talks over Supercars’ Gen3 future could leave it without a paddle
With Supercars’ Gen3 era on the horizon, a shift is set to take place – in more ways than one – but, as has become clear in recent weeks, the plan to bin the stick and use paddles with electronic assisted shift has been met with fierce opposition
Can DJR still be a Supercars powerhouse after Penske?
Roger Penske's whirlwind Australian Supercars sojourn is over. After six seasons, three drivers' titles, three teams' championships and a Bathurst 1000 crown, The Captain has sold his controlling stake in Dick Johnson Racing back to the squad and walked away from the category.
Can Whincup be Triple Eight's ruthless leader?
Supercars' most successful team of the past 15 years is set for a radical shakeup next year when Jamie Whincup retires from driving and takes over the reins at Triple Eight. But does he have what it takes to be the new Roland Dane?
How a lifetime Supercars deal broke down in one year
David Reynolds inked what was effectively a lifetime deal with Erebus in 2019 – only to walk out a year later. What went wrong?