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Qualifying report

Van Gisbergen earns pole for Bathurst 1000

Shane Van Gisbergen will share the front row with Mark Winterbottom.

Polesitter Shane van Gisbergen, Tekno Team VIP Holden

Polesitter Shane van Gisbergen, Tekno Team VIP Holden

Supercars

Shane van Gisbergen, Tekno Team VIP
Shane Van Gisbergen
Shane Van Gisbergen
Polesitter Fabian Coulthard
Warren Luff, HRT
Mark Winterbottom and Steve Owen
Mount Panorama
The damaged car of Craig Lowndes and Steve Richards
Jack Perkins and Cameron Waters
Nick Percat and Oliver Gavin
David Reynolds and Dean Canto
Jason Bright and Andrew Jones

After a dare-devil lap during the top-ten shootout, Shane van Gisbergen takes the VIP Petfoods Holden Commodore to pole position for the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000. With a time of 2:06.326, it was a solid lap which was nothing outside of the typical ‘Shane’ style driving which we’ve come to know and love. Lighting up the field at a track which has not historically been good to him, SVG will start from P1 in tomorrow’s Great Race for the first time in his career.

FPR led the way before Giz

Before van Gisbergen made the fastest lap of the shootout, however, it was Ford Performance Racing (FPR) driver, Mark Winterbottom, who was sitting on top with a 2:06.638. He was fast through the first uphill sector of the track but struggled once on top of The Mountain. Going sideways while heading down The Dipper, the mistake cost ‘Frosty’ several tenths which inevitably put him in second. Still, he should be credited for saving the car as many drivers over the week lost control at that spot. According to ‘Frosty’, however, he will have to “do some laundry” after that lap.

Volvo towards the front

Scott McLaughlin put the Valvoline Racing/GRM Volvo in third for the start of the Bathurst 1000 with a time of 2:06.778. He was by far the fastest going down Conrod Straight into The Chase as the Volvo was just shy of 300 km/h.

As the first of the Brad Jones Racing (BJR) team cars, it was former Bathurst champion, Jason Bright, who put the Team BOC Commodore in fourth for The Great Race. With a time of 2:07.043, Bright later stated that the track was “a lot more slippery than expected”.

Completing the top-five in the starting grid is the current fastest-lap holder, Fabian Coulthard. After shocking the V8 community with his stellar record-breaking lap during qualifying yesterday, the second BRJ car finished the shootout lap with a time of 2:07.043.

Lowndes pulls off a miracle

In what could only be described as a miracle, former series champion and Bathurst winner, Craig Lowndes, who was involved in an airborne type accident only hours before, brought home the Red Bull Racing Commodore in sixth. It was a conservative lap for Lowndes with a time of 2:07.730 as he stated that debris from the previous Ute’s race was all over the track. Still, without any chance to test the car after putting it back together before the shootout, Lowndes and his team should be credited for their hard work.

With the first of the Nissan’s, James Moffat, drove a mediocre lap which was just shy of Lowndes time. Bringing the Norton Hornet home with a 2:07.745, Moffat will still enjoy a top-ten start as he secures the seventh position on the starting grid.

Dale Wood, who you may remember as the driver who could be heard screaming and cheering over the radio after qualifying yesterday for making the shootout, didn’t have the lap he expected. With a slow second sector which seemed to botch the rest of the lap, Wood will start from eighth tomorrow after posting a 2:07.992.

What started out as a great lap for the FPR/Team Jeld-Wen driver, Jack Perkins, ended in an upset. As he was finishing up his shootout lap which would have undoubtedly put closer towards the top-five, Perkins got sideways on the final corner and stuffed the lap. With a time of 2:08.249, Perkins will start from ninth in tomorrow’s race.

A race to remember

Things are definitely shaping up to be another Bathurst worthy of the history books. With SVG on pole and the defending Bathurst champion alongside, we’re also seeing several new faces towards the front as well as names such as Moffat and Perkins once again in the top-ten. Many are already putting the money on van Gisbergen but at this point, it’s certainly anyone’s race.

Tomorrow’s Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 is 161 laps around Mount Panorama Circuit. For international viewers, be sure to visit V8 SuperView for live streaming options and local start times.

 

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