In a challenging qualifying session where the weather failed to relent, Cameron Waters will be last to run in tomorrow’s Top 10 Shootout after securing provisional pole position after qualifying.
The session ended in controversial fashion as Red Bull Holden Racing Team’s Shane van Gisbergen was aiming to eclipse his title rival’s time, but contacted Macauley Jones’ Brad Jones Racing ZB Commodore entering The Dipper, which spun the latter into the wall.
Van Gisbergen was rapidly catching Jones through Skyline and The Esses before moving into a gap left by the BJR driver entering The Dipper, which firmly closed as the pair made contact.
The championship leader was fourth for the session as Waters took provisional pole on a 2m 23.616s as reigning Repco Bathurst 1000 winner Lee Holdsworth edged his co-driver from last year Chaz Mostert into second.
In conditions he is suited to, Richie Stanaway set the fifth fastest time in the Boost Mobile Racing Wildcard to secure a Top 10 Shootout berth.
Fastest during the third practice session this morning, Will Davison was sixth in the sole Shell V-Power Racing Team Ford Mustang to make it past qualifying, while Nick Percat made it two Walkinshaw Andretti United entries in seventh.
Veteran James Courtney transferred his quick practice pace into qualifying to be eighth quickest in the Snowy River Racing Ford Mustang.
Rounding out the contenders for tomorrow’s Top 10 Shootout was Boost Mobile Racing by Erebus pair Brodie Kostecki and Will Brown.
Just missing a shot at pole were Anton De Pasquale, Andre Heimgartner, James Golding and Jamie Whincup, who contested qualifying instead of main series driver Broc Feeney due to his superior wet weather pace.
Before the Top 10 Shootout, the Repco Supercars Championship has two further practice sessions to undertake the first starting at 10:20am.