After securing provisional pole in Fridays twenty minute qualifying session, reigning champion Shane van Gisbergen followed through to take the first official pole position of the 2017 season after setting the fastest time in the top ten shootout.
Being the last driver out due to setting the quickest time on Friday, van Gisbergen was able to muscle the Shell contender piloted by Fabian Coulthard out of the way with a 1:19.572.
“It’s pretty awesome. I knew Fabian’s was the fastest time of the weekend so it was going to be tough,” van Gisbergen said afterwards. “But the track was grippy after the Super2 race and the car was awesome.”
Chaz Mostert, who was fifth out, finished the session third after a few minor errors and will line up for this afternoon’s race alongside James Courtney.
mark Winterbottom put the second Prodrive entry right behind the first with a fifth placed finish while Scott McLaughlin, who looked set for pole, threw it away with a lock up at turn nine, leaving his with just the 6th best time.
"I just locked the rears at the wrong moment," he said. "That’s how it goes."
Jamie Whincup was another disappointment of the session with a ‘far from perfect’ lap and will start from P7 alongside Rick Kelly in eighth.
Cameron Waters will start ninth in the third Prodrive entry, meaning all three cars will line up behind each other on the grid with David Reynolds rounding out the ten.
The race will get underway in just over an hours time.
