Allen edges Stewart to Bathurst Super2 pole for Race 2

Boost Mobile Qualifying was run as a single, 30-minute segment rather than two-by-15 after the start was delayed due to the presence of a kangaroo on Conrod Straight.

That made for an awkward scenario given most/all would have been fuelled for 15 minutes of running, although 24 cars out of 25 still rolled out as soon as pit exit opened at 08:45 local time, under grey skies.

Rookie Rylan Gray (#55 Tickford Autosport S550 Mustang) was quickest after the first flyers on a 2:07.3394s but, as was the case a day earlier, Race 1 winner Allen (#1 ZB Commodore) used his first full lap as something of a warm-up before punching out a 2:05.6904s to shoot to the top.

He was 0.5636s up on next-best Zach Bates (#25 Walkinhsaw Andretti United ZB Commodore) when a red flag was called in the ninth minute in response to Cameron McLeod (#92 RM Racing Cars w/ PremiAir Racing ZB Commodore) becoming stuck in the gravel at Hell Corner.

Race 1 pole-sitter Cooper Murray (#88 EMS ZB Commodore) was 21st under the red flag and could only climb to seventh on his next flyer on a 2:07.1381s after pinching a brake at Hell Corner.

Aaron Cameron (#27 Kelly Racing S550 Mustang) moved up to third on a 2:06.3719s before Murray vaulted to the top on a 2:05.6517s.

Cameron reclaimed third with a 2:05.9151s next time through but that became fourth when Jobe Stewart (#99 ZB Commodore) took over provisional pole on a 2:05.4932s.

Murray was on a fastest first second and fastest to the second sector but his third straight hot lap only yielded a 2:06.1612s, while team-mate Allen was sitting in pit lane.

Bates rose to second on a 2:05.6245s with just over five minutes remaining before Allen shifted the benchmark to a 2:05.4110s.

Rookie Max Vidau (#17 Anderson Motorsport S550 Mustang), meanwhile, had set the fastest first sector but then slid off Forrest’s Elbow and ultimately improved to ninth on a 2:06.2686s.

Zane Morse (#11 AIM Motorsport S550 Mustang) and then Brad Vaughan (#5 Tickford S550 Mustang) then moved into fifth on a 2:05.9078s and 2:05.8925s respectively.

The top 10 ended up being Allen, Stewart, Bates, Murray, Vaughan, Morse, Cameron, Gray, Lochie Salton (#6 Tickford S550 Mustang), and Cameron Crick (#38 EMS ZB Commodore), with Vidau 12th.

Overnight, Crick escaped penalty for his part in the pile-up at The Cutting which brought a premature end to Race 1 after stewards found neither he nor the driver with whom he made contact, namely Morse, to be wholly or predominately to blame for the incident.

Race 2, to be run over 40 minutes, starts this afternoon at 13:40 local time/AEDT.

Results: Qualifying for Race 2