Broc Feeney was last out for the Top 10 Shootout at Mount Panorama but came up 0.2065s shy of Brown’s 2:06.3740s and will thus park the #88 Camaro on the outside of the front row later this afternoon.
Walkinshaw Andretti United’s Chaz Mostert was the top Ford driver, earning third with a 2:06.5874s thanks to a stonking run across the top in the #25 Mobil 1 Optus Mustang.
He will share Row 2 of the grid with Matt Stone Racing’s Cameron Hill (#4 Tyrepower Camaro), who had provisionally qualified eighth but saw his 2:06.7241s still the benchmark ahead of the final four in the Top 10 Shootout.
Then came Mostert, who was very quick across the top and took over provisional pole position with a 2:06.5874s.
Team 18’s David Reynolds was next onto the race track but did not even start his lap due to a mysterious flat tyre, on the right-rear of the #20 Tradie Beer Camaro.
That left just the Triple Eight Race Engineering duo, and Brown came out in the #87 Camaro with a new fastest first sector.
He was slower than Mostert once he reached the exit of Forrest’s Elbow and the end of the second sector, but made up for it in Sector 3 and clocked a 2:06.3740s.
Feeney was slower than his team-mate to the first intermediate by 0.1634s, made up almost a tenth across the top, but then gave up that gain in the last sector as he set a 2:06.5805s.
Richie Stanaway (#26 Penrite Mustang) took fifth on a 2:06.9732s and James Golding (#31 PremIAir Nulon Camaro) was ultimately sixth from a provisional seventh on the grid on a 2:07.0702s
Todd Hazelwood (#99 TFH Camaro) claimed seventh on a 2:07.2119s and Nick Percat (#10 Bendix Camaro) eighth on a 2:07.3518s.
Anton De Pasquale dropped from sixth to ninth after having to catch a scary moment at ‘The Tree’ in the #11 Shell V-Power Mustang, ultimately setting a 2:07.4686s.
He will be joined on Row 5 by Reynolds, who has no time against his name.
The opening, 40-lap race of the season starts at 16:10 local time/AEDT.
Results: Top 10 Shootout for Race 1
Pos | Num | Team/Sponsor | Driver | Car | Fastest lap | Split |
1 | 87 | Red Bull Ampol Racing | William Brown | Chev Camaro ZL1 | 2:06.3740 | |
2 | 88 | Red Bull Ampol Racing | Broc Feeney | Chev Camaro ZL1 | 2:06.5805 | 0:00.2065 |
3 | 25 | Mobil 1 Optus Racing | Chaz Mostert | Ford Mustang GT | 2:06.5874 | 0:00.2134 |
4 | 4 | Tyrepower Racing | Cameron Hill | Chev Camaro ZL1 | 2:06.7241 | 0:00.3501 |
5 | 26 | Penrite Racing | Richie Stanaway | Ford Mustang GT | 2:06.9732 | 0:00.5992 |
6 | 31 | PremiAir Nulon Racing | James Golding | Chev Camaro ZL1 | 2:07.0702 | 0:00.6962 |
7 | 99 | Erebus Motorsport | Todd Hazelwood | Chev Camaro ZL1 | 2:07.2119 | 0:00.8379 |
8 | 10 | Bendix Racing | Nick Percat | Chev Camaro ZL1 | 2:07.3518 | 0:00.9778 |
9 | 11 | Shell V-Power Racing Team | Anton De Pasquale | Ford Mustang GT | 2:07.4686 | 0:01.0946 |
10 | 20 | Tradie Beer Racing | David Reynolds | Chev Camaro ZL1 |