Chaz Mostert made it five consecutive Armor All Pole Awards for Prodrive by topping qualifying for Races 10 and 11 at Winton.
The 23-year-old proved the class of the field in both sessions, despite oil on the circuit providing treacherous track conditions.
“It’s a credit to Prodrive Racing Australia these Pepsi Max machines are on rails,” smiled Mostert at the end of the second session.
“It was tricky out there with the oil from the Touring Car Masters but the car still worked well sliding across the oil.
“It’s good to have your team mates up there too as the boys have put in such a lot of work over Christmas with the FG X. It’s starting to get some form.”
Qualifying Race 10
Chaz Mostert claimed Prodrive’s fourth straight pole in a red flag interrupted Race 10 qualifying session.
The start of the session was the subject of a small delay as officials attempted to clean up oil from an earlier Touring Car Masters race.
When the session did get underway, Scott McLaughlin fell foul of the oil at Turn 3, dumping his Volvo into the sand and causing a red flag.
The delay ensured that the first flying lap was not recorded until less than 90 seconds remained.
The top spot subsequently changed eight times, ending with Mostert’s 1:25.12s best.
The time was over a second away from Mostert’s Friday afternoon best due to the slippery circuit.
David Reynolds and Mark Winterbottom made it a Prodrive one-two-three by the time the chequered flag fell, before a last gasp effort from Michael Caruso slotted his Nissan into P2.
Todd Kelly underlined the strong form of the Altima’s in fifth ahead of Coulthard, Rick Kelly and Jamie Whincup, who recovered after an early off track excursion.
The second Red Bull Holden of Craig Lowndes ended up down in 14th.
The Holden Racing Team entries of James Courtney and Garth Tander also struggled on their way to 16th and 17th respectively.
McLaughlin, who will start Race 10 from the rear, was philosophical over whether the start should have been delayed further.
“Maybe they could have delayed it a bit longer but it was the same for everyone,” he said.
Qualifying Race 11
Mostert led a Prodrive sweep of the top three places in a somewhat more conventional second qualifying session.
The bulk of the field again completed just one run, with Mostert, Winterbottom and Reynolds locking themselves into the top three spots with the second lap on their green tyres.
The only major scare came courtesy of the fourth Prodrive Ford, with Andre Heimgartner ending up in the Turn 3 sand trap inside the final minute.
Officials elected against throwing a red flag, leaving the fastest times to be set with a local yellow flag out.
Davison and Whincup will share row three ahead of Van Gisbergen, Caruso, McLaughlin and Lowndes.
The Walkinshaw Holdens were again off the pace, with Tander leading the quartet of factory Commodores in 11th.
Coulthard will meanwhile start last after a disastrous session that included early contact with team-mate Dale Wood.
The right-front door of the Freightliner Holden took a dent when Wood – on a hotlap – attempted a pass down the inside into Turn 7.
The first of the afternoon’s two 60km races will get underway at 1420.
Result: V8 Supercars Race 10, Qualifying
1 |
Pepsi Max Crew |
Chaz Mostert |
Ford Falcon FG/X |
1:25.1215* |
|
2 |
Nissan Motorsport |
Michael Caruso |
Nissan Altima |
01:25.23 |
00:00.11 |
3 |
The Bottle-O Racing Team |
David Reynolds |
Ford Falcon FG/X |
01:25.30 |
00:00.18 |
4 |
Pepsi Max Crew |
Mark Winterbottom |
Ford Falcon FG/X |
01:25.33 |
00:00.21 |
5 |
Nissan Motorsport |
Todd Kelly |
Nissan Altima |
01:25.34 |
00:00.22 |
6 |
Freightliner Racing |
Fabian Coulthard |
Holden Commodore VF |
01:25.38 |
00:00.25 |
7 |
Nissan Motorsport |
Rick Kelly |
Nissan Altima |
01:25.41 |
00:00.29 |
8 |
Red Bull Racing Australia |
Jamie Whincup |
Holden Commodore VF |
01:25.48 |
00:00.36 |
9 |
Team Darrell Lea STIX |
Shane Van Gisbergen |
Holden Commodore VF |
01:25.53 |
00:00.41 |
10 |
Team BOC |
Jason Bright |
Holden Commodore VF |
01:25.56 |
00:00.43 |
11 |
Erebus Motorsport V8 |
Will Davison |
Mercedes E63 AMG |
01:25.62 |
00:00.50 |
12 |
Repair Management Aust Racing |
Nick Percat |
Holden Commodore VF |
01:25.81 |
00:00.69 |
13 |
Nissan Motorsport |
James Moffat |
Nissan Altima |
01:25.86 |
00:00.74 |
14 |
Red Bull Racing Australia |
Craig Lowndes |
Holden Commodore VF |
01:25.90 |
00:00.77 |
15 |
DJR Team Penske |
Scott Pye |
Ford Falcon FG/X |
01:25.97 |
00:00.85 |
16 |
Holden Racing Team |
James Courtney |
Holden Commodore VF |
01:25.99 |
00:00.86 |
17 |
Holden Racing Team |
Garth Tander |
Holden Commodore VF |
01:26.08 |
00:00.96 |
18 |
Super Black Racing |
Andre Heimgartner |
Ford Falcon FG/X |
01:26.10 |
00:00.98 |
19 |
Supercheap Auto Racing |
Tim Slade |
Holden Commodore VF |
01:26.37 |
00:01.25 |
20 |
Walkinshaw Racing |
Lee Holdsworth |
Holden Commodore VF |
01:26.46 |
00:01.34 |
21 |
GB Galvanizing Racing |
Dale Wood |
Holden Commodore VF |
01:26.51 |
00:01.39 |
22 |
Erebus Motorsport V8 |
Ashley Walsh |
Mercedes E63 AMG |
01:26.65 |
00:01.53 |
23 |
Wilson Security Racing GRM |
David Wall |
Volvo S60 |
01:26.74 |
00:01.62 |
24 |
Team Cooldrive |
Tim Blanchard |
Holden Commodore VF |
01:26.81 |
00:01.69 |
25 |
Wilson Security Racing GRM |
Scott McLaughlin |
Volvo S60 |
Result: V8 Supercars Race 11, Qualifying
1 |
Pepsi Max Crew |
Chaz Mostert |
Ford Falcon FG/X |
01:24.10 |
|
2 |
Pepsi Max Crew |
Mark Winterbottom |
Ford Falcon FG/X |
01:24.20 |
00:00.10 |
3 |
The Bottle-O Racing Team |
David Reynolds |
Ford Falcon FG/X |
01:24.23 |
00:00.13 |
4 |
Nissan Motorsport |
Rick Kelly |
Nissan Altima |
01:24.44 |
00:00.34 |
5 |
Erebus Motorsport V8 |
Will Davison |
Mercedes E63 AMG |
01:24.49 |
00:00.40 |
6 |
Red Bull Racing Australia |
Jamie Whincup |
Holden Commodore VF |
01:24.58 |
00:00.48 |
7 |
Team Darrell Lea STIX |
Shane Van Gisbergen |
Holden Commodore VF |
01:24.66 |
00:00.56 |
8 |
Nissan Motorsport |
Michael Caruso |
Nissan Altima |
01:24.68 |
00:00.58 |
9 |
Wilson Security Racing GRM |
Scott McLaughlin |
Volvo S60 |
01:24.69 |
00:00.60 |
10 |
Red Bull Racing Australia |
Craig Lowndes |
Holden Commodore VF |
01:24.71 |
00:00.61 |
11 |
Holden Racing Team |
Garth Tander |
Holden Commodore VF |
01:24.72 |
00:00.62 |
12 |
Walkinshaw Racing |
Lee Holdsworth |
Holden Commodore VF |
01:24.81 |
00:00.71 |
13 |
Holden Racing Team |
James Courtney |
Holden Commodore VF |
01:24.82 |
00:00.72 |
14 |
Nissan Motorsport |
James Moffat |
Nissan Altima |
01:24.87 |
00:00.77 |
15 |
Supercheap Auto Racing |
Tim Slade |
Holden Commodore VF |
01:24.87 |
00:00.78 |
16 |
Erebus Motorsport V8 |
Ashley Walsh |
Mercedes E63 AMG |
01:24.90 |
00:00.81 |
17 |
Super Black Racing |
Andre Heimgartner |
Ford Falcon FG/X |
01:24.91 |
00:00.81 |
18 |
Nissan Motorsport |
Todd Kelly |
Nissan Altima |
01:24.92 |
00:00.82 |
19 |
Team BOC |
Jason Bright |
Holden Commodore VF |
01:24.93 |
00:00.83 |
20 |
Repair Management Aust Racing |
Nick Percat |
Holden Commodore VF |
01:24.93 |
00:00.84 |
21 |
DJR Team Penske |
Scott Pye |
Ford Falcon FG/X |
01:24.94 |
00:00.85 |
22 |
GB Galvanizing Racing |
Dale Wood |
Holden Commodore VF |
01:25.26 |
00:01.16 |
23 |
Team Cooldrive |
Tim Blanchard |
Holden Commodore VF |
01:25.40 |
00:01.30 |
24 |
Wilson Security Racing GRM |
David Wall |
Volvo S60 |
01:25.48 |
00:01.39 |
25 |
Freightliner Racing |
Fabian Coulthard |
Holden Commodore VF |
01:25.79 |
00:01.69 |
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