Bryce Fullwood feared he would suffer a tyre explosion during Saturday qualifying at the Penrite Oil Sandown SuperSprint.

The Walkinshaw Andretti United second-year driver enjoyed a strong start to the season last month, departing Mount Panorama seventh in the championship.

That form has not carried over to the second round at Sandown, however, with Fullwood struggling all morning in practice.

After finished 21st and 17th in Practice 1 and 2, respectively, Fullwood was the slowest of all drivers to set a lap in qualifying, leaving him to start this afternoon’s race from 23rd.

He ended up ahead of only Jack Smith, who triggered red flags during the first part of qualifying after beaching his Brad Jones Racing Commodore in the Turn 9 gravel trap.

Fullwood was left to rue a massive lock-up in the running that followed, toasting his front-left tyre.

“Look, it’s been tough today, I’m not going to lie,” said a “gutted” Fullwood.

“It’s kicked me down a few times but was actually a pretty reasonable lap there and locked the left-front really bad into Dandenong and had a really, really severe flat-spot.

“I just knew I had to press on so I was a bit scared the tyre was going to explode actually down the back straight but I just knew I had to put some form of lap in and unfortunately I couldn’t make it happen.

“It’s going to be hard work for this afternoon but looking forward to trying to pass some people.”

Fullwood’s WAU team-mate Chaz Mostert would later snatch pole position for the 36-lap race that will begin at 16:45 AEDT.