![Craig Lowndes has nabbed pole for Race 23](https://speedcafe.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/RGP-2014-Coates-Hire-Ipswich-400-Fri-5j9x3458-344x229.jpg)
Craig Lowndes and Scott McLaughlin have blitzed the field to claim the prime starting spot for Races 23 and 24 of the Coates Hire Ipswich 400.
In the race for the Armor All pole position Lowndes scorched to the pole for Race 23 by posting a 1:09.42s overshadowing Red Bull team-mate Jamie Whincup by 0.04s.
It signalled a spirited fightback from Red Bull who claimed to be on the back foot after both drivers struggled in the three Friday practice sessions.
McLaughlin had briefly held second position before Whincup put in a late surge to force the Volvo driver back to third.
Brad Jones Racing Holden driver Fabian Coulthard will start Race 23 from fourth ahead of Holden Racing Team driver James Courtney.
After a 10-minute break, qualifying for Race 24 saw McLaughlin spear to the pole ahead of Nissan Norton Hornets driver Michael Caruso with Whincup third.
McLaughlin had held sway at the top of the timesheets for much of the session before Whincup shoot to the top with less than a minute to go.
Lowndes had occupied second briefly before being shuffled back to fourth after the late surges from McLaughlin and Caruso.
McLaughlin managed to post a 1:09.29s, lap to find a .20s improvement in between his first and last flying runs.
Caruso turned a 1:09.33s lap to nudge Whincup's 9.36s in an incredibly tight session.
Shane van Gisbergen put his Tekno Holden in fifth ahead of Rick Kelly who supplied Nissan with two runners in the top six as a mere .7s covered the 25 runners.
Race 23 Qualifying Results
1 | Red Bull Racing Australia | Craig Lowndes | Holden Commodore VF | 1:09.42 | |
2 | Red Bull Racing Australia | Jamie Whincup | Holden Commodore VF | 1:09.46 | 00.04 |
3 | Valvoline Racing GRM | Scott McLaughlin | Volvo S60 | 1:09.47 | 00.05 |
4 | Lockwood Racing | Fabian Coulthard | Holden Commodore VF | 1:09.54 | 00.11 |
5 | Holden Racing Team | James Courtney | Holden Commodore VF | 1:09.54 | 00.12 |
6 | Erebus Motorsport V8 | Will Davison | Mercedes E63 AMG | 1:09.55 | 00.13 |
7 | Ford Pepsi Max Crew | Mark Winterbottom | Ford Falcon FG | 1:09.59 | 00.17 |
8 | The Bottle-O Racing Team | David Reynolds | Ford Falcon FG | 1:09.60 | 00.17 |
9 | Team Tekno VIP Petfoods | Shane Van Gisbergen | Holden Commodore VF | 1:09.62 | 00.19 |
10 | Ford Pepsi Max Crew | Chaz Mostert | Ford Falcon FG | 1:09.64 | 00.22 |
11 | Walkinshaw Racing | Nick Percat | Holden Commodore VF | 1:09.64 | 00.22 |
12 | Jack Daniel's Racing | Todd Kelly | Nissan Altima | 1:09.73 | 00.30 |
13 | Jack Daniel's Racing | Rick Kelly | Nissan Altima | 1:09.77 | 00.35 |
14 | Supercheap Auto Racing | Tim Slade | Holden Commodore VF | 1:09.79 | 00.37 |
15 | Holden Racing Team | Garth Tander | Holden Commodore VF | 1:09.80 | 00.38 |
16 | Wilson Security Racing | Scott Pye | Ford Falcon FG | 1:09.84 | 00.41 |
17 | Team BOC | Jason Bright | Holden Commodore VF | 1:09.84 | 00.42 |
18 | Norton Hornets | Michael Caruso | Nissan Altima | 1:09.85 | 00.43 |
19 | Team JELD-WEN | Jack Perkins | Ford Falcon FG | 1:09.92 | 00.49 |
20 | Valvoline Racing GRM | Robert Dahlgren | Volvo S60 | 1:09.93 | 00.51 |
21 | Wilson Security Racing | David Wall | Ford Falcon FG | 1:09.94 | 00.52 |
22 | Norton Hornets | James Moffat | Nissan Altima | 1:10.00 | 00.58 |
23 | Erebus Motorsport V8 | Lee Holdsworth | Mercedes E63 AMG | 1:10.17 | 00.75 |
24 | Repair Management Aust Racing | Russell Ingall | Holden Commodore VF | 1:10.38 | 00.96 |
25 | Team Advam/GB | Dale Wood | Holden Commodore VF | 1:10.40 | 00.98 |
Race 24 Qualifying Results
1 | Valvoline Racing GRM | Scott McLaughlin | Volvo S60 | 1:09.29 | |
2 | Norton Hornets | Michael Caruso | Nissan Altima | 1:09.33 | 00.04 |
3 | Red Bull Racing Australia | Jamie Whincup | Holden Commodore VF | 1:09.36 | 00.06 |
4 | Red Bull Racing Australia | Craig Lowndes | Holden Commodore VF | 1:09.36 | 00.07 |
5 | Team Tekno VIP Petfoods | Shane Van Gisbergen | Holden Commodore VF | 1:09.43 | 00.14 |
6 | Jack Daniel's Racing | Rick Kelly | Nissan Altima | 1:09.48 | 00.19 |
7 | Ford Pepsi Max Crew | Chaz Mostert | Ford Falcon FG | 1:09.49 | 00.20 |
8 | Walkinshaw Racing | Nick Percat | Holden Commodore VF | 1:09.49 | 00.20 |
9 | Supercheap Auto Racing | Tim Slade | Holden Commodore VF | 1:09.51 | 00.22 |
10 | Lockwood Racing | Fabian Coulthard | Holden Commodore VF | 1:09.51 | 00.22 |
11 | Ford Pepsi Max Crew | Mark Winterbottom | Ford Falcon FG | 1:09.53 | 00.24 |
12 | Holden Racing Team | Garth Tander | Holden Commodore VF | 1:09.58 | 00.29 |
13 | Holden Racing Team | James Courtney | Holden Commodore VF | 1:09.58 | 00.29 |
14 | Team BOC | Jason Bright | Holden Commodore VF | 1:09.60 | 00.31 |
15 | Erebus Motorsport V8 | Will Davison | Mercedes E63 AMG | 1:09.64 | 00.35 |
16 | Jack Daniel's Racing | Todd Kelly | Nissan Altima | 1:09.69 | 00.40 |
17 | Wilson Security Racing | Scott Pye | Ford Falcon FG | 1:09.71 | 00.42 |
18 | Valvoline Racing GRM | Robert Dahlgren | Volvo S60 | 1:09.71 | 00.42 |
19 | The Bottle-O Racing Team | David Reynolds | Ford Falcon FG | 1:09.72 | 00.43 |
20 | Norton Hornets | James Moffat | Nissan Altima | 1:09.73 | 00.44 |
21 | Erebus Motorsport V8 | Lee Holdsworth | Mercedes E63 AMG | 1:09.80 | 00.51 |
22 | Team Advam/GB | Dale Wood | Holden Commodore VF | 1:09.80 | 00.51 |
23 | Repair Management Aust Racing | Russell Ingall | Holden Commodore VF | 1:10.01 | 00.72 |
24 | Team JELD-WEN | Jack Perkins | Ford Falcon FG | 1:10.04 | 00.75 |
25 | Wilson Security Racing | David Wall | Ford Falcon FG | 1:10.06 | 00.77 |