The Penrite Racing driver prevailed by a margin of just 0.0126s over Red Bull Ampol Racing’s Broc Feeney, with Brodie Kostecki all of 0.0306s away from pole position in his first shootout since returning to the driver’s seat at Erebus Motorsport.

Kostecki will share Row 2 of the starting grid with the Shell V-Power Racing Team Mustang of provisional pole-sitter Anton De Pasquale, the last driver within a tenth of a second of top spot in the one-lap dash.

Payne’s 1:26.8173s in the #19 Mustang was the target with championship leader Will Brown, Chaz Mostert, and De Pasquale to come.

Brown drove the #87 Red Bull Ampol Camaro to a 1:26.9602s which was good enough for fourth at the time, and there he remained when Mostert could only clock a 1:27.5364s in a nervous-looking #25 Mobil 1 Optus Mustang.

De Pasquale then ventured onto the track and set a 1:26.9106s in the #11 Mustang, meaning Payne had a second pole position in four races.

Feeney (#88 Camaro) ended up second on a 1:26.8299s and Kostecki rose from a provisional eighth to third with a 1:26.8479s in the #1 TFH Hire Services Camaro.

Brown ended up fifth and Jack Le Brocq (#9 TFH Hire Services Camaro) was sixth on a 1:27.2891s in the second of the Erebus entries, ahead of Thomas Randle (#55 Castrol Mustang) on a 1:27.3073s and Tim Slade (#23 Nulon Camaro) on a 1:27.3595s.

Mostert was classified ninth and will share the fifth row of the starting grid with Walkinshaw Andretti United team-mate Ryan Wood (#2 Mobil 1 Truck Assist Mustang).

The Kiwi rookie, who almost claimed a breakthrough podium on the afternoon prior, ran across the grass in the final complex of corners and set a 1:28.5651s, dropping from a provisional fifth to 10th.

The final race of the ITM Taupo Super400 weekend, to be run over 60 laps, is officially due to start at 15:05 local time/13:05 AEST.

Results: Top 10 Shootout for Race 8, ITM Taupo Super400