Mostert gets first pole for WAU

Chaz Mostert has scored his first pole position for Walkinshaw Andretti United ahead of Race 25 of the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship at the Repco SuperSprint The Bend.

The 2014 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 winner was only 11th after Part 2 of knockout qualifying with a 1:48.5238s but wheeled Car #25 to a 1:47.9688s in the Top 15 Shootout.

None seriously threatened the time for the Mobil 1 Appliances Online ZB Commodore until Scott McLaughlin was third-last onto the race track.

The championship leader stayed within a tenth of Mostert’s impressive first sector split and almost overturned the deficit in the second intermediate.

However, he gave up more time in the third sector, albeit less than half a hundredth of a second, and came up 0.0057s short in total.

Neither his Shell V-Power Racing team-mate Fabian Coulthard nor the Red Bull Holden Racing Team’s Shane van Gisbergen could better McLaughlin when they followed him onto the circuit, leaving the #17 Mustang second on the grid.

Van Gisbergen (#97 ZB Commodore) set the fastest third sector of the shootout to help him to third, 0.2855s off Mostert’s pace but 0.1908s up on team-mate Jamie Whincup (#88 ZB Commodore), who ended up fourth.

Coulthard pinched the inside front at the Turn 6 hairpin on his way to a 1:48.5221s in the #12 Mustang, dropping from a provisional second to fifth.

Anton De Pasquale (#99 Penrite ZB Commodore) climbed all the way from 15th to sixth in the shootout having set a 1:48.5225s which was more than a tenth faster than he had gone in Part 2 of Qualifying.

Jack Le Brocq (#55 Supercheap Auto Mustang) ended up seventh with a lap 0.0157s slower than De Pasquale’s, and Rick Kelly gained six spots in putting the #15 Castrol Mustang eighth on the grid with a 1:48.5554s.

Lee Holdsworth (#5 Truck Assist Mustang) was ninth-quickest with a 1:48.6934s while Andre Heimgartner missed the apex at Turn 6 on his way to a 1:48.7437s which puts the #7 Ned Mustang 10th on the grid.

Cameron Waters (#6 Monster Energy Mustang) clocked a 1:48.9573s which left him 11th, and David Reynolds (#9 Penrite ZB Commodore) finished 12th on a 1:492941s.

Bryce Fullwood (#2 Mobil 1 Middy’s ZB Commodore) was 13th-fastest with a 1:49.4887s on used tyres and a less than settled run through Turn 12.

James Courtney (#44 Boost Mobil Mustang) put in a 1:49.6391s he described as “really, really loose” on his radio as he slipped from a provisional ninth to 14th.

The track was already largely dry on the racing line for the start of qualifying and the sunshine appeared for the commencement of the shootout.

However, Nick Percat found the edge line still damp as he turned into the final corner and a 1:48.5s or 1:48.6s became a 15th-fastest 1:49.8715s when the #8 R&J Batteries ZB Commodore ended up briefly off the road on exit.

Qualifying for Race 25

Van Gisbergen was fastest in both 10-minute stanzas which preceded the shootout, firstly with a 1:48.2498s and then with a 1:47.6118s which was 0.4035s up on the field.

De Pasquale’s passage to the one-lap dash came under threat from last-start pole-sitter Todd Hazelwood at the end of Part 2 when the Brad Jones Racing driver went personal best to the second sector.

However, he fell 0.0061s shy of an improvement at the control line, leaving the #14 TRG Transport ZB Commodore 16th on the grid.

Both of the Team 18 cars also missed the top 15; Scott Pye (#20 DeWalt ZB Commodore) in 17th and Mark Winterbottom (#18 Irwin Tools ZB Commodore) 19th.

They were split by Garry Jacobson (#35 Yellow Cover ZB Commodore), with Alex Davison (#19 Local Legends ZB Commodore) rounding out the top 20.

Waters went early in the first stanza when track conditions were at their worst and only just progressed in 20th position, at 0.1763s above the bottom four.

Behind him, in qualifying order, were Jack Smith (#4 SCT Logistics ZB Commodore), Macauley Jones (#3 CoolDrive ZB Commodore), Chris Pither (#22 Coca-Cola ZB Commodore), and Zane Goddard (#34 Unit ZB Commodore).

Race 25 of the 2020 Supercars Championship is scheduled for 15:15 local time/15:45 AEST, with 24 laps on the cards.

Results: Qualifying/Top 15 Shootout for Race 25, Repco SuperSprint The Bend