Payne tops Taupo quali as Feeney and Kostecki miss shootout

On-and-off rain made for changeable conditions and created an urgency which meant that the provisional pole time was being shifted almost constantly in the 15-minute hit-out.

As it stands, Payne is on provisional pole position for Race 7 of the Repco Supercar Championship after wheeling the #19 Penrite Mustang to a 1:27.9684s just before the chequered flag flew.

Fords filled the top four with Anton De Pasquale (#11 Shell V-Power Mustang) second from Chaz Mostert (#25 Mobil 1 Optus Mustang), Will Davison (#17 Shell V-Power Mustang), and Cameron Hill (#4 Supaglass Camaro).

The rest of the top 10 was Ryan Wood (#2 Mobil 1 Truck Assist Mustang), championship leader Will Brown (#87 Red Bull Ampol Camaro), Cam Waters (#6 Monster Energy Mustang), Andre Heimgartner (#8 R&J Batteries Camaro), and Tim Slade (#23 Nulon Camaro).

Those on the outside included Feeney (#88 Red Bull Ampol Camaro), returning 2023 champion Brodie Kostecki (#1 TFH Hire Services Camaro), and the latter’s Erebus team-mate, Jack Le Brocq (#9 Camaro).

Forecast rain did indeed fall earlier in the morning but the precipitation had ceased and the track dried out somewhat during the preceding sessions, namely Carrera Cup qualifying and a Toyota 86 race.

While the race line was noticeably dry/drier when Supercars Championship qualifying started at 10:20 local time, pit lane opened almost as soon as it had started to sprinkle rain again.

Everyone started the session on slicks, of which the compound is the soft this weekend, and De Pasquale was fastest after the first flyers on a 1:31.0723s, four-and-a-half seconds slower than Friday’s Practice benchmark.

It was a Brad Jones Racing one-two once most had completed two laps, with Heimgartner on a 1:29.1917s in the #8 R&J Batteries Camaro and Bryce Fullwood on a 1:29.2616s in the #14 Middy’s Camaro, by which time the rain had virtually stopped again.

Payne clocked a 1:28.7016s on his third lap and Wood moved into second with a 1:28.8065s in the #2 Mobil 1 Truck Assist Mustang.

Payne raised the bar even further to a 1:28.6199s next time around while Mostert, who had opted for his usual roading strategy, moved into fourth on a 1:28.9833s once he had a proper crack in the #25 Mobil 1 Optus Mustang.

With the first runs done, it was thus Payne, Wood, Hill, Mostert, Fullwood, Waters, Heimgartner, Kostecki – who had clobbered a foam sign in an otherwise apparently minor off – Le Brocq, and Brown the top 10, with Feeney 22nd.

Fullwood was next to reset the fastest lap time with a 1:28.6097s before Slade clocked a 1:28.4459s and then Brown a 1:28.3049s.

With a minute to go, De Pasquale set a 1:28.0624s but was bettered immediately by team-mate Davison’s 1:28.2207s, before Payne jumped from 12th to the top with the lap which would be the very best of the session.

That effort bumped Thomas Randle (#55 Castrol Mustang) out of the shootout and the Tickford Racing driver would remain 11th, which is hence where he will start this afternoon’s 60-lap race, with Fullwood alongside.

With the chequered flag out, Feeney could only improve to 13th on a 1:28.6188s, Kostecki to 15th on a 1:28.6456s, and Le Brocq to 16th on a 1:28.6607s.

The very last row of the grid is also a surprise, with Richie Stanaway (#26 Penrite Mustang) to line up 23rd and last-start race winner Nick Percat (#10 Bendix Camaro) in 24th position.

The Top 10 Shootout starts at 12:00 local time/10:00 AEST.

Results: Qualifying for Race 7, ITM Taupo Super400