news: Pither takes third Super2 pole of season

Chris Pither will start this afternoon’s second Super2 race from Armor All Pole Position after edging Macauley Jones with a late flyer on the streets of Townsville.

Just 0.0435s separated the Race 2 pole-sitter from the man who qualified fastest a day earlier, while second-year driver Brodie Kostecki continued his good one-lap form in 2018 with the third-fastest time.

The latter in fact briefly held top spot in the #57 Kostecki Brothers Racing VF Commodore before he was usurped by Jones in the #14 Brad Jones Racing VF Commodore.

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Pither left it until the final minute of the quarter-hour session to reel out a 1:14.2560s in the #44 Garry Rogers Motorsport VF Commodore.

The lap gave the New Zealander another pole to put with the two which he earned in Round 2 at Symmons Plains, and means he is still the only multiple pole winner so far in 2018.

Jack Smith will start directly behind his team-mate having put the #21 VF Commodore fourth on the grid.

Row 3 is an all-Eggleston Motorsport affair of Paul Dumbrell (#88 VF Commodore) and Will Brown (#38 VF Commodore), the latter making the top 10 for the first time in four qualifying sessions.

Alex Rullo went early for his second run only to arrive in heavy traffic for the start of a flying lap, when he had a near miss with Shae Davies at Turn 1.

He still managed to wheel the #62 MW Motorsport Nissan Altima to seventh with his next lap and will start alongside Thomas Randle (#5 Tickford Racing FGX Falcon).

Davies (#67 Paul Morris Motorsport FGX Falcon) and Race 1 winner Garry Jacobson (#26 MW Motorsport Nissan Altima) rounded out the top 10.

Other notables were Kurt Kostecki (#55 Kostecki Brothers Racing VF Commodore) in 13th, Bryce Fullwood (#16 Matt Stone Racing VF Commodore) in 14th, and Dean Fiore (#23 MW Motorsport Nissan Altima) in 18th.

The second and final Super2 race of the weekend starts at 1445 local time/AEST.

Results: Armor All Qualifying

Pos	Num	Team/Sponsor	Driver	Car	Fastest lap	Split
1	44	Wilson Security PAYCE GRM	Chris Pither	Holden Commodore VF	1:14.2560
2	14	Payce	Macauley Jones	Holden Commodore VF	1:14.2995	0:00.0435
3	57	Arcoplate Racing	Brodie Kostecki	Holden Commodore VF	1:14.3607	0:00.1047
4	21	SCT Logistics	Jack Smith	Holden Commodore VF	1:14.4073	0:00.1513
5	88	Eggleston Motorsport	Paul Dumbrell	Holden Commodore VF	1:14.4570	0:00.2010
6	38	Eggleston Motorsport	William Brown	Holden Commodore VF	1:14.5263	0:00.2703
7	62	Land Surveys / MWM	Alex Rullo	Nissan Altima	1:14.5276	0:00.2716
8	5	Skye Sands	Thomas Randle	Ford Falcon FG/X	1:14.5568	0:00.3008
9	67	Paul Morris Motorsport	Shae Davies	Ford Falcon FG/X	1:14.5662	0:00.3102
10	26	MEGA Fuels / MWM	Garry Jacobson	Nissan Altima	1:14.5836	0:00.3276
11	99	Wilson Security PAYCE GRM	Mason Barbera	Holden Commodore VF	1:14.6822	0:00.4262
12	15	Auto One Racing	Adam Marjoram	Holden Commodore VF	1:14.6965	0:00.4405
13	55	Arcoplate Racing	Kurt Kostecki	Holden Commodore VF	1:14.7126	0:00.4566
14	16	Middy’s Electrical	Bryce Fullwood	Holden Commodore VF	1:14.7253	0:00.4693
15	56	Arcoplate Racing	Jake Kostecki	Holden Commodore VF	1:14.7797	0:00.5237
16	8	BGD Architects	Zane Goddard	Holden Commodore VF	1:14.7798	0:00.5238
17	18	Auto One Albury	Matthew Chahda	Holden Commodore VF	1:14.8917	0:00.6357
18	23	Sitech-Trimble / MWM	Dean Fiore	Nissan Altima	1:14.9166	0:00.6606
19	54	Eggleston Motorsport	Nathan Morcom	Holden Commodore VF	1:15.1645	0:00.9085
20	63	Eggleston Motorsport	Dominic Storey	Holden Commodore VF	1:15.3607	0:01.1047
21	49	Dynamic Supplies	Jordan Boys	Holden Commodore VF	1:15.4144	0:01.1584
22	10	Grove Hire	Brenton Grove	Holden Commodore VF	1:15.5100	0:01.2540
23	50	Sherriff Electrical Racing	Gerard McLeod	Holden Commodore VF	1:16.7465	0:02.4905