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.
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 |
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