Reynolds denies Mostert Newcastle 500 pole

Grove Racing’s David Reynolds has pipped Walkinshaw Andretti United’s Chaz Mostert to pole position for Race 2 at the Thrifty Newcastle 500.

Reynolds was on provisional pole after the day’s earlier 20-minute session for the Repco Supercars Championship field and would beat the benchmark which had been set by Mostert by 0.0058s when he clocked a 1:12.0813s in the #26 Penrite Mustang as he closed out the Top 10 Shootout.

It makes for an all-Ford front row, with James Golding (#31 Nulon Camaro) first of the Chevrolet contingent in third, ahead of official Race 1 winner Cameron Waters in a Tickford Racing Mustang and deposed Race 1 winner Shane van Gisbergen in a Triple Eight Race Engineering Camaro.

The rest of the top 10 was Tim Slade, Broc Feeney, Jack Le Brocq, Todd Hazelwood, and James Courtney, although there is doubt over whether the latter starts this afternoon given he crashed in the one-lap dash.

Mostert had charged to a 1:12.0871s in the #25 Mobil 1 Optus Mustang which was at least six tenths of a second quicker than any of the four drivers who went before him had gone.

None of the next four could match it either, although Golding threatened to do so despite using roaded tyres, ultimately checking in with a 1:12.1905s.

Waters (#6 Monster Energy Mustang) pinched a brake at the bottom of Shortland Esplanade on his way to a 1:12.2955s which left him third with one car to come.

Reynolds went deep in the first two braking zones and while his first sector was only the third-fastest of the session, his consistency over the course of the lap saw him rewarded with pole position.

Van Gisbergen (#97 Red Bull Ampol Camaro) set a 1:12.3485s to earn fifth and will share Row 3 with Slade (#400 Nulon Camaro), who clocked a 1:12.6268s after a big slide off Turn 7.

Feeney (#88 Red Bull Ampol Camaro) was first out and clocked a 1:12.7401s, after which he reported oil at Turn 7 following an earlier support category crash.

That would seem to have contributed to the undoing of Courtney (#5 Snowy River Caravans Mustang) when he glanced the inside wall at the left-hander away from Newcastle Surf Club in a bid to avoid the fluid on the race track.

Le Brocq (#34 Truck Assist Camaro) went from a provisional ninth to eighth all-told with a 1:12.9583s, and Hazelwood (#3 CoolDrive Mustang) claimed ninth on a 1:13.1039s after pinching the brakes at the top of Watt Street.

Race 2 of the season, to be run over 95 laps/250km, is set to start at the earlier time 15:05 local time/AEDT.

Results: Top 10 Shootout for Race 2, Thrifty Newcastle 500