Jackson Rice has taken the first TA2 pole of 2023 ahead of Race 1 at Winton later today.
Rice posted the quickest time of 1:24:887s in the Top Ten Shootout ahead of Graham Cheney and Lee Stibbs, with provisional polesitter Josh Haynes unable to convert pole from qualifying earlier.
Aaron Tebb was the first driver out for the Top Ten Shootout, the #93 driver posting a time of 1:26:558s.
Hugh McAlister was next on track and was not able to knock the Waltec Motorsport driver off the top spot, setting a 1:27:001s around Winton.
Dylan Thomas went next, topping the times to that point with a 1:25:766s before Zach Loscialpo shaved another 0.3s off that time with a 1:25:463s to lead with five drivers left to run.
Nicholas Bates went next yet could only manage second fastest with a 1:25:495s.
It was Rice who was able to crack the sub-25 times to be quickest with his 1:24:867s in the #7 Ford Mustang.
The last three drivers were not able to challenge Rice’s time, with Cheney joining him in the sub-25s with a 1:24:882s – enough to secure a front-row start next to Rice – while Stibbs’ 1:25:007s was third fastest with provisional pole sitter Haynes the only competitor left to run.
Haynes – who’d set a stunning 1:23:971s in Group 2 Qualifying – couldn’t match Rice’s pace, his 1:25:178s a somewhat disappointing fourth on the grid.
Brad Gartner did not post a time in the Top Ten Shootout due to a broken throttle cable and will start Race 1 from 10th.
The 12-lap Race 1 for the TA2 Muscle Cars Round 1 begins at 15:25 AEDT.