The 15-minute session that set the field for the Top 10 Shootout took a while to get going thanks to two delays.

The start was pushed back while officials cleaned up the remnants of a multi-car pile-up in the preceding Aussie Racing Car race.

That proved a trouble spot for Andre Heimgartner, who stuck his Brad Jones Racing Camaro into the tyre barrier at the 90-degree left-hander six minutes in.

Heimgartner’s car was wedged into the barrier such that it took 10 minutes for officials to drag it out.

Broc Feeney held P1 at the time of the stoppage. His 1:10.2591s remained the benchmark until Payne punched in a 1:10.1508s with just 20 seconds on the clock.

Waters – whose Mustang survived a wild, four wheels in the air kerb strike on the beach chicane earlier in the session – fell just 0.0151s short of Payne on his final lap.

“We’ve improved our car a little bit from yesterday to this morning,” noted Payne, who finished fourth in the Saturday race.
“[It was] a little bit scrappy with the red flag, but it all came down to the end there. It was pretty intense. I’m looking forward to the Shootout.”

Feeney’s time hung on for third ahead of rookie Ryan Wood, who shot to fourth with his last effort, Brodie Kostecki, Will Brown, Chaz Mostert, Jack Le Brocq, Richie Stanaway and James Golding.

Thomas Randle, Anton De Pasquale and James Courtney all looked set for a Shootout berth until being bumped out during the frantic final moments.

Randle endured a particularly wild session. He clouted the Turn 3 tyre barrier in the opening minutes, requiring a patch-up under the red flag, and was later seen tagging his right-rear on the Turn 11 wall.

“It’s tough. We’ve got the car to do it, I just didn’t do a good enough job on my lap,” said Randle.

“And a bit pissed off at myself for rubbing the tyres. It was a pretty frantic session. It was a bit chaotic. It was a bit of a mad rush. We should be in the 10. But anyway, we’re not.”

Just 1.005s separated the entire 24-car field.