Waters will start the 26-lapper alongside Triple Eight Race Engineering’s Broc Feeney. The pair were the only drivers in the 1m28s bracket, split by 0.2544s at the end of the two-part qualifying session.

The second leg was a slightly bizarre affair as the drivers all completed one flying lap and pitted, leaving more than a minute left on the clock with no one on track.

Waters set the pace with a pole-winning time of 1:28.6908s ahead of Feeney (1:28.9452) and Grove Racing’s Matt Payne (1:29.1467).

On his debut for Dick Johnson Racing, Brodie Kostecki was fourth fastest while Thomas Randle was fifth in the other Tickford Racing entry.

The top 10 was completed by Andre Heimgartner (Brad Jones Racing), Walkinshaw Andretti United duo Ryan Wood and Chaz Mostert, Bryce Fullwood (Brad Jones Racing), and Kai Allen (Grove Racing).

“Every time you get a new set of tyres you find a little bit more lap time, don’t you?” said Waters.

“That car was so hooked up then. A massive credit to the boys and girls at Tickford, a really cool rocket.

“It’s a good way to start this year. We did a race run earlier and it was pretty speedy in that too.

“We’ll see what happens in the race.”

The first leg of qualifying saw 11th through 25th lock in their grid spots for Race 1.

Initially, Waters set the pace in the first leg of qualifying with a 1:29.3639s, which he improved to a 1:29.1242s on his last lap.

Wood was Waters’ nearest challenger in Q1, improving to go second quickest ahead of Mostert, Payne, Feeney, Randle, Kostecki, Fullwood, Allen, and Heimgartner who advanced to Q2.

Brown was the first to miss the cut in 11th, a meagre 0.0030s away from the cut-off line.

“We were looking all right in the first run. It wasn’t exactly where we wanted to be in that second one,” said Brown.

“The time was looking all right, I just locked a front [wheel] straight away into Turn 8 and ran wide. Didn’t end up doing the time that we wanted to do. Unfortunately not through to the top 10.

“First race of the year, would have loved to been in the top 10 and start up the front, but at the end of the day that’s where we are tonight and then reset for tomorrow.

“This new tyre is a fair bit different so it’s something we’re all learning on and obviously a lot of people are doing good jobs so I have to do a little bit better job as well.

“There are different ways to phase it and all that sort of stuff but if I didn’t lock up, I’d be in – so it’s my fault.”

While Kostecki enjoyed a strong session, the same couldn’t be said for Davison who was only 16th.

James Golding was second-to-last after an awkward moment with Macauley Jones at the final sequence of corners.

While Golding was on a flying lap, Jones was warming up and clearly didn’t see the approaching #31 Chevrolet Camaro approaching at a high rate of speed. Golding was forced to avoid the weaving Jones and abort his lap.

Race 1 of the Supercars season gets underway at 7:50pm AEDT.

Results: Repco Supercars Championship Sydney 500, Qualifying Race 1