Brown blows Sunday Sandown qualifying, De Pasquale fastest

The Triple Eight Race Engineering driver made it out of Q1 with the 16th fastest time but mistimed his run in Q2, pitting in the final few minutes while others improved.

Brown was the lowest-placed Finals Series driver in a slipery two-part qualifying session, which was hit by inclement conditions.

“Just made the wrong calls,” said Brown.

“We went out on wets at the start and then got the yellow flag when [Cam Hill] spun, went to the greens too late, and another rain shower came at the back of the straight.

“Just missed the window. That’s about it, really. It’s very disappointing.”

Anton De Pasquale was the star for Team 18, putting the #18 Chevrolet Camaro on provisional pole position.

Ryan Wood was second in the #2 Walkinshaw Andretti United Ford Mustang while Kai Allen put himself in the box seat as the highest-placed Finals Series contender in third in his #19 Grove Racing Mustang.

The other drivers to make it through to the Top 10 Shootout were Matt Payne, Thomas Randle, Cameron Hill, Broc Feeney, Chaz Mostert, Cameron Waters, and Bryce Fullwood.

Qualifying began with light rain blanketing the circuit. Despite the conditions, everyone went out on slick tyres to bank a lap.

David Reynolds fell victim to the moisture at Turn 1, locking up and running wide onto the exit apron in the #20 Team 18 Camaro.

Brad Jones Racing’s Macauley Jones spun his #96 Camaro at Turn 4 on his first flying lap, parking briefly in the grass run-off.

There was a brief spell of respite, and Jones went to the top on a 1:08.7683s, ahead of Wood to the tune of 0.0538s.

Third was Hill ahead of Thomas Randle, James Courtney, Brodie Kostecki, Jayden Ojeda, Matt Payne, Anton De Pasquale, and Bryce Fullwood.

It wasn’t long before the rain returned, and the biggest losers were Cooper Murray, Jaxon Evans, Reynolds, Aaron Cameron, Will Davison and Andre Heimgartner – who were all caught out by the conditions and failed to improve as the rain fell.

All seven Finals Series contenders escaped, but not by much. Cam Waters was 17th, just two places above the drop zone. Kai Allen was 12th, Chaz Mostert 14th, Broc Feeney 15th, and Will Brown 16th.

Rain persisted between Q1 and Q2, prompting some teams to bolt wet-weather tyres on.

Fullwood set the pace initially on a 1:09.5430s, but that was quickly eclipsed by De Pasquale on a 1:08.7713s.

Matt Stone Racing’s Hill was on course to reset the benchmark, but he spun the #4 Camaro out of Dandenong Road.

De Pasquale improved to a 1:08.7073s, leading Allen, Feeney, Payne, and Waters with four minutes to go.

The Team 18 driver continued to set the pace, improving for the third consecutive lap on a 1:08.6933s – a time that was unchallenged and earned him provisional pole.

There was very little improvement in the final two minutes – and again it was Randle and Brown in the danger zone in 13th and 15th with less than a minute to go.

After his earlier woes, Hill shot from the bottom of the pile to the top 10 to end up sixth before Randle dug himself out of trouble too, setting the fifth fastest time behind another late riser Payne.

The Top 10 Shootout will immediately follow Qualifying at 12:10pm AEDT.

Results: Repco Supercars Championship Penrite Oil Sandown 500, Qualifying Race 2