Payne tops qualifying as Kostecki misses Shootout

The Grove Racing driver recorded the fastest two times in Q2; rocketing to the top with a 1:12.6000s before trimming that to 1:12.5262s on his second lap.

Will Davison was best of the rest in what proved a sweet and sour session for Dick Johnson Racing.

Teammate Brodie Kostecki sat fourth after the first runs in Q2 but was the only driver not on track for a second run and was demoted to an unlucky 11th in the dying seconds.

Thomas Randle made it a Mustang sweep of the top three places ahead of Triple Eight Camaro pair Broc Feeney and Will Brown.

Walkinshaw Andretti United’s Ryan Wood and Chaz Mostert were sixth and seventh, while Kai Allen, Anton De Pasquale and Cam Waters complete the Shootout field.

While talk of the weekend’s limited tyre bank dominated the session, Kostecki pointed to other challenges aboard the #38 Mustang.

“We’re battling a few steering dramas at the moment,” he revealed.

“The car is just moving around all over the place under brakes and it’s quite hard with this place being so bumpy, it’s trying to grab both front wheels at certain times.

“If we can get on top of that and sort that out the car will be fast again.”

Team 18 only has one car in the Shootout after Saturday pole sitter Reynolds managed just 13th.

Those to be eliminated in Q1 were Aaron Cameron, Jaxon Evans, Andre Heimgartner, Jack Le Brocq, Nick Percat and Macauley Jones.

It was almost a full Q1 wipeout for Brad Jones Racing as Bryce Fullwood only snuck through by 0.0065s. He could manage no better than 16th in Q2.

Result: Repco Supercars Championship, NTI Townsville 500 Race 3 qualifying