Payne paced the second part of qualifying at Sydney Motorsport Park in the #19 Penrite Mustang.

Race 2 winner Anton De Pasquale was second-fastest in the #18 DeWalt Camaro while Blanchard Racing Team stablemates Aaron Cameron and James Golding were third and fourth respectively.

“It’s super greasy today,” said Payne.

“Just even going out on that first run, in the first leg, just felt like the track was on fire. You’re driving on lava.

“It’s really tough. Obviously the times are over a second and a half off what we were doing yesterday.

“Completely different feeling, completely different balance, had to try put it all together and luckily we could.”

There were contrasting fortunes for Tickford Racing. Cameron Waters in the #6 Monster Mustang was the most high-profile name to miss the cut from Q1 into Q2. Randle, meanwhile, was fifth fastest in the #55 Castrol Mustang. Payne’s teammate Kai Allen was sixth (#26 Penrite Mustang).

The Red Bull Ampol Mustangs snuck into the Top 10 Shootout with Will Brown seventh and Broc Feeney in 10th. Feeney bumped Brodie Kostecki’s #17 Shell V-Power Mustang out at the death.

Feeney and Kostecki both had two cracks at getting into the top 10, though it was the #88 Red Bull Ampol Mustang that got in by 0.0450s at the end of the 12-minute session.

“To be honest, the car felt so much better. I feel like we’ve got a chance to fight for pole,” said Feeney.

“I just got through Turn 1 so much better than I have all weekend and got into Turn 2 and locked a front and speared off.

“It was hard work trying to do it on the second lap. We’re all hot sitting here, let alone the tyre after one push lap.

“Stoked to scrape through. I feel like we’ve still got a chance to fight for pole. We’ve still got greens (new tyres).”

Matt Stone Racing teammates Zach Bates and Jack Le Brocq were impressive in eighth and ninth respectively.

It was a tough time for the Toyota quintet. Chaz Mostert was the best of them in 16th while Andre Heimgartner and Ryan Wood were just behind them in 17th and 18th.

Brad Jones Racing teammates Cameron Hill and Macauley Jones were second-to-last and last in the other two Toyotas.

Results: Repco Supercars Championship Dunlop Sydney 500, Race 3 Q2

Results: Repco Supercars Championship Dunlop Sydney 500, Race 3 Q1