Garth Tander has scored the inaugural pole position for the Sydney Telstra 500.
The #2 Holden Racing Team driver set a time of 1m29.8489, just edging out Valvoline Cummins driver Lee Holdsworth.
Tander’s result came after he only just scraped into the second segment of qualifying, setting his time to make it into the top 20 on his last lap.
Third place is the champion-elect Jamie Whincup (TeamVodafone Falcon) who made big gains to go from provisional ninth before a great shoot-out lap put him on the inside of the second row.
Michael Carsuo made it a great morning for the Valvoline team. The local driver will start fourth, ahead of and impressive WOW Racing’s Cameron McConville.
Greg Murphy (Sprint Gas Commodore) will start sixth in the team’s last appearance before closing its doors, with Orrcon FPR driver Mark Winterbottom seventh.
Jim Beam Racing Falcon of James Courtney finished eighth after glancing the wall at the final corner.
The Walkinshaw Racing pair of Paul Dumbrell (Autobarn Commodore) and David Reynolds (Bundaberg Red Commodore) will start ninth and 10th respectively. Reynolds took the biggest fall down the order after provisionally being second.
The only man with a chance of snatching the title – Toll HRT’s Will Davison – will start 18th.
V8 Supercar qualifying – Race 25
1. #2 Garth Tander 1:29.8489
2. #33 Lee Holdsworth 1:30.3376
3. #1 Jamie Whincup 1:30.3631
4. #34 Michael Caruso 1:30.3938
5. #14 Cameron McConville 1:30.4007
6. #51 Greg Murphy 1:30.4018
7. #5 Mark Winterbottom 1:30.4168
8. #18 James Courtney 1:30.5638
9. #10 Paul Dumbrell 1:30.8739
10. #24 David Reynolds 1:30.6887
11. #15 Rick Kelly 1:30.0583
12. #39 Russell Ingall 1: 30.1824
13. #25 Jason Bright 1:30.1841
14. #7 Todd Kelly 1:30.1967
15. #25 Jason Bright 1:30.2261
16. #17 Steven Johnson 1:30.3236
17. #3 Jason Bargwanna 1:30.4595
18. #22 Will Davison 1:30.5968
19. #111 Fabian Coulthard 1:30.6254
20. #67 Tim Slade 1:30.6369
21. #55 Tony D’Alberto 1:30.7524
22. #888 Craig Lowndes 1:30.7879
23. #6 Steven Richards 1:31.1049
24. #4 Alex Davison 1:31.1968
25. #8 Jason Richards 1:31.2101
26. #333 Michael Patrizi 1:31.2781
27. #11 Jack Perkins 1:31.3646
28. #12 Dean Fiore 1:31.9459
29. #16 Mark McNally 1:32.6307
