Three drivers remain in contention to claim the Armor All Pole Champion Award heading into the Coates Hire Sydney 500 Supercars finale this weekend.
Red Bull Racing Australia team-mates Shane van Gisbergen and Jamie Whincup are locked on six poles apiece, while last year’s winner Chaz Mostert (Prodrive) is poised to strike with five poles accrued this season.
The 250km races on Saturday and Sunday at Sydney Olympic Park each have a qualifying session so any one of the three can be crowned the 2016 Armor All Pole Champion.
Six-time Supercars champion Jamie Whincup is eyeing his seventh Armor All Pole Award, while series points leader Van Gisbergen is yet to put his name on the winner’s list.
Should Van Gisbergen win the Pole Award, he would become just the sixth driver to take the season long award in its 11-year history, joining Whincup (2008-2011 and 2013-2014), Mostert (2015), Will Davison (2012), Mark Winterbottom (2007) and Mark Skaife (2006).
Although behind his rivals, Mostert remains a serious threat having proved to be one of the championship’s best qualifiers over the last two years.
“Fittingly, the Armor All Pole Champion Award will go right down to the last race of the season and to have the only two drivers that can win the Championship in Sydney and last year’s Pole Award winner in contention shows the quality of the Supercars Championship right now,” said Spectrum Brands General Manager of Global Auto Care (GAC) – Asia Pacific, Paul Blair.
“If Jamie won his seventh Armor All Pole Champion Award and Supercars Championship, it would be an astonishing achievement in Australian sport.
“We’d certainly welcome Shane to be our Armor All Pole Award Champion in what has been an amazing year for him – as would the many Armor All customers in New Zealand. It would also be terrific if Chaz could successfully defend.
“Overall, all three guys are great ambassadors for the sport and the Armor All team look forward to crowning any one of them the Armor All Pole Champion Award Champion for the year.”
The Dunlop Supercars Series Armor All Pole Champion Award is also up for grabs, with two pole positions in Sydney and no less than four drivers in contention.
Victorian Gary Jacobson leads the way with three poles this season, whilst Jack Le Brocq is right behind him on two.
In with a shot at equalling Jacobson are Todd Hazelwood and Andrew Jones both of whom have sat atop the timesheets on one occasion this season.
Armor All Pole Champion Award Winners
2006 – Mark Skaife
2007 – Mark Winterbottom
2008 – Jamie Whincup
2009 – Jamie Whincup
2010 – Jamie Whincup
2011 – Jamie Whincup
2012 – Will Davison
2013 – Jamie Whincup
2014 – Jamie Whincup
2015 – Chaz Mostert
Discussion about this post