Waters blazes to Bathurst pole with a 2:03.5s

Cameron Waters has converted his strong practice form into a 2:03.5592s which puts the #6 Tickford Racing Mustang on pole position for the 2020 Supercheap Auto Bathurst.

The 2017 Sandown 500 winner had provisionally qualified fourth but laid down a time in the Top 10 Shootout which none of the three drivers who followed could get close to.

Sharing the front row with the Monster Energy machine of Waters and Will Davison will be the #17 Shell V-Power Mustang of Scott McLaughlin and Tim Slade.

Chaz Mostert put his #25 Mobil 1 Appliances Online ZB Commodore third on the grid, from Nick Percat’s #8 R&J Batteries ZB Commodore and the #97 Red Bull Holden driven by Shane van Gisbergen.

Waters’ lap was not perfect, with a brief locked brake from The Esses into The Dipper, but the 26-year-old was still thrilled with his showing as a whole.

He was best in all three sectors around the Mount Panorama Motor Racing Circuit, making for the fastest ever Top 10 Shootout lap at the Bathurst 1000.

“Man, I’m so pumped,” exclaimed Waters on his cool down lap.

“That was absolutely awesome. So much fun.

“Made a bit of a mistake at the Dipper, but who cares? I had fun doing that.

“I had no idea man, I just knew the markers I had to hit, and I went and did it.

“I knew we were going to go a fair bit quicker like we did in practice.

“I gave it everything, hopefully it’s enough, man.

“I’m surprised I stopped the thing, it was bloody red on my dash. I was turning it in, three-wheeled it and got out.”

McLaughlin, with a flattened rear wing on Car #17, followed Waters onto the race track and recorded a 2:04.0021s.

Just van Gisbergen and Lee Holdsworth were to come at that point, and the former was competitive with McLaughlin to the second sector.

However, he missed the apex slightly at The Chase and was a little untidy into Murray’s Corner.

Ultimately, that meant Walkinshaw Andretti United’s Mostert jumped from eighth before the one-lap dash to third on the grid.

Despite going out straight after James Courtney, who reported rain at The Cutting on his cool down lap, Mostert set the then-fastest first sector.

The 2014 Bathurst 1000 winner got oversteer off the crest at McPhillamy Park but kept in the lap and ultimately achieved a 2:04.0100s.

Percat ended up fourth with a 2:04.2474s, one spot ahead of van Gisbergen, who set a 2:04.4511s.

Last onto the circuit, Holdsworth wagged the tail of the #5 Truck Assist Mustang on the climb to Reid Park as he rolled out a 2:04.6765s to qualify sixth.

Anton De Pasquale (#99 Penrite ZB Commodore) remained a net unchanged seventh having set a 2:04.7688s.

Fabian Coulthard (#12 Shell V-Power Mustang) had small moments at Griffins and Murray’s on his way to a 2:04.8534s which saw him finish the session eighth-fastest.

Courtney (#44 Boost Mobile Mustang) set a 2:05.3549s on roaded front tyres and that ended up being the ninth-quickest time.

Jamie Whincup rounds out the top 10 having locked the rears and run the #888 Red Bull HRT ZB Commodore through the weeds at The Chase, logging a 2:06.3941s at the control line.

Despite the dark clouds which hung over Mount Panorama throughout the session, rain appeared to play no part in proceedings, Courtney’s comments notwithstanding.

The Warm Up takes place tomorrow morning at 08:30 local time/AEDT, with race start due at the earlier time of 11:00.

Results: Top 10 Shootout, Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 Updated