Waters fastest in Townsville 500 qualifying, Brown 17th

Waters, who won that encounter, set a 1:13.4071s which proved 0.0507s faster than Dick Johnson Racing’s Will Davison could manage in Qualifying for Race 14 of the Repco Supercars Championship, with Thomas Randle making for an all-Ford top three including both of the Tickford Racing entries.

After qualifying 13th a day earlier, championship leader Brown could only manage 17th this time around and hence will miss the Top 10 Shootout, while Triple Eight Race Engineering team-mate Broc Feeney squeaked into the one-lap dash in ninth.

The sun had started to peak through the clouds as pit exit opened at 10:15 local time and Randle (#55 Castrol Mustang) kicked things off with a 1:13.6354s, 0.0367s faster than Tickford team-mate Waters (#6 Monster Energy Mustang).

Waters was on to go quicker next time through but pitted instead and they were split by Erebus Motorsport’s Brodie Kostecki (#1 Erebus Camaro) on a 1:13.6453s.

Kostecki’s team-mate Jack Le Brocq (#9 Tyrepower Camaro) then shot to first position with a 1:13.5500s on his first run proper, and that was still the top four ahead of the final runs around the Reid Park Street Circuit.

Notables outside the top 10 with a few minutes to go were Brown (#87 Red Bull Ampol Camaro) in 13th and Chaz Mostert (#25 Mobil 1 Optus Mustang) in 15th.

Mostert then climbed to second place on a 1:13.5785s in a couple of jumps, before Waters set what would be the very fastest lap of the session and Randle moved into second on a 1:13.4742s.

The chequered flag came out and Anton De Pasquale (#11 Shell V-Power Mustang) rose to fourth on a 1:13.5594s before team-mate Davison (#17 Shell V-Power Mustang) jumped 12 spots to second on a 1:13.4578s.

That effort bumped Andre Heimgartner (#8 R&J Batteries Camaro) out of the top 10 while Brown was still trying to dig himself out of trouble but could manage no improvement on his existing 1:13.9198s on his final lap.

Le Brocq ended up fourth, from De Pasquale, Mostert, Kostecki, Matt Payne (#19 Penrite Mustang), Feeney on a 1:13.7341s which was 0.3270s off the pace, and James Courtney (#7 Snowy River Caravans Mustang).

Heimgartner is locked into 11th with Ryan Wood (#2 Mobil 1 Truck Assist Mustang) joining him on Row 6, while Brown is set to line up on the inside of Row 9.

The Top 10 Shootout for Race 14 is scheduled for 12:05 local time/AEST.

Results: Qualifying for Race 14, NTI Townsville 500