Whincup continues domination in Sunday qualifying

Jamie Whincup has continued to set the pace at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, by scoring pole position for both Sunday afternoon races.

The Red Bull Racing Australia driver will share the front-row of the Race 15 grid with team-mate Craig Lowndes, who could manage no better than 12th in the second 15 minute hit-out.

Fabian Coulthard and Mark Winterbottom fill the Race 15 second row, while Rick Kelly put in Nissan’s best qualifying performance to date with fifth.

Whincup needed just one green tyre lap in the second session to score his eighth pole of the season, becoming the first driver to break into the 1:31s bracket across the weekend in the process.

The differing tyre strategies made for a particularly exciting end to the Race 16 session as Lowndes, Scott McLaughlin, Rick Kelly, Garth Tander and eventually Whincup all spent time at the top of the sheet over the final 90 seconds.

Coulthard dropped into second as the chequered flag fell while an even later lap from Jason Bright ensured that the Brad Jones Racing Holdens will sit either side of Tander’s Holden Racing Team entry on the Race 16 grid.

The second Sunday race will be hard work for Ford Performance Racing with its star drivers Winterbottom and Will Davison starting just 10th and 14th respectively.

Tim Slade led the Mercedes effort with a 19th and a 21st from the two sessions.

Races 15 and 16 will follow the same format as the Saturday hit-outs in Austin, with each 100km the duration and requiring a compulsory tyre stop.

See below for the full Race 15 qualifying result

See below for the full Race 16 qualifying result