Reigning Supercars champion Brodie Kostecki has blitzed the top-10 shootout, overcoming tyre hassle and nervousness to safe pole place for the Bathurst 1000.
The Erebus star was the fourth-to-last driver to have a solo try throughout Saturday’s top-10 shootout and he set an unbeatable tempo to assert back-to-back pole positions at Mount Panorama.
It’s a uncommon look up entrance for Kostecki, who has battled to get to the highest of the grid since returning to the game in spherical three after an low season dispute with Erebus.
His lap time of two minutes and 5.5119 seconds is the quickest of the weekend thus far, touchdown Kostecki his first pole of the yr after he claimed the highest spot eventually yr’s Bathurst 1000.
Kostecki, with Erebus Camaro co-driver Todd Hazelwood, will begin Sunday’s 161-lap, 1000km race at 11.30am (AEDT) within the entrance row with Tickford’s Cam Waters and Lee Holdsworth.
Seeing double attributable to worsening tyre vibration, the 26-year-old admits he lacked the identical confidence he boasted final yr to take pole.
Brodie Kostecki. (Picture by Daniel Kalisz/Getty Photos)
His efforts on Saturday makes him simply the sixth driver in historical past to have taken consecutive Bathurst poles.
“It was most likely just a little bit extra surprising this yr,” Kostecki stated.
“I used to be type of nervous going to the shootout, not figuring out how the automotive was going to react, pushing the automotive to the restrict.
“We’ll simply see how we go tomorrow. It’s such an extended day. Simply going to minimise errors and hopefully be there on the finish.”
Kostecki and Hazelwood are on the lookout for redemption after failing to complete final month’s Sandown 500.
“Clearly, Brodie – it’s an unimaginable lap, and he’s carried out an impeccable job within the lead as much as this occasion,” Hazelwood stated.
“Sandown was messy for us. We had a quick automotive however no outcome and that definitely damage for us, each as drivers and as a staff.
“That’s given us a complete new stage of motivation coming right here this weekend to correctly execute.”
Purple Bull star Broc Feeney certified third and can share the second row with reigning Bathurst winner Richie Stanaway.
Stanaway, who received final yr with Shane van Gisbergen, was the primary driver out on the monitor and led by 0.254 seconds earlier than Kostecki had his shot.
He put collectively a near-perfect lap to outdo his qualifying time regardless of sliding vast into the grime after the primary flip.
Thursday’s provisional polesitter Matt Payne needed to accept seventh after contact with the wall on the exit of Forrest’s Elbow proved expensive.
Andre Heimgartner, who shed a tear after reserving a career-first shootout, was left heartbroken after he fumbled his alternative to seize pole place on the first flip.
The Brad Jones Racing driver locked up on the first flip and went straight into the gravel.
He was capable of full the lap however completed useless final within the shootout, behind by an enormous margin of 8.580 seconds.
Heimgartner has the unenviable document of six ‘didn’t end’ outcomes from 10 begins at Bathurst 1000.
Bathurst 1000 top-ten shootout outcomes
1. Brodie Kostecki (Erebus Motorsport)
2. Cam Waters (Tickford Racing)
3. Broc Feeney (Triple Eight Race Engineering)
4. Richie Stanaway (Grove Racing)
5. Will Brown (Triple Eight Race Engineering)
6. Jack Le Brocq (Erebus Motorsport)
7. Matt Payne (Grove Racing)
8. Anton De Pasquale (Dick Johnson Racing)
9. Chaz Mostert (Walkinshaw Andretti United)
10. Andre Heimgartner (Brad Jones Racing).
