Photo: Tickford Racing

Cam Waters on top in qualifying for Supercars finale

Cam Waters has taken provisional pole position for the final race of the Supercars season after putting in the quickest time of the weekend in qualifying.

Tickford Racing’s #6 car went under yesterday’s qualifying pace early in the session, leaving Waters untouched for the rest of the outing and allowing him to roll out as the last car on circuit in this afternoon’s Top Ten Shootout.

In a crucial session for today’s last race of the year, the 20 minutes were highlighted by a rare mistake from Triple Eight’s Shane van Gisbergen which cost yesterday’s winner dearly ahead of the 250km race.

Despite rain falling earlier in the morning, the track had dried up by the time the Supercars field hit the circuit for the 20 minute qualifying session, determining the order of the shootout as well as positions 11-24 on the grid.

Early running was headed up by the Tickford Racing cars of Waters and Lee Holdsworth, both jumping to the top of the order with Waters’ time of 1:10.1095 below yesterday’s pole time, posted by  van Gisbergen.

The Triple Eight driver and Race 31 winner struggled early in the session, only lapping in the back of the top ten and over half a second down on Waters. By comparison, Jamie Whincup was the fastest of the Triple Eight built Holdens, hovering around the top five.

Scott McLaughlin started to wind up the #17 DJR Team Penske car, posting the fastest first and second sectors of the session before bailing out towards the end of the lap, still only two-tenths back on the provisional pole time.

Rolling out of the pit lane with just under four minutes left to run, a majority of the field took off for their last qualifying outing of the year, most still hunting for a spot in the shootout.

van Gisbergen’s chance to take two straight poles came to an end after he made a mistake at Turn 9, aborting the lap and returning to the pits in 18th position. Unable to return to the track as the clock hit zero, he is locked in to start from that spot this afternoon.

No one could beat Waters as he took provisional pole ahead of the shootout, narrowly edging Whincup and McLaughlin to the quickest time. DJR Team Penske’s hopes of a team’s championship were boosted by Fabian Coulthard qualifying behind his team-mate in fourth for the shootout.

Tim Slade was able to take fifth and make a second consecutive shootout appearance for Brad Jones Racing, qualifying ahead of the Erebus, Walkinshaw Andretti United, Erebus, WAU order of Anton de Pasquale, James Courtney, David Reynolds and Scott Pye, all qualifying ahead of Holdsworth on the edge of the top ten.

This afternoon’s top ten shootout will begin at 1315 local time.