Brown pips Waters for Sandown 500 pole

Will Brown will start the 2024 Sandown 500 from pole after triumphing in this evening’s Top 10 Shootout in tricky conditions.

While the rain had passed through the venue, damp patches remained on the circuit, which challenged several drivers, including Ryan Wood, who went off at Turn 9 on his fast lap.

Brown, who had provisionally qualified sixth, set a time of 1m 10.2549s on his flyer, which none of the following five drivers could better.

Tickford’s Cam Waters came closest, falling just 0.0647 seconds short to secure a front row start.

Anton De Pasquale was the biggest mover, jumping from 10th to third, where he will start alongside his replacement at DJR for next season, Brodie Kostecki.

Broc Feeney, who was the last to run having gone fastest in timed qualifying, could only manage fifth and will start next to championship contender Chaz Mostert.

The four Kiwis that qualified for the Shootout complete the top ten, with Richie Stanaway leading Andre Heimgartner, Matt Payne, and Wood, respectively.

De Pasquale was the first to run and set the benchmark at 1:10.3564, which Heimgartner could not better this, going 0.7622 seconds slower to drop a place in the top ten provisionally.

Stanaway, too, could not better De Pasquale’s time and slotted into second, ahead of Heimgartner but half a second behind Shell V-Power #11’s benchmark.

Kostecki got closer to De Pasquale’s time but also fell short, his 1:10.5308 being 0.1745 seconds slower.

Brown then jumped to the top with a 1:10.2549, a time Waters fell 0.0647 seconds short of to slot into second.

Wood went fastest through the first sector and was on track to challenge Brown’s time but got loose going through the Turn 6 and 7 chicane before running over the grass at Turn 8 and into the gravel in the Turn 9 runoff. He returned to the track to finish his lap, albeit well off the pace.

Payne could only manage a 1:11.6688 on his flyer following Wood’s off, before Mostert put in a 1:10.7807 on his way to fifth provisionally. Feeney then bettered the WAU driver to snatch fifth.

The 2024 Sandown 500 begins at 4.05 pm NZST and will be shown live on Sky Sport.

Sandown 500 Starting Grid

Header Image: Supercars