Qualifying for Race 23 of the Supercars Championship got underway at Queensland Raceway, with the field battling to secure grid positions for the 120km race set for later today at 2:45pm (NZST).
The session followed a two-part format, the first 15 minutes deciding who would advance to the Top 10, before a final shootout-style run to set the front of the grid.
Most drivers rolled out on used tyres from Friday’s practice, aiming to bank a banker lap before bolting on fresh rubber.
Part 1 – The Cut to Ten
Broc Feeney was the early pace-setter, clocking a 1:09.013, ahead of Cooper Murray and Richie Stanaway, with Anton De Pasquale and Will Brown completing the early top five.
Matt Payne jumped to third on his opening flyer before being shuffled down to seventh almost immediately by Ryan Wood, Brodie Kostecki, Jaxon Evans and Chaz Mostert. Feeney then lowered the benchmark to a 1:08.590 before the field pitted for fresh tyres.
The Top 10 at that stage read: Feeney, Brown, Wood, Evans, Kostecki, Mostert, Payne, James Courtney, Murray and Aaron Cameron, with Stanaway and Andre Heimgartner sitting in the drop zone.
Cameron Hill produced a stunning lap to leap from 24th to fourth, while Murray improved to second, just 0.054s behind Feeney. Hill found more pace to slot into third, only 0.079s off the top.
Payne’s hopes were dashed when he was caught in a mid-session “carpark” involving much of the field. The congestion saw Cam Waters make contact with Kai Allen, and left Payne along with several other drivers, missing the line for their final flyer.
“It was a bit of a laugh on that out lap, everyone trying to get to the front of the pack so they can get two laps,” said Waters.
Courtney, who will start his 600th race from 12th, added: “The guys at the front have got plenty of time to get their time in, so they were going slow, making it hard for everyone at the back.
“It’s a bit of a pain, but that’s the drama with being at this end of pit lane.”
Payne slipped from 10th to 18th as others improved. Evans also missed his final attempt but was sitting in fifth at the time.
Nick Percat vaulted from 24th to eighth, pushing Jack Le Brocq to the brink of elimination. In a frantic final minute, Brown went fastest before Feeney reclaimed P1.
Wood climbed to third, Mostert fourth, and De Pasquale fifth. David Reynolds bumped Evans from the 10 before Kostecki demoted Reynolds in turn.
Rookie Kai Allen then surprised with a lap good enough for fifth, knocking Cameron Waters out of contention.
Through to Part 2: Feeney, Brown, Wood, Mostert, Allen, Kostecki, De Pasquale, Murray, Hill, Cameron. Just 0.593s covered the Top 10.
Race 23 Grid – Positions 11–26:
- Waters +0.593s
- Courtney +0.594s
- Reynolds +0.613s
- Randle +0.633s
- Evans +0.696s
- Percat +0.706s
- Le Brocq +0.744s
- Payne +0.815s
- Fullwood +0.841s
- Heimgartner +0.872s
- Bates +0.875s
- Stanaway +0.938s
- Jones +0.992s
- Davison +1.032s
- Crick +1.129s
- Golding +2.367s
Part 2 – The Shootout for Pole
The Top 10 returned to the track for the final 10-minute session, all running together rather than one by one.
Brown set the first time of 1:08.812, but Feeney responded with a blistering 1:08.275, over half a second quicker. Wood split the Triple Eight cars to go second, four tenths off Feeney. Allen’s early effort put him fourth before Cameron and Mostert demoted him to sixth.
Murray continued his strong form by going second, three-tenths behind Feeney, while De Pasquale slotted into fourth.
A mid-session reset for fresh tyres set up a final flurry. Cameron jumped to second before Brown bettered him, just 0.192s behind Feeney.
Hill moved to sixth, while Feeney extended his advantage with a 1:08.130. Allen improved to third before Kostecki edged him back to fourth.
De Pasquale briefly took third before Wood’s late flyer reclaimed the spot, only 0.075s away from joining the Triple Eight front row.
Murray’s final lap put him fifth, Mostert slotted into fourth, and Hill rounded out the top ten.
Race 23 – Top 10 Grid:
- Broc Feeney – 1:08.130
- Will Brown +0.112s
- Ryan Wood +0.187s
- Chaz Mostert +0.216s
- Brodie Kostecki +0.403s
- Anton De Pasquale +0.416s
- Cooper Murray +0.329s
- Kai Allen +0.472s
- Aaron Cameron +0.485s (career-best qualifying)
- Cameron Hill +0.668s
It’s a Triple Eight front-row lockout with Feeney and Brown leading the way, WAU locking out row two with Wood and Mostert, and rookie Aaron Cameron celebrating his best-ever Supercars qualifying result. Wood will be the sole Kiwi in the Top 10, missing a front-row start by just 0.075s.
Race 24 Qualifying –
Qualifying for Race 24 at Queensland Raceway began under dry skies, with the 15-minute session setting the top 10 who would progress to the final stage.
Broc Feeney set the early pace with a 1:08.903, narrowly ahead of Anton De Pasquale by just 0.014s. Aaron Cameron slotted into third, two-tenths off the top time, with Cooper Murray and David Reynolds rounding out the early top five.
Richie Stanaway’s first effort put him fifth, ahead of Jack Le Brocq, James Courtney, James Golding and Nick Percat.
Cam Waters soon jumped to third, only 0.063s behind De Pasquale, while Thomas Randle went fourth. Will Brown edged to within 0.003s of Feeney before the Triple Eight driver extended his lead with a 1:08.769.
Rookie Kai Allen climbed to sixth before being pushed to seventh by Chaz Mostert, who slotted ahead of him. Ryan Wood then snatched the top spot by 0.012s with a 1:08.756, while Matt Payne’s first run was good enough for seventh.
Evans and Stanaway were mid-pack at this stage, Stanaway 14th and Evans 16th, while Heimgartner was struggling down in 21st. At the halfway point, the Top 10 read: Wood, Feeney, Brown, De Pasquale, Waters, Randle, Payne, Mostert, Percat, Allen.
The final run saw the Kiwi trio needing to find pace. Feeney went quickest with a 1:08.696 before De Pasquale pipped him by 0.012s with a 1:08.683. Stanaway delivered when it mattered, leaping from 15th to fifth.
A frantic last lap saw Golding, Murray and Declan Bates jump into the Top 10 before Bates was pushed back out by Mostert. Waters climbed to seventh, while Payne just missed the cut in 11th.
Advancing to Part 2: De Pasquale, Feeney, Reynolds, Wood, Brown, Randle, Golding, Waters, Stanaway, Mostert, just 0.226s covering the Top 10.
Race 24 Grid – Positions 11–26:
- Payne +0.226s
- Murray +0.252s
- Bates +0.288s
- Kostecki +0.292s
- Cameron +0.320s
- Davison +0.344s
- Allen +0.372s
- Percat +0.379s
- Heimgartner +0.482s
- Evans +0.487s
- Le Brocq +0.507s
- Hill +0.542s
- Jones +0.546s
- Fullwood +0.569s
- Crick +0.590s
- Courtney +0.680s
Remarkably, the entire 26-car field was covered by just six-tenths of a second.
Part 2 – Chaos in the Wet
The heavens opened for the Top 10 shootout, turning the session into a test of survival. Heavy rain lashed Queensland Raceway, with standing water causing cars to aquaplane and slide off-track.
Waters and Randle both had big off-track moments at the same corner, while Mostert also ran wide before diving into the pits. Some drivers opted for wet tyres, while others attempted to brave the conditions on slicks in the hope of setting a competitive time.
Feeney handled the treacherous track best, setting a 1:19.801 to secure pole position. Wood was second, 0.478s behind, with Brown in third.
Stanaway’s gamble to complete his first lap when conditions weren’t as dire paid off, claiming fourth while Waters rounded out the top five.
The final minute saw a last-ditch scramble, but the worsening rain meant no one could improve.
With grip at a premium, simply keeping the car on the road became the priority ahead of the two races later in the day.
Race 24 – Top 10 Grid:
- Broc Feeney – 1:19.801
- Ryan Wood +0.478s
- Will Brown +0.909s
- Richie Stanaway +1.908s
- Cam Waters +2.136s
- Anton De Pasquale +2.494s
- David Reynolds +6.276s
- James Golding +7.967s
- Chaz Mostert +10.196s
- Thomas Randle +18.664s
Header Image: Red Bull Ampol Racing
