Clay Osborne and Brock Gilchrist have locked out the front row for the opening Porsche Sprint Challenge Australia race at Symmons Plains.
Osborne was the only driver to set a lap time under the 52-second mark in this afternoon’s 30-minute qualifying session to claim his maiden Sprint Challenge pole.
His 51.9828s flyer stands as a qualifying record for Porsche’s at Symmons Plains and is the second quickest ever Cup Car lap of the 2.41km venue.
Gilchrist was marginally quicker in the second practice and retains the outright record.
The Team Porsche New Zealand driver was one-tenth behind his compatriot in qualifying and starts Race 1 directly ahead of Ayrton Hodson, who makes for three Kiwis in the top four.
Championship leader Oscar Targett, who is locked in a fierce title battle with Gilchrist, will line up in third, with only 0.0026 separating the pair.
A gripping session saw the top spot swap hands on six occasions, with Targett, Gilchrist and then Osborne late in the session, all taking turns at the top of the timing screen.
This means that the driver third in the standings will start race one from the pole, the driver second in points second, and the title leader from the inside of the third row of the grid.
Osborne becomes the fourth different polesitter from the five rounds held to date this year, the effort doubling as McElrea Racing’s first of the year.
Caleb Sumich makes for three McElrea Racing entries in the top five and will start alongside Conor Somers on the third row.
The opening 25-minute race at Symmons Plains begins at 12.30 pm NZST on Saturday, before the 45-minute Jim Richards Enduro at 4.40 pm.
A sole 25-minute race on Sunday begins at 2.10 pm.
