Alex Riberas stormed to pole position for today’s third round of the Golden Homes North Island Endurance Series at Taupo.
Riberas’ best effort was nearly two seconds quicker than Sam Fillmore, who will join the Spaniard on the front row.
The Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage was electric around the technical Taupo circuit, with Riberas saving his best lap for his last.
Behind Fillmore is the SBT McLaren of Glenn Smith and John De Veth, who narrowly beat out Lance Hughes and Chris van der Drift in the Nissan GT-R.
Winners of round two at Hampton Downs, Jonny Reid and Neil Foster, will start fifth.
Foster was in the cockpit of the No.22 Audi R8, meaning he will start this afternoon’s race.
Geoff and Martin Short will start sixth and round out the GT-A field.
Matt Dovey and Jono Lester were only sixth tenths behind the last GT-A car in their V8-driven Audi A5. They will start seventh and in front of Greg Murphy and Shane Helms.
In the one-hour race, championship leaders Smith and De Veth surged to another pole in the second McLaren 650s GT3.
Anthony Leighs will start alongside the McLaren on the front row in his Audi R8.
The latest addition to the series – the Collins Motorsport MARC II V8 – will start third and ahead of John Midgley.
Brock Timperley and John McIntyre returned to the series after missing round two and will take to tomorrow’s race from fifth.
Gene Rollinson was sixth fastest in the Hyundai i30 N TCR.
The two-hour clubman race, which kicks off today’s action, will be headed by Rhys and Todd Bawden in their BMW 235i.
Both the one- and the three-hour race will be live on Sky Sport, with races getting underway at 11.30 am and 1.30 pm.