Will Brown has secured his first pole position of the 2025 Supercars Championship season in a thrilling Top 10 Shootout for Race 13 at Symmons Plains, edging out Kiwi rookie Ryan Wood by just eight one-hundredths of a second.
Qualifying 1: Early Shuffles and Shock Eliminations:
The opening qualifying session began with Cam Waters setting the initial benchmark with a 52.188-second lap as drivers brought their tyres up to temperature.
That time was quickly eclipsed by Cooper Murray, who clocked a 51.458s, only to be displaced again by Will Brown with a 51.293s.
The shuffle at the top continued as Cameron Hill squeezed ahead by just one thousandth of a second.
After the first round of flying laps and pit stops for fresh rubber, Broc Feeney surged to the top of the timesheets with a blistering 50.854s lap.
Thomas Randle slotted into second, with Jaxon Evans initially third before being bumped down by James Golding and Ryan Wood, who both improved significantly in the final stages.
Matt Payne delivered a standout lap to finish the session second fastest, while Wood held on to fourth and Evans settled for sixth.
The first major drama of the day came with the elimination of several high-profile names: Andre Heimgartner, Brodie Kostecki, James Courtney, Aaron Cameron, Chaz Mostert, and Will Davison all failed to progress, with Mostert only managing 23rd and Heimgartner down in 19th for the race start.
Qualifying 2: Delays, Surges, and Tight Margins:
The second qualifying segment was briefly delayed due to a timing system issue, but it resumed with Randle quickly setting the pace at 51.068s.
Feeney briefly went quicker before Randle responded again, dropping his time to 50.958s. At the halfway point, the top 10 featured a mix of established names and rising stars, with Randle, Feeney, Brown, and Evans leading the way.
As the final three minutes counted down, it became a two-lap shootout for a place in the Top 10 Shootout.
Brown delivered under pressure, storming to a 50.762s lap to take provisional pole. His Triple Eight teammate Feeney followed closely, with Randle, Anton De Pasquale, and Murray rounding out the top five. Wood surged from 14th to sixth with an impressive late flyer.
The final Top 10 contenders were: Brown, Feeney, Randle, De Pasquale, Murray, Wood, Evans, Richie Stanaway, Golding, and Waters. Remarkably, just over two-tenths of a second separated the entire top 10, underlining the tight margins at Symmons Plains.
Notably, Matt Payne narrowly missed the cut after suffering wheel damage after making contact with Davison who missed the apex at Turn 6 during the session and will line up 11th, while others to fall short included David Reynolds (12th), Nick Percat (13th), and Fullwood (15th), despite his podium finish yesterday.
Top 10 Shootout: Brown Blazes to the Top:
Cam Waters was first out for his 75th Top 10 Shootout appearance and set a solid 51.643s to establish the early benchmark.
James Golding followed closely with a near-identical sector one, eventually recording a 51.693s.
Stanaway slotted in just behind with a 51.740s, while Evans delivered a 51.942s for Brad Jones Racing.
Then came the breakthrough from rookie Ryan Wood. Opting for four green tyres, the Kiwi went purple in sector one and green in sector two, crossing the line with a 51.574s—good enough to knock Waters off the top.
Murray, De Pasquale, and Randle failed to better Wood’s time, with Randle’s 51.952s only enough for sixth after De Pasquale battled a gear-shifting issue in Turn 3.
Feeney was next and looked quick, going purple in sector two and ultimately stopping the clock at 51.695s, good enough for provisional fourth. That left just Will Brown, who had been quick all day.
With everything on the line, Brown delivered a flawless lap: green in sector one, purple in sector two, and fast enough in the final sector to claim pole by eight one-hundredths of a second with a 51.490s—securing his first pole of 2025 and the eighth of his Supercars career.
Wood’s P2 result marks his best-ever qualifying performance, and he’ll line up alongside Brown on the front row later this afternoon for Race 13.
Top 10 Shootout Results – Race 13 Grid:
- Will Brown – 51.490
- Ryan Wood – 51.574
- Cam Waters – 51.643
- James Golding – 51.693
- Broc Feeney – 51.695
- Richie Stanaway – 51.740
- Jaxon Evans – 51.942
- Thomas Randle – 51.952
- Cooper Murray – 51.997
- Anton De Pasquale – 52.009
With a front row stacked with emerging talent and the field tightly bunched behind, Race 13 promises to be a high-stakes showdown on the short but technical Symmons Plains circuit. Tyre and fuel savings will be the team’s primary focus for the longer 78-lap race.
Header Image: Ryan Wood Motorsport
