MONSTER POLE FOR PRODRIVE AT SANDOWN
Richie Stanaway and Cam Waters will start the Sandown 500 from pole – Photo: Rhys Vandersyde
RICHIE STANAWAY will start Sunday’s Sandown 500 from pole position after two Qualifying races this afternoon.
The New Zealander, who starred in the race last year, finished third in the first Qualifying race for co-drivers. His co-driver Cam Waters leapt from third to first in the second race for Main drivers, and maintained his gap throughout the race.
In doing so Waters delivered Prodrive Racing Australia its first pole of the 2017 season.
“I just wish it was a race, so I could have done some burnouts,” the Mildura-born driver said after the race.
Starting second tomorrow will be Alex Premat, after co-driver and points lead Scott McLaughlin drove to second in the 19-lap race. In third was David Reynolds, after his co-driver Luke Youlden won the co-drivers’ race in the Erebus Commodore.
Race favourites Jamie Whincup and Paul Dumbrell will start fourth – Photo: Rhys Vandersyde
Jamie Whincup finished fourth in the Main drivers’ race ahead of Chaz Mostert and Fabian Coulthard.
Otherwise it was a tough day for Triple Eight. In the first race Matt Campbell spun on the opening lap of his race, and Shane van Gisbergen ran off the road on the opening lap of his race.
As a result the #97 Red Bull Commodore will start from 19th – but that will be ahead of the team car of Craig Lowndes/Steven Richards. Lowndes started mid-pack in his race but retired after five smokey laps with a steering pump problem.
Frightening crash for Todd Hazelwood in the opening qualifying race – Photo: Daniel Kalisz
But one car will not start the race. Rookie Todd Hazelwood had a frightening 200kmh crash in his race, which virtually destroyed the BJR Commodore. As a result he and Tim Blanchard will not start in the 500km race.
Sunday’s action starts with a 20-minute warmup at 9:40am, with the 161-lap race due to start at 1:15pm.
For updates throughout the Sandown 500, make sure you follow us on social media Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. We’ll also have a full in depth analysis of all the weekends action in the next issue of Auto Action Magazine, on sale Thursday.
