Champion edges out flying Fords to top competitive Qualifying

By Thomas Miles

Date posted: October 30, 2022

The stage is set for another thrilling fight for pole after less than three hundredths of a second split the top three in Sunday Qualifying at the 2022 Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500.

Just like yesterday the 20-minute session was topped by Shane van Gisbergen, who lowered the weekend benchmark to a 1:10.2639.

The lap was enough for the championship winning Triple Eight Race Engineering Commodore to edge ahead of fast Fords Will Davison and David Reynolds, who also achieved laps within the 1:10.2s range.

The biggest feel-good story of the session was created by rookie outfit PremiAir Racing, which will compete in its first Top 10 Shootout on its home track later today after James Golding snuck in at the death.

James Golding snuck into the top 10 at the death to give PremiAir Racing its first shootout. Image: Mark Horsburgh

With overtaking a premium during the opening stages of Saturday’s race, a fast lap in Qualifying to break into the top 10 to compete in the upcoming Shootout was at the top of everyone’s priority list in the first session of Sunday morning.

Frontrunners van Gisbergen, Chaz Mostert and Brodie Kostecki stayed in the pits as the rest put the foot down in the early stages of the 20-minute session.

After an overnight engine change, Andre Heimgardner put the first fast lap on the board before being displaced by both Dick Johnson Racing Mustangs.

The Brad Jones Racing Commodore struggled to replicate the same pace and will start from P20.

Will Brown, Scott Pye, Cam Waters and Davison all recorded fastest times across the session, until van Gisbergen recorded the top time of the weekend.

The 20 minutes were uninterrupted, but it was not without its moments with Tim Slade suffering the biggest drama.

An “error in judgement” meant the #3 Blanchard Racing Team Mustang clipped the Turn 11 wall and broke the front suspension with the strange sight of a spring bouncing free from the car.

To make matters worse Slade will start the second and final 85-lap race of the event from the back of the grid.

Van Gisbergen was held up by Heimgartner at the Turn 4 hairpin, while Golding also had a close moment with Davison at Turn 12 and kerb strikes were a familiar sight as drivers pushed the boundaries to sneak into the 10.

After Golding’s late lap knocked out home-town hope Broc Feeney, the PremiAir driver will open the Shootout, which also involves Kostecki, Anton De Pasquale, Thomas Randle, Scott Pye, Mostert, Waters, Reynolds, Davison and van Gisbergen.

Qualifying results

1: Shane van Gisbergen 1:10.2639

2: Will Davison +0.0193

3: David Reynolds +0.0299

4: Cameron Waters +0.2056

5: Chaz Mostert +0.2222

6: Scott Pye +0.2435

7: Thomas Randle +0.3299

8: Anton De Pasquale +0.3332

9: Brodie Kostecki +0.3401

10: James Golding +0.3598

2022 Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500 schedule

Sunday

Top 10 Shootout 12:35-13:00

Race 32 (85 laps) 15:15-17:20

For more of the latest motorsport news pick up the latest issue of Auto Action.

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Champion edges out flying Fords to top competitive Qualifying

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