Kostecki keeps top spot for Shootout
Kostecki’s early time in the first Qualifying has put the Coca-Cola Erebus on top of the session, over Chaz Mostert and SVG.
The historic first Gen3 Qualifying session got under way for a twenty session to set the top-ten shootout ahead of today 250km Race 1.
Shane van Gisbergen stayed in the pits to bide some time, with Waters taking first blood early before Kostecki went top ahead of Heimgartner and Brown with a 1:11.131.
Reynolds, Pye, and Slade also sat high early in a clean start to the session, with SVG still in the sheds after 13 minutes, as the entire field pitted with Pye staying out.
SVG then had the track to himself ticking down to 10 minutes, and went straight to P3 with an 11.6, as Davison continued to have clutch issues in the #17 DJR with the field re-entering.
That clutch had him troubled sitting well outside the top-ten, as Mostert went P2, with Courtney, Randle and Waters all skirting the shootout spots from P11 down.
Another full pit lane saw Kostecki’s time standing in the #99 Erebus, as the four minute mark saw a rush of cars back on track with Brown holding up P10 behind Feeney and Golding.
Under one minute the top ten held, until Waters went into P6 over Heimgartner, pushing Brown out, with Golding in P10.
That put the first Gen3 top ten as Kostecki, Mostert, Van Gisbergen, Slade, Reynolds, Waters, Feeney, Heimgartner, Pye, and Golding.
The top-ten shootout is just around the corner at 12:35.
Supercars Qualifying 1 results
1: Brodie Kostecki 1:11.3217
2: Chaz Mostert +0.0371
3: Shane van Gisbergen +0.1141
4: Tim Slade +0.1261
5: David Reynolds +0.2513
6: Cameron Waters +0.2601
7: Broc Feeney +0.3157
8: Andre Heimgartner +0.3840
9: Scott Pye +0.4040
10: James Golding +0.4298
11: Will Brown +0.4304
12: James Courtney +0.4454
13: Thomas Randle +0.4623
14: Will Davison +0.4780
15: Jack Le Brocq +0.5561
16: Mark Winterbottom +0.6048
17: Anton De Pasquale +0.6292
18: Bryce Fullwood +0.6397
19: Cameron Hill +0.6438
20: Todd Hazelwood +0.6472
21: Nick Percat +0.6920
22: Matthew Payne +0.7215
23: Macauley Jones +0.7247
24: Declan Fraser +1.2286
25: Jack Smith +1.3477
2023 Newcastle 500 schedule
Friday, March 10
Practice 1 – 1: A. Heimgartner 1:11.9958 2: W. Brown +0.1813 3: D. Reynolds +0.2021
Practice 2 – 1: S. van Gisbergen 1:11.7555 2: W. Davison +0.0374 3: B. Feeney +0.1167
Practice 3 – 1 Brodie Kostecki 1:11.4068; 2 Shane van Gisbergen +0.0557; 3 Chaz Mostert +0.0760
Saturday, March 11
Qualifying 1 – 1: Kostecki 1:11.131. 2: Mostert 1:11.358 3: VanGisbergen 1:11.435
Top 10 Shootout – 12.35-13.00
Race 1 (95 laps) 15.20-17.20
Sunday, March 12
Qualifying – 11.15-11.35
Top 10 Shootout – 12.35-13.00
Race 2 (95 laps) 15.20-17.20
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