Shootout set in a hectic Bathurst Qualifying

By Timothy Neal

Date posted: 6 October 2023

The top-ten Shootout field is sorted in a dramatic Qualifying session marked by early red flags which eventually saw Brodie Kostecki blitz it over James Golding, some impressive Mustangs, and SVG, who got through on the knocker.

In a hectic beginning, not a single lap had been registered after 21 minutes had elapsed due to Brown and Fraser coming off second-hand at Griffins and Reid.

After that the times came, and they dropped below the 2.05’s for the first time of the weekend.

In the end, the top-ten held for some time, with a very late lap for Shane van Gisbergen seeing him pull a rabbit out of the hat no oust Randle, who missed by ninety four thousandths of a second.

James Golding showed great speed for PremiAir Racing to go through in second. Image: Peter Norton

Split by 0.620 seconds, Kostecki, Golding, De Pasquale, Waters Feeney, Reynolds, SVG, Payne, Mostert, and Davison all made the cut, whilst Thomas Randle was a late-hard luck story.

The first consequential session of the Bathurst 1000 kicked off with drivers vying for a spot in the top-ten Shootout tomorrow evening, with grid numbers 11-28 to be sorted.

The 40 minute hit-out began with plenty of questions up in the air, namely the fact that SVG had barely stung a threatening pole lap together all weekend.

But potential tragedy struck early for the Erebus team, as Brown found the fence at Griffins Bend to put a huge dent in his Bathurst chances, with the session red-flagged at 35 minutes.

Anton De Pasquale was one of the leading Fords in an improved session for the Mustangs. Image: Peter Norton

He was able to drive it back however after he was dragged out, and Erebus remained hopeful of getting him back out with the steering still intact.

Before a single lap could still be registered, Declan Fraser hit the wall at Reid Park after losing it very hard into the concrete at 175km to bring out the second red-flag.

Still 30 minutes remained when the Tradie Mustang was removed, and remarkably Brown’s car had been fixed with no lap time yet registered.

But the laps then came, and Waters put in a monster 2:04.990 with the Mustangs jumping early whilst Golding also went into P2.

SVG still couldn’t stitch a lap together, going off at Hell Corner again, whilst Pye hit the Griffins Bend wall and limped back to the pits.

Kostecki then put down a 2:04.664 to go top, 0.326 over Waters, with Golding, Payne and De Pasquale holding up the top-five, with Feeney, Reynolds, Mostert, Randle, and Hill on the cusp.

Brodie Kostecki continued to be the one lap king at Mount Panorama, taking provisional pole. Image: Peter Norton

Golding remained in the frame by going P2 over the #11 DJR, as SVG snuck into the ten as he looked to finally make an impact, but Mostert then knocked him out a lap later, with the #97 reporting he had no grip left.

With 12 minutes left the split was under one second down to P12, and it was the Mustangs holding the majority in a big turn around after all the intense pre-Bathurst parity debate.

With only seven minutes left, time was running down to get more than 1 lap in after an out-lap, with SVG, Courtney, Hill, Brown. Heimgartner and Pye less than a second out, with Kostecki, Golding, De Pasquale, Waters, Feeney, Payne, Davison, Reynolds, Randle and Mostert holding court with a low 2:05 needed.

As the last possible lap loomed, it would come down to a final attempt with the top-ten holding firm as pit exit closed.

It was looking tight across the second sector as SVG pulled a late flyer with a tow from Courtney to go P7 with Randle dropping out by a hair.

Download the full Supercars Bathurst 1000 Round 10 Event Guide with track stats and facts and a full event schedule, plus extensive driver profiles here

For more of the latest motorsport news, pick up the latest issue of AUTO ACTION or subscribe HERE

Listen to our latest podcast episode here or on your podcast app of choice.

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Shootout set in a hectic Bathurst Qualifying

The first consequential session of the Bathurst 1000 kicked off with drivers vying for a spot in the top-ten Shootout tomorrow evening, with grid numbers 11-28 to be sorted.

Download the full Supercars Bathurst 1000 Round 10 Event Guide with track stats and facts and a full event schedule, plus extensive driver profiles here

Listen to our latest podcast episode here or on your podcast app of choice.

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