Apart from the 1000km spectacle itself on Sunday, the most important session of the Bathurst weekend is the Top Ten Shootout and the opportunity for the ten fastest drivers from qualifying to have the entire Mount Panorama to themselves. Join The Roar for a live blog from 5:10pm AEST.
The ten fastest drivers from Friday’s qualifying session will be given a single lap of the 6.2km colossus that is Bathurst, to determine the top ten positions for the 161-lap race and ultimately, who will start from pole position.
2017 saw the record books rewritten, with Scott McLaughlin wiping the ‘Lap of the Gods’ set by his compatriot Greg Murphy in 2003 out of the memory banks and setting the fastest lap by a Supercar at The Mountain with a 2:03.831.
Will that number be eclipsed this year in the battle for pole position and more importantly, who would be the driver to do so?
The sequence in the shootout will see Garth Tander out first, working up the top ten order from Friday qualifying to the provisional pole sitter in Jamie Whincup – who is the favourite to claim top honours.
Despite Whincup and his Triple Eight stable being the hot favourites, there are plenty of contenders within that list of ten drivers, who could dig deep on that single lap to deliver what would be the lap of the year for pole.
Last year’s race winner in David Reynolds finds himself again in a speedy Erebus Commodore, as was the case in 2017 when he qualified second. His rookie teammate Anton De Pasquale surprised too, by securing a berth in the top ten.
Either of Whincup’s teammates in championship leader Shane van Gisbergen and six-time Bathurst 1000 winner Craig Lowndes; who will be contending his final ever shootout – are also key contenders in setting the perfect lap to the start from the front.
Regardless to of the pace deficit seen by DJR Team Penske and McLaughlin in recent times, there is the expectation that the young Kiwi could channel the same performance as twelve months ago to put his Falcon on pole for a second consecutive year.
Weather-wise, conditions for the shootout will be clear, though it will be considerably cooler than the near perfect scene in 2017. The chances of beating McLaughlin’s record time is there, and pole might yet be a new record.
Tune in then to The Roar for continuous live blog coverage of the Bathurst 1000 weekend, as we cover the Top Ten Shootout from 5:10pm AEST to determine who starts the Great Race from pole position.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Cheers Jawad. Good stuff mate.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
That'll be it then from me for the Top-10 Shootout then. Thanks again for tuning in to this live blog. Scott Pryde will return tomorrow from 11am AEST for coverage of the Bathurst 1000 itself, whilst you can catch my preview of the Great Race also in the morning, as well as the Japanese GP at 4pm AEST. Thanks and see you then!
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
BATHURST 1000 GRID 1. 9. David Reynolds/Luke Youlden 2. 1. Jamie Whincup/Paul Dumbrell 3. 99. Anton De Pasquale/Will Brown 4. 97. Shane van Gisbergen/Earl Bamber 5. 17. Scott McLaughlin/Alex Prémat 6. 6. Cameron Waters/David Russell 7. 8. Nick Percat/Macaulay Jones 8. 25. James Courtney/Jack Perkins 9. 888. Craig Lowndes/Steven Richards 10. 33. Garth Tander/Chris Pither 11. 34. James Golding/Richard Muscat 12. 7. Andre Heimgartner/Aaren Russell 13. 11. Rick Kelly/Garry Jacobson 14. 12. Fabian Coulthard/Tony D’Alberto 15. 23. Michael Caruso/Dean Fiore 16. 56. Richie Stanaway/Steve Owen 17. 2. Scott Pye/Warren Luff 18. 5. Mark Winterbottom/Dean Canto 19. 14. Tim Slade/Ash Walsh 20. 18. Lee Holdsworth/Jason Bright 21. 21. Tim Blanchard/Dale Wood 22. 35. Todd Hazelwood/Bryce Fullwood 23. 230. Will Davison/Alex Davison 24. 19. Jack Le Brocq/Jonathon Webb 25. 78. Simona De Silvestro/Alex Rullo
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Again, the Shootout delivered some serious excitement and now the attention shifts towards the 161-lap/1000km race tomorrow. Thoughts on the outcome of the Shootout then Roarers?
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Here are the times then from the Top-10 Shootout. One hundredth of a second separates the top two positions then. 9.. David Reynolds - 2:04.058 1.. Jamie Whincup - 2:04.068 99. Anton De Pasquale – 2:04.349 97. Shane Van Gisbergen - 2:04.538 17. Scott McLaughlin - 2:04.549 6.. Cameron Waters – 2:04.751 8.. Nick Percat – 2:04.767 25. James Courtney – 2:05.003 888. Craig Lowndes – 2:05.083 33. Garth Tander – 2:05.171
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
DAVID REYNOLDS CLAIMS POLE POSITION!
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
WHINCUP SECTOR 3 Cleaner through the Chase than Reynolds, but it's not enough to take the top spot. 2:04.068 for second.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
WHINCUP SECTOR 2 0:32.873 sees Whincup almost two-tenths off Reynolds still.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
WHINCUP SECTOR 1 Wobble under brakes into T1 and that does harm the lap a little with a 0:50.871. All to do across the top of the mountain.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Whincup starts his lap.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
REYNOLDS SECTOR 3 Not very tidy through The Chase but he gets the job done! 2:04.058 and Reynolds goes to the top.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
REYNOLDS SECTOR 2 Committed across the top of the hill and he sets a 0:33.053 and is still more than a tenth up from Anton.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
REYNOLDS SECTOR 1 Purple in the first! 0:50.501 and he is three-tenth faster than anyone else currently.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Defending Bathurst champion on track then. Can he beat his teammate?
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
MCLAUGHLIN SECTOR 3 And he loses time in the third with a 0:40.637 and is only third fastest setting a 2:04.549.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
MCLAUGHLIN SECTOR 2 Fastest through the second sector! 0:32.820 an incredible number.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
MCLAUGHLIN SECTOR 1 Clean first sector but its a 0:51.092. What will he do across the top?
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Now time to see last year's pole sitter tackle the Shootout. Can Scotty eclipse that pretty handy time now set by the Erebus?
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
VAN GISBERGEN SECTOR 3 Last sector is where he's been fastest all weekend and sets a purple third split with a 0:40.458 but it still isn't enough to beat De Pasquale! 2:04.538.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
VAN GISBERGEN SECTOR 2 Marginal in the second spilt with a 0:33.182.