Holden driver Shane van Gisbergen will start the Bathurst 1000 from pole position for the first time in his career after winning a reduced top-nine shootout on Saturday.
The Kiwi’s hot lap of two minutes, 6.3267 seconds was quickest in the session, 0.3 sec faster than defending Bathurst champion Mark Winterbottom of Ford.
Volvo’s Scott McLaughlin will start the Great Race from third, alongside Jason Bright of Holden in fourth.
“I knew the track was going to be good for us,” van Gisbergen said.
“I just tried to put a clean fast, lap together and that’s what it was.”
Despite van Gisbergen’s sizzler, Fabian Coulthard’s lap record of 2:05.6080 – set in qualifying on Friday – still stands.
Only nine cars laid down laps following the withdrawal of Garth Tander and Warren Luff’s Holden Racing Team entry.
Luff was involved in a spectacular crash after his brakes failed during practice earlier on Saturday morning, causing significant damage to the No.2 Commodore’s roll cage.
Craig Lowndes was caught up in the incident at turn two of the Mount Panorama circuit, but his team at Red Bull Racing managed to repair the Holden in time for the shootout.
He will start from sixth on the grid.
Championship leader Jamie Whincup missed out on the shootout after crashing during qualifying on Friday and will start the race from 24th on the grid.
He will be joined at the back by two of Ford Performance Racing’s fastest men – David Reynolds in 25th and Chaz Mostert in 26th.
Reynolds was forced out of Friday’s session early after a heavy shunt into a concrete barrier, while Mostert excluded for passing a car under red flags.
Only three polesitters have won the 1000km classic in the past 15 years.
Drivers will get a 20-minute warm-up session at 7.50am (AEDT) on Sunday, before the 1000km classic begins at 10.30am.
TOP 9 GRID POSITIONS FOR SUNDAY’S BATHURST 1000
Shane van Gisbergen (Holden) – 2:06.3267
Mark Winterbottom (Ford) – 2:06.6389
Scott McLaughlin (Volvo) – 2:06.7782
Jason Bright (Holden) – 2:07.0431
Fabian Coulthard (Holden) – 2:07.0568
Craig Lowndes (Holden) – 2:07.7304
James Moffat (Nissan) – 2:07.7453
Dale Wood (Holden) – 2:07.9923
Jack Perkins (Ford) – 2:08.2498
