Mark Winterbottom has taken pole for race one at Phillip Island in slippery conditions.

The V8 Supercars title hopeful will share the front row of the grid with championship leader Craig Lowndes, with Garth Tander and Friday’s pacesetter Alex Davison one row back.

Under heavy skies which earlier drenched the track, cars began qualifying with wet tyres and slow times to match.

But as the sun broke through halfway through the 20-minute session, drivers abandoned their tentative approach to reach for pole with slick tyres.

Shane van Gisbergen and Tander were early pace-setters on wet tyres before the impressive slick times.

Fabian Coulthard jumped to the top of the time sheet after completing the first lap on slicks but had to fight his way back onto the track after an adventure into the grass.

Tander recorded a 1:31.39 lap which was still best with thirty seconds left on the clock, until Lowndes went from bottom to the top with a 1:31.21 drive.

Winterbottom stole the show after the chequered flag with a new qualifying record of 1:30.61.

All eyes then turned to Lowndes’ stablemate Jamie Whincup who finished a full second behind in 13th.

Winterbottom took race one on Phillip Island in 2012 and will be looking to go back to back.

Phillip Island’s three races form the penultimate meet of the 2013 V8 Supercars championship, which concludes at Sydney’s Homebush street circuit next month.

Saturday’s split race begins at 3:45pm (AEDT).