V8 Supercar championship title contenders Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes have failed to book a spot on the front row of the grid for Sunday’s title-deciding race at Sydney Olympic Park.

Holden driver Shane Van Gisbergen spoiled the Red Bull team party, nabbing his fourth pole position of the season during qualifying.

He will start alongside Jason Bright who qualified second fastest, with series leader Whincup in third and Lowndes back at ninth on the grid.

Their positioning between the likes of Ford duo Mark Winterbottom and Will Davison could prove a nightmare for the pair, with little room for error on the tight concrete-lined street circuit.

Whincup holds a 110-point lead over Lowndes, his teammate and last remaining title rival, after cruising to victory in a dramatic opener to this year’s Sydney 500 on Saturday.

If Lowndes manages to win Sunday’s season-ending race, Whincup only needs to finish 22nd or better to join the late Ian Geoghegan, Dick Johnson and Mark Skaife as the only five-time champions in Australian touring car history.

Despite obvious tension inside the Red Bull HQ, a relaxed-looking team boss Roland Dane denied any divide in the garage.

“There’s not really a divide, we’re all in the same camp,” Dane said.

“That’s the strength of this joint – we’re a team.

“(Whincup and Lowndes) understand that they’re part of the team as well. It’s a lot easier than people probably imagine.”

The temperature is expected to nudge 30-degrees for Sunday’s afternoon race, starting at 3.05pm (AEDT).