BATHURST: carsales Nissan to start 16th

The carsales.com.au Nissan Altima will start the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 from 16th spot on the grid after wet weather foiled any chance of a top-10 time and a place in the shoot-out late this afternoon.

The Nissan Altima’s lead driver Todd Kelly had been confident of setting a top-10 time after dialling in the car during Thursday and Friday practice with English co-driver, Alex Buncombe.

The first setback came when qualifying was postponed from yesterday afternoon to today after Chaz Mostert’s violent crash in his Pepsi-Max Ford Falcon FG X. Then overnight thunder storms washed the track the track clean of rubber build-up and the car had lost its handling edge.

The problems continued into qualifying, destroying Kelly’s first run. By the time he got back to the pits made the appropriate adjustments and went out again the rain had arrived and all chance of improving his time had gone.

“We made a significant set-up change for the start of qualifying and the car was really average. I went out and nearly hit the fence over the top – I only missed it by a couple of inches,” Kelly explained.

“I had understeer at Reid Park for 50 metres before I just missed the fence and as it tuned out that was the only lap I got in qualifying.

“Its pretty frustrating because yesterday we were feeling like the car was good enough to get in the back of the top 10 and we didn’t quite get a chance to do it today,” Todd stated.

The 2005 race winner, who celebrated his 36th birthday yesterday, now sets himself for the race from the eighth row of the grid. But in a 1000km race he knows an outstanding result is still possible.

“We are in a good position other than our starting position! Starting 16th when you are driving around for six hours is not the end of the world. So we have still got our chins up and we’re looking forward to a good result tomorrow.”

Of the four cars in the factory Nissan squad only the James Moffat/Taz Douglas made the top 10 – in 10th place.

The shootout field will comprise Fabian Coulthard (Brad Jones Racing/Freightliner Holden Commodore VF, partnered with motoring.com.au’s own Luke Youlden ), Shane van Gisbergen (Tekno Autosports/Darrel Lea Stix Holden), Tim Slade (Walkinshaw Racing/Supercheap Auto Holden), Jamie Whincup (Triple Eight/Red Bull Holden), Scott Pye (DJR Team Penske/XBox Ford Falcon FG X), Jason Bright (BJR/BOC Holden), Scott McLaughlin (GRM/Wilson Security Volvo S60), David Reynolds (RNR/The Bottle-O Ford), Lee Holdsworth (Walkinshaw/Preston Hire Holden) and Moffat (Nissan Motorsport Mack Nissan Altima).

Stars drivers to be caught out by the rain included championship leader Mark Winterbottom in the Pepsi-Max Ford Falcon FG X, legend Craig Lowndes in the Triple Eight Commodore and Garth Tander in the Holden Racing Team Commodore.