Ferrari to lead Bathurst shootout
Ferrari fastest in qualifying for Bathurst 12 Hour. Clock is now ticking to top ten shootoutMaranello Motorsport’s Caltex Ferrari 488 GT3 is in the box seat to top this afternoon’s inaugural Pirelli Top Ten Shootout at the Liqui Moly Bathurst 12 Hour.
The scarlet Ferrari topped the qualifying sheets earlier today with a lap of 2m02.219. Toni Vilander was at the wheel of the fast 488 in which he will partner household Supercar names, Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup.
The Ferrari was fifth in the full Bathurst 12 Hour field’s qualifying session this morning and then topped the Class A only session. The top ten cars from the Class A session only are ceded into the shootout.
It’s the first time a shootout has decided the top ten grid order in the GT3 era of the Bathurst 12 Hour. With an afternoon thunderstorm tipped for Bathurst around the time of the top ten laps, it may be a blessing to be out of the session.
And after the rough and the tumble of qualifying several fancied runners have missed out.There were no Mercedes-AMGs in the front runners and both factory Nissan GT-Rs missed out on a spot.
The best placed AMG, the STM entry of Shane van Gisbergen, Craig Baird and Maro Engel is in 18th place, while the factory Nissans are in 12th and 14th.
BMW’s updated M6 GT3s put in a good showing in qualifying – three of the four competing in the event are in the top ten.
The Castrol MARC Cars Australia of Chaz Mostert, Max Twigg and Morgan Haber was second fastest in qualifying with a 2m 02.408 lap. Just two-tenths slower was the Team BMW Steve Richards Motorsport Laser Plumbing and Electrical car. DTM star Marco Wittman set the lap at 2m 02.637s.
Porsche youth program selectee Matt Campbell took the Ice Break Competition Motorsports Porsche 911 GT 3 R into fourth with a 2m 02.864s.
DTM driver Timo Glock meantime ensured the Castrol Vodaphone BMW M6 GT3 was solidly into the top tenth with the last lap in the 2m 02 for fifth position.
The full qualifying results are available at the Bathurst 12 Hour website.
There were plenty of ‘moments’ during the Class A, even if it was only 20 minutes long.
The Castrol Vodaphone M6 had a major moment at McPhillarmy Park but driver Glock kept it off the wall.
There was also a heart stopping moment in the final moments of the session, with the #23 Nissan Motorsport GT-R coming up fast on a hot lap on the trundling Glock. Nissan driver Alex Buncombe avoided the slow car but the baulk cost the #23 any chance of a last-minute elevation into the top ten.
Of big names outside the top ten perhaps most notable perhaps is 2015 winner, Tekno Autosports. The #1 McLaren will start 11th tomorrow.
The Pirelli Top 10 Shootout gets underway at 3.40pm AEDT this afternoon and will be telecast on on Network Seven. Click here for information on live streaming and free to air coverage.
The running order for the Pirelli Top Ten Shootout shootout will be as follows, with cars running in reverse order from the way they finished the session.
10 - #1 TEKNO Autosport McLaren 650GT3
9 - #5 GT Motorsport Audi R8 LMS
8 - #35 Miedecke Stone Motorsport Aston Martin V12 Vantage
7 - #911 Walkinshaw Racing Porsche 911 GT3R
6 - #8 Bentley Motorsport Bentley Continental GT3
5 - #7 BMW Team SRM BMW M6 GT3
4 - #12 Competition Motorsport powered by Ice Break Porsche 911 GT3R
3 - #60 BMW Team SRM BMW M6 GT3
2 - #90 MARC GT BMW M6 GT3
1 - #88 Maranello Motorsport Ferrari 488 GT3.
-- with Bathurst 12 Hour media
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