MOTORSPORT: Fords 1-2 in Bathurst qualifying

Cameron Waters has put the Repco Bathurst 1000 field on notice, claiming provisional pole from qualifying at Mount Panorama ahead of the Top 10 Shootout, as the long-awaited rains tested the ability of the field.

However, two major talking points emanated from the Red Bull Ampol Racing squad in qualifying, the first before the session took place when Jamie Whincup took the wheel of the number 88 Commodore in place of the car’s full-time driver, rookie Broc Feeney.

Whincup ultimately missed the top-10 cut-off and will start The Great Race from position 14.

The other major issue involved championship leader Shane van Gisbergen, who tangled in the dying seconds of the session in the Esses with Macauley Jones (Wet and Forget Commodore), who was forced heavily into the barriers.

Van Gisbergen ultimately placed fourth in the session and will face a steward’s hearing before the grid is finalised.

Reigning Bathurst champion Lee Holdsworth, meantime, set the second fastest time in his Penrite Mustang, ahead of the other defending race winner Chaz Mostert (Optus Commodore).

Richie Stanway meanwhile set the fifth fastest time in the Boost Mobile backed wildcard Commodore he will share with Greg Murphy, with the effort the best qualifying performance by an additional entry since the program was instigated in 2009.

Will Davison (Shell V-Power Mustang) was sixth from Nick Percat (NTI Commodore), James Courtney (Snowy River Caravans Mustang), with the main Boost Mobile Commodores of Brodie Kostecki and Will Brown rounding out the top ten.

Earlier in the weekend, Friday saw two practice sessions, the first primarily utilised by the main nominated drivers, with the second dedicated solely to the co-drivers.

Davison topped the opening run with a best time of 2:04.3691sec, ahead of a surprise packet in James Golding, who was only 0.0160sec adrift in the Subway Commodore.

There was plenty of drama elsewhere in the hour-long session, with Waters looking on edge before winding up in a sand trap, while van Gisbergen swiped the fence at Reid Park, and was fortunate to get away without significant damage.

Elsewhere, Anton De Pasqaule escaped with minimal damage from a lurid spin into Forrest’s Elbow in his Shell Mustang.

In the afternoon, Garth Tander (Red Bull Ampol Commodore) showed that he still has it, lowering the morning marker with a time of 2:04.1359sec.

That hit-out was punctuated by stoppages to retrieve the stranded cars of Kurt Kostecki (Tradie Mustang) and Warren Luff (NTI Commodore).

Davison also topped the Saturday morning session, before the heavens opened prior to practice four, which saw van Gisbergen lead the field by more than a second.

There were multiple stoppages in the session, with Brown, Todd Hazelwood (Truck Assist Commodore) and Jones coming to grief, while multiple drivers came unstuck on the flooded pit entry road, including Craig Lowndes (Supercheap Auto Commodore).

Tomorrow’s on-track running consists of two further practice sessions, with the first dedicated solely to the nominated co-drivers, before the top ten shootout determines the final starting order for The Great Race.

The Repco Bathurst 1000 is scheduled to start at 11:15am on Sunday.

2022 Repco Bathurst 1000 qualifying:

2022 Repco Supercars Championship points: