SP Tools Racing’s Shane van Gisbergen has secured pole for the Dick Smith Sandown 500 after taking victory in a lively second 20-lap qualifying race.
Van Gisbergen started from pole after co-driver Luke Youlden won the first qualifying race but dropped to third off the start behind Jamie Whincup and Will Davison.
Just nine corners later though Davison ran wide dropping outside the top 10, before Whincup made the same error 12 laps later, allowing van Gisbergen through to take the win and his first career pole.
It was to be a dismal day for the title contenders with Davison forced to pit with damage to his steering arm after Team Norton DJR’s James Moffat and Lee Holdsworth clashed on lap ten, turning Holdsworth’s IRWIN Racing Ford into Davison’s path. Davison failed to finish the race and will start on the back row on Sunday, one place ahead of Team iSelect’s Taz Douglas who had an off that led to the race’s only safety car period on lap six.
Then on the first lap back under racing conditions, TeamVodafone’s Craig Lowndes, suffering with balance issues locked a brake and ran wide, dropping from third to tenth. Two laps later, team-mate Whincup followed in his team-mate’s tyre tracks, running wide and into the sand at the same corner. Running wide again at turn four on the following lap, Whincup then speared straight into the tyre wall. The Series leader dropped to 23rd but regained four positions to finish 19th. Lowndes made up ground to finish seventh but gains a spot due to another driver penalty.
After a parc ferme infringement in the first qualifying race, Orrcon Steel FPR’s Mark Winterbottom started at the rear of the grid but recovered to take 16th place.
The gap between Whincup and Winterbottom in the championship now stands at 44 points.
Van Gisbergen led home a Ford one-two with The Bottle-O Racing Team’s David Reynolds taking second and Holden Racing Team’s Garth Tander bringing home the first Holden after snatching third from Lucky 7 Racing’s Tim Slade on the final lap. The #47 Lucky 7 Racing entry will start tomorrow’s race from ninth however, due to a grid penalty for a practice incident on Friday. Michael Caruso (Fujitsu Racing GRM), Rick Kelly (Jack Daniel’s Racing), Lowndes, James Courtney (Holden Racing Team) and Jonathon Webb (Tekno Autosports) completed the top 10.
Tomorrow’s Dick Smith Sandown 500 will be held over 161 laps, with the results of the second Qualifying Race setting the starting grid.
Qualifying Race 2 result:
1 | SP Tools Racing | Shane Van Gisbergen | Ford Falcon FG | 20 | 25:32.6693 |
2 | The Bottle-O Racing Team | David Reynolds | Ford Falcon FG | 20 | 25:35.6967 |
3 | Holden Racing Team | Garth Tander | Holden Commodore VE2 | 20 | 25:38.6409 |
4 | Lucky 7 Racing | Tim Slade | Ford Falcon FG | 20 | 25:40.0281 |
5 | Fujitsu Racing GRM | Michael Caruso | Holden Commodore VE2 | 20 | 25:45.2923 |
6 | Jack Daniel’s Racing | Rick Kelly | Holden Commodore VE2 | 20 | 25:45.4817 |
7 | TeamVodafone | Craig Lowndes | Holden Commodore VE2 | 20 | 25:49.1528 |
8 | Holden Racing Team | James Courtney | Holden Commodore VE2 | 20 | 25:50.1379 |
9 | Tekno Autosports | Jonathon Webb | Holden Commodore VE2 | 20 | 25:50.9158 |
10 | Team BOC | Jason Bright | Holden Commodore VE2 | 20 | 25:50.9172 |
11 | Team Norton DJR | James Moffat | Ford Falcon FG | 20 | 25:51.6226 |
12 | Jim Beam Racing | Steven Johnson | Ford Falcon FG | 20 | 25:53.0977 |
13 | Irwin Racing | Lee Holdsworth | Ford Falcon FG | 20 | 25:53.6085 |
14 | Team Hiflex | Tony D’Alberto | Ford Falcon FG | 20 | 25:54.6905 |
15 | Supercheap Auto Racing | Russell Ingall | Holden Commodore VE2 | 20 | 25:54.9763 |
16 | Orrcon Steel FPR Ford | Mark Winterbottom | Ford Falcon FG | 20 | 25:55.3857 |
17 | Jack Daniel’s Racing | Todd Kelly | Holden Commodore VE2 | 20 | 25:56.2987 |
18 | Lockwood Racing | Fabian Coulthard | Holden Commodore VE2 | 20 | 25:56.6273 |
19 | TeamVodafone | Jamie Whincup | Holden Commodore VE2 | 20 | 25:57.1467 |
20 | Wilson Security Racing | David Wall | Holden Commodore VE2 | 20 | 25:59.0237 |
21 | Jim Beam Racing | Dean Fiore | Ford Falcon FG | 20 | 25:59.8946 |
22 | VIP Petfoods | Steve Owen | Ford Falcon FG | 20 | 26:00.9751 |
23 | Fujitsu Racing GRM | Alexandre Premat | Holden Commodore VE2 | 20 | 26:03.0019 |
24 | Tekno Autosports | Michael Patrizi | Holden Commodore VE2 | 20 | 26:05.0472 |
25 | Fair Dinkum Sheds Racing | Karl Reindler | Holden Commodore VE2 | 20 | 26:07.1345 |
26 | Pepsi Max Crew | Greg Murphy | Holden Commodore VE2 | 20 | 26:18.9078 |
27 | Trading Post FPR Ford | Will Davison | Ford Falcon FG | 18 | 26:12.8789 |
28 | Team iSelect | Taz Douglas | Holden Commodore VE2 | 18 | 26:36.3899 |