How has the Bathurst 1000 provisional pole winner fared?

WILL Brown is now the youngest driver to take provisional pole at the Repco Bathurst 1000 after topping Friday qualifying for Erebus Motorsport.

Provisional pole is usually forgotten the moment the Top 10 Shootout concludes, with history instead recording the driver that claims the honour of starting from pole position on race day.

But how many have converted Friday glory to pole on Sunday?

AUCTION: Waters’ current Mustang set to go under the hammer

SPOTTER GUIDE: 2021 Repco Bathurst 1000, car-by-car

FORD LIVE UPDATES: Follow today’s race action at the Repco Bathurst 1000

History is not on the 23-year-old Toowoomban’s side.

This year marks the 43^rd time that the Bathurst 1000 has featured a qualifying session/Shootout format; the fastest driver in qualifying has only gone on to win pole position 15 times.

The most recent time it happened was in 2017, when Scott McLaughlin topped Friday qualifying then delivered the first ‘three’ in a touring car around Mount Panorama the following day to secure the prime grid position for the race.

Others to achieve the feat are Jamie Whincup (2013, 2016), Mark Skaife (1991, 2006), Glenn Seton (1994, 1996), Peter Brock (1979, 1983), Allan Grice (1982), Klaus Ludwig (1987), Larry Perkins (1993), Greg Murphy (2003), Craig Lowndes (2005) and Mark Winterbottom (2007).

A further 10 drivers have at least landed themselves a front-row start: Dick Johnson (1980, 1981, 1989), Brock (1984), Grice (1986), Seton (2001), John Bowe (2002), Winterbottom (2008) and Whincup (2012, 2018).

Most of them have at least been able to retain a spot in the top five, with just five drivers slipping into the bottom half of the order.

While race day didn’t improve the fortunes for Seton (1999) and Fabian Coulthard (2015), the other three provisional polesitters had very enjoyable Sundays.

John Goss (1985), Geoff Brabham (1997 2L) and Garth Tander (2011) fell down to sixth, sixth and ninth respectively in their respective Shootouts, but all went on to win the race.

That trio are among 15 drivers who converted provisional pole to the race victory, regardless of where they finished in the Shootout.

The hat-trick of provisional pole, pole position and the race victory has been achieved just five times.

Brock (1979, 1983), Skaife (1991) and Perkins (1993) all completed the treble, while Murphy was the most recent driver to do so in 2003.

The next-generation Ranger is the smartest, most capable and most versatile Ranger ever – developed at every step with our customers’ needs and experiences in mind.

In more than 180 countries, these customers rely on Ranger to be their reliable partner at work, with family and at play. Designed and engineered right here in Australia.

Ford Australia is proud to be presenting partner of V8 Sleuth’s event coverage of the 2021 Repco Bathurst 1000.