BRODIE Kostecki scored pole position for the opening leg of the VAILO Adelaide 500 in a Top 10 Shootout where the top three were separated by just 0.0098s.
Championship leader Kostecki was last on track having topped qualifying on Friday and delivered by knocking previous fast-man David Reynolds from P1.
The Erebus driver enters today’s 250km race with a 131-point lead over Shane van Gisbergen, with just 150 available in each of the two Adelaide races.
“A little bit scrappy to finish off the lap there but stoked to be starting on pole,” said Kostecki, who brushed the wall at the exit of Turn 11.
“I was just trying to move that wall out just a bit further, just for a bit later this afternoon!”
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The thrilling Shootout session began with the first six drivers each going to the top of the order, seemingly benefitting from improving track conditions.
James Golding, Cam Waters (despite a lock-up at the last corner), Chaz Mostert, Will Brown, Anton De Pasquale and Thomas Randle each took their turns at the top.
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The first to fail to move the marker was Shane van Gisbergen, who slotted into a temporary fourth amid a weekend where he has been unhappy with the steering feel of his Camaro.
Next out Matt Payne went fastest in the first two sectors before misjudging his braking for the Turn 9 hairpin and falling to the bottom of the order.
“I just probably asked a little bit too much of it there,” said Payne. “That lap was pretty scrappy up until then if I’m honest.”
Teammate Reynolds made no such mistakes to go fastest before immediately being eclipsed by man of the moment Kostecki.
The final result read Kostecki, Reynolds, Randle, De Pasquale, Brown, van Gisbergen, Mostert, Waters, Golding and Payne.
The 78-lap penultimate race of the season is set to get underway at 2:50pm local time.
RESULTS: Top 10 Shootout for Race 1, 2023 VAILO Adelaide 500
| Pos | No. | Driver | Team | Car | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 99 | Brodie Kostecki | Erebus | Chevrolet | 1:19.8283s |
| 2 | 26 | David Reynolds | Grove | Ford | +0.009s |
| 3 | 55 | Thomas Randle | Tickford | Ford | +0.0098s |
| 4 | 11 | Anton De Pasquale | DJR | Ford | +0.0967s |
| 5 | 9 | Will Brown | Erebus | Chevrolet | +0.2358s |
| 6 | 97 | Shane van Gisbergen | Triple Eight | Chevrolet | +0.2751s |
| 7 | 25 | Chaz Mostert | WAU | Ford | +0.3858s |
| 8 | 43 | Cam Waters | Tickford | Ford | +0.4988s |
| 9 | 31 | James Golding | PremiAir | Chevrolet | +0.7447s |
| 10 | 19 | Matthew Payne | Grove | Ford | +1.5539s |
