COOPER Murray has started well in his mission to turn the tables on title-winning Eggleston Motorsport teammate Kai Allen, snatching the first Super2 pole position of 2024.
The duo will share the front row of the grid for Race 1 this afternoon, after Murray got the upper hand by 0.1342s in qualifying.
The field was split in two for qualifying based on combined practice times – a system that will remain in place for 2024 as opposed to dividing by class (given there are now 23 Super2 and two Super3 entries).
Super3 rookie Cody Burcher made an immediate impression, being fastest of the 12 drivers in part 1 of qualifying.
Aboard a MW Motorsport Nissan Altima, Burcher set the benchmark at 2:08.2526s, in a session cut short when Elliott Cleary beached his Brad Jones Racing Commodore at Hell Corner with three minutes remaining to bring out red flags.
That prevented any potential late improvers, while Cleary was stripped of his best lap.
Mason Kelly meanwhile repaid his crew’s all-night rebuild with a solid effort to place sixth of the initial dozen.
By the end of another 15-minute session, Kelly was 19th, after the top 13 from Friday practice had their turn at qualifying and all soon surpassed Burcher.
Murray wasted no time in lowering the marker, posting a 2:06.5971s straight out of the gates thanks to a white-knuckle ride across the top.
Murray went quicker again the next time around, improving to 2:06.2189s.
His rivals including Allen and Walkinshaw Andretti United’s Zach Bates gradually got closer, but none could knock off the #88 driver who’ll steer a Triple Eight main game wildcard later this year.
Zane Morse finished the session in the sand trap at the Chase, having secured eighth on the grid.
Race 1 of the 2024 Dunlop Series is scheduled to start at 2:45pm AEDT.
RESULTS: 2024 Super2 Qualifying for Race 1, Bathurst Round 1
| Pos | No. | Drivers | Car | Class | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 88 | Cooper Murray | Holden Commodore ZB | DS2 | 2m06.2189s |
| 2 | 1 | Kai Allen | Holden Commodore ZB | DS2 | +0.1342s |
| 3 | 25 | Zach Bates | Holden Commodore ZB | DS2 | +0.1828s |
| 4 | 27 | Aaron Cameron | Ford Mustang GT | DS2 | +0.3122s |
| 5 | 99 | Jobe Stewart | Holden Commodore ZB | DS2 | +0.7331s |
| 6 | 55 | Rylan Gray | Ford Mustang GT | DS2 | +0.7416s |
| 7 | 118 | Jarrod Hughes | Holden Commodore ZB | DS2 | +0.8142s |
| 8 | 11 | Zane Morse | Ford Mustang GT | DS2 | +0.9181s |
| 9 | 5 | Bradley Vaughan | Ford Mustang GT | DS2 | +0.9854s |
| 10 | 17 | Max Vidau | Ford Mustang GT | DS2 | +1.0085s |
| 11 | 6 | Lochie Dalton | Ford Mustang GT | DS2 | +1.0308s |
| 12 | 38 | Cameron Crick | Holden Commodore ZB | DS2 | +1.0948s |
| 13 | 54 | Jordyn Sinni | Holden Commodore ZB | DS2 | +1.1078s |
| 14 | 15 | Cody Burcher | Nissan Altima L33 | DS3 | +2.0337s |
| 15 | 20 | Reuben Goodall | Holden Commodore ZB | DS2 | +2.0649s |
| 16 | 92 | Cameron McLeod | Holden Commodore ZB | DS2 | +2.1064s |
| 17 | 3 | Thomas Maxwell | Nissan Altima L33 | DS3 | +2.2412s |
| 18 | 18 | Matt Chahda | Holden Commodore ZB | DS2 | +2.3328s |
| 19 | 22 | Mason Kelly | Ford Mustang GT | DS2 | +2.4483s |
| 20 | 2 | Campbell Logan | Holden Commodore ZB | DS2 | +2.5758s |
| 21 | 9 | Cody Gillis | Holden Commodore ZB | DS2 | +2.6197s |
| 22 | 33 | Callum Walker | Holden Commodore ZB | DS2 | +3.0048s |
| 23 | 11 | Zane Morse | Ford Mustang GT | DS2 | +3.0517s |
| 24 | 19 | Elliott Cleary | Holden Commodore ZB | DS2 | +3.3114s |
| 25 | 219 | James Masterton | Holden Commodore ZB | DS2 | +7.4243s |
