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Bathurst 1000: David Reynolds beats Jamie Whincup to pole

Reigning Bathurst 1000 winners David Reynolds and Luke Youlden will start this year's race from pole position, after Reynolds pipped Jamie Whincup by 0.009 seconds in the top 10 shootout

In a thrilling single-lap battle for pole, Reynolds posted a 2m04.058s to not only edge out a stunning effort from rookie team-mate Anton de Pasquale, but leave provisional polesitter Whincup with a mountain to climb as the last man out.

It proved too much by the smallest of margins, Whincup falling 0.009s short of the Erebus driver.

"I'm just ecstatic," said Reynolds.

"My young team-mate did a pretty amazing time, I couldn't let him beat me, so I had to go a couple of tenths down the road. I threw everything at it, that's all I had left.

"Our cars are so fast; the team has done a brilliant job. I just want to win again tomorrow."

Whincup said he was content enough with second.

"I'm really happy with that lap, I didn't over-push," he said. "A front row for tomorrow, I couldn't ask for more.

"It's a big night already tonight, so not being on pole is not a bad thing to be honest."

De Pasquale ended up third on the grid, but it could have been even better.

After being ninth quickest in regular qualifying, the Bathurst 1000 rookie looked like he could have been on for a late 2m03s after an impressive first pair of sectors on his shootout lap.

Running slightly wide at Murray's Corner put paid to that, but a 2m04.349s and a gain of seven spots was still a decent outcome.

"It was very stressful," he said.

"The lap felt good, I wasn't sure it'd be as good as third, but once a few guys went out it was starting to get serious that we could be quite high.

"I'm very happy, to start third in only our second ever enduro, I'm pretty stoked."

Shane van Gisbergen will join de Pasquale on the second row, the Kiwi matching his Friday qualifying effort with the fourth-best time.

Scott McLaughlin fell well short of his 2017 record-smashing shootout effort, the Penske Ford driver set to start 'the Great Race' fifth after dropping three spots from first qualifying.

Tickford's sole shootout participant Cam Waters was sixth fastest, ahead of Nick Percat who faced a healthy dose of oversteer on his way into The Cutting in his BJR Holden.

James Courtney was the first driver to miss out on a 2m04s, the Walkinshaw driver losing three spots compared to qualifying with a 2m05.003s.

Craig Lowndes didn't get the best out of his 17th and final shootout appearance before retiring, a 2m05.083s dropping him down to ninth after running fifth in the single-lap dash.

Garth Tander ended up 10th, right where he started from first qualifying, having cost himself on the run up Mountain Straight after running over the kerb on the exit of Turn 1.

Starting grid

Pos Driver Team Car Time Gap
1 D.Reynolds, L.Youlden Erebus Holden 2m04.0589s -
2 J.Whincup, P.Dumbrell Triple Eight Holden 2m04.0683s 0.0094s
3 A.De Pasquale, W.Brown Erebus Holden 2m04.3498s 0.2909s
4 S.Gisbergen, E.Bamber Triple Eight Holden 2m04.5385s 0.4796s
5 S.McLaughlin, A.Premat DJR Penske Ford 2m04.5494s 0.4905s
6 C.Waters, D.Russell Tickford Ford 2m04.7517s 0.6928s
7 N.Percat, M.Jones Brad Jones Holden 2m04.7673s 0.7084s
8 J.Courtney, J.Perkins Walkinshaw Holden 2m05.0034s 0.9445s
9 C.Lowndes, S.Richards Triple Eight Holden 2m05.0835s 1.0246s
10 G.Tander, C.Pither GRM Holden 2m05.1717s 1.1128s
11 C.Mostert, J.Moffat Tickford Ford 2m04.9133s -
12 J.Golding, R.Muscat GRM Holden 2m04.9720s -
13 A.Heimgartner, A.Russell Nissan Motorsport Nissan 2m05.0358s -
14 R.Kelly, G.Jacobson Nissan Motorsport Nissan 2m05.0645s -
15 F.Coulthard, T.D'Alberto DJR Penske Ford 2m05.1789s -
16 M.Caruso, D.Fiore Nissan Motorsport Nissan 2m05.3195s -
17 R.Stanaway, S.Owen Tickford Ford 2m05.4607s -
18 S.Pye, W.Luff Walkinshaw Holden 2m05.4655s -
19 M.Winterbottom, D.Canto Tickford Ford 2m05.5106s -
20 T.Slade, A.Walsh Brad Jones Holden 2m05.5656s -
21 L.Holdsworth, J.Bright Team 18 Holden 2m05.7075s -
22 T.Blanchard, D.Wood Blanchard/BJR Holden 2m05.8433s -
23 T.Hazelwood, B.Fullwood Matt Stone Holden/Ford 2m06.0376s -
24 W.Davison, A.Davison 23Red Racing Ford 2m06.0429s -
25 J.Le Brocq, J.Webb Tekno Holden 2m06.1325s -
26 S.de Silvestro, A.Rullo Nissan Motorsport Nissan 2m06.4374s -

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