Johnson leads 1-2 for race two grid
Jim Beam Racing team-mates Steven Johnson and James Courtney secured the front row in this morning's qualifying for the second race of the Hamilton 400 in New Zealand
However, their cause was helped by a red flag for Tim Slade's car in the wall with two and a half minutes remaining in the 20 minute session, which then became the end of the session as it was called to a premature end, leaving many runners on track with new rubber and nowhere to go.
Last year's polesitter Steven Richards qualified third, while the driver dealt the cruellest blow was Jamie Whincup who was set to go four-tenths faster than Johnson when the flag fell just a second or two before he got to the start/finish line, Whincup's earlier effort good enough for fourth.
The Garry Rogers duo of Michael Caruso and Lee Holdsworth ended up fifth and sixth fastest after their own good early efforts (and despite Holdsworth brushing the wall in the middle of the session).
Shane van Gisbergen qualified seventh ahead of Craig Lowndes, Fabian Coulthard's ninth a much better result than yesterday while Mark Winterbottom's tenth position probably reflects him missing out on his final run rather than a lack of pace.
A team that appear to have been hit hard by the red flag was Holden Racing Team, with Garth Tander and Will Davison lining up on the tenth row in 19th and 20th position.
Pos Driver Car Time 1. Steven Johnson Ford Falcon FG 1:24.1606 2. James Courtney Ford Falcon FG 1:24.2377 + 0.0771 3. Steven Richards Ford Falcon FG 1:24.2430 + 0.0824 4. Jamie Whincup Ford Falcon FG 1:24.2932 + 0.1326 5. Michael Caruso Holden Commodore VE 1:24.2962 + 0.1356 6. Lee Holdsworth Holden Commodore VE 1:24.3214 + 0.1608 7. Shane Van Gisbergen Ford Falcon FG 1:24.3568 + 0.1962 8. Craig Lowndes Ford Falcon FG 1:24.3960 + 0.2354 9. Fabian Coulthard Ford Falcon FG 1:24.4171 + 0.2565 10. Mark Winterbottom Ford Falcon FG 1:24.4447 + 0.2841 11. Greg Murphy Holden Commodore VE 1:24.4647 + 0.3041 12. Russell Ingall Holden Commodore VE 1:24.4872 + 0.3266 13. Rick Kelly Holden Commodore VE 1:24.5692 + 0.4086 14. Paul Dumbrell Holden Commodore VE 1:24.6161 + 0.4555 15. Jason Bright Ford Falcon BF 1:24.6622 + 0.5016 16. Tony D'Alberto Holden Commodore VE 1:24.6660 + 0.5054 17. Todd Kelly Holden Commodore VE 1:24.6824 + 0.5218 18. Jason Richards Holden Commodore VE 1:24.7050 + 0.5444 19. Garth Tander Holden Commodore VE 1:24.7090 + 0.5484 20. Will Davison Holden Commodore VE 1:24.7151 + 0.5545 21. Alex Davison Ford Falcon FG 1:24.7493 + 0.5887 22. David Reynolds Holden Commodore VE 1:24.7671 + 0.6065 23. Jason Bargwanna Holden Commodore VE 1:24.8507 + 0.6901 24. Jack Perkins Holden Commodore VE 1:24.8739 + 0.7133 25. Michael Patrizi Ford Falcon BF 1:25.2186 + 1.0580 26. Tim Slade Holden Commodore VE 1:25.4154 + 1.2548 27. Dale Wood Holden Commodore VE 1:25.5536 + 1.3930 28. Cameron McConville Holden Commodore VE 1:25.6336 + 1.4730 29. Marcus Marshall Ford Falcon BF 1:25.6799 + 1.5193 30. Dean Fiore Holden Commodore VE 1:26.0984 + 1.9378
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