Lowndes on Island pole
Triple Eight's Craig Lowndes has taken pole position for today's first race of the final round at Phillip Island, as he attempts to make a last-minute move to win this year's V8 Supercar title
After setting the third fastest time in qualifying, Ford driver Lowndes set the fastest lap of the weekend to take pole position. However, it was a close battle, with fellow title hope and Ford runner Marcos Ambrose second fastest, just 58 ten-thousandths of a second slower.
Third fastest was Jason Bright in his Ford, but behind him are a string of Holdens, Tasmanian round winner Garth Tander leading the Kelly brothers Todd and Rick, with Greg Murphy in seventh.
Eighth fastest in the shootout was Russell Ingall, who once again just scraped into the shootout, but put a better effort in during the one-lap dash to move him up two places on the grid.
With Lowndes and Ambrose on the front row, Ingall can't afford to fall much further back in the races or the title which he so desperately wants could slip through his fingers.
While title longshot Steven Richards made the top ten in ninth, another of the longshots just missed out, with Mark Skaife starting from eleventh, despite Holden Racing Team testing at the circuit last week.
No matter what happens in the first of the three races this afternoon, the title will not be decided today. But it may leave us with a close battle in the two races on Sunday, or it could be all but decided. Time will tell.
Qualifying, BigPond Grand Finale, Phillip Island, Victoria, Australia:
Pos Driver Car 1. Craig Lowndes Ford Falcon BA 2. Marcos Ambrose Ford Falcon BA 3. Jason Bright Ford Falcon BA 4. Garth Tander Holden Commodore VZ 5. Todd Kelly Holden Commodore VZ 6. Rick Kelly Holden Commodore VZ 7. Greg Murphy Holden Commodore VZ 8. Russell Ingall Ford Falcon BA 9. Steven Richards Holden Commodore VZ 10. Jamie Whincup Holden Commodore VZ 11. Mark Skaife Holden Commodore VZ 12. Paul Weel Holden Commodore VZ 13. Jason Richards Holden Commodore VZ 14. Paul Dumbrell Holden Commodore VZ 15. David Brabham Ford Falcon BA 16. Paul Radisich Holden Commodore VZ 17. Steve Ellery Ford Falcon BA 18. Paul Morris Holden Commodore VZ 19. Cameron McConville Holden Commodore VZ 20. Jason Bargwanna Ford Falcon BA 21. Glenn Seton Ford Falcon BA 22. Mark Winterbottom Ford Falcon BA 23. Max Wilson Holden Commodore VZ 24. Steve Owen Ford Falcon BA 25. Steven Johnson Ford Falcon BA 26. David Besnard Ford Falcon BA 27. John Bowe Ford Falcon BA 28. Craig Baird Ford Falcon BA 29. Owen Kelly Holden Commodore VZ 30. Matthew White Ford Falcon BA 31. Lee Holdsworth Holden Commodore VZ 32. Brad Jones Ford Falcon BA 33. Anthony Tratt Holden Commodore VY 34. Simon Wills Holden Commodore VZ
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