Todd Kelly takes Surfers pole
Holden Racing Team's Todd Kelly will start from pole position after setting the fastest time in the top ten shootout for this weekend's Gillette V8 Supercar Challenge at Surfers Paradise
Kelly was aggressive but tidy in tricky conditions, the track still slightly damp from early rain, with some parts affected by oil for good measure.
Second fastest, half a second back, was Toll HSV Dealer Team's Garth Tander, the driver along with Kelly involved in the team and driver swap at the endurance rounds, while third fastest was Mark Winterbottom for Ford Performance Racing.
The top five was completed by the Triple Eight duo of Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup, who did well to move up from eighth and seventh respectively.
While it was good news for the Triple Eight boys, not everyone enjoyed the shootout. Russell Ingall locked his rear brakes and spun at the first chicane, while Jason Bright looked like he might challenge for pole before an error at the first chicane around the back of the circuit cost him time.
However, the worst was yet to come. Fastest in qualifying and second in the championship to Craig Lowndes, Rick Kelly looked set to top the times in the shootout.
But a locked brake near the end of the lap saw him enter a left-hand corner too fast, and unable to slow down enough, as he understeered into the wall on the exit.
He will start tenth, with some front suspension damage needing to be repaired before this afternoon's first race.
Pos Driver Car Time 1. Todd Kelly Holden Commodore VZ 1:51.5522 2. Garth Tander Holden Commodore VZ 1:52.0716 3. Mark Winterbottom Ford Falcon BA 1:52.4183 4. Craig Lowndes Ford Falcon BA 1:53.5047 5. Jamie Whincup Ford Falcon BA 1:54.1459 6. Jason Richards Holden Commodore VZ 1:55.0553 7. James Courtney Ford Falcon BA 1:55.1134 8. Jason Bright Ford Falcon BA 1:55.2650 9. Russell Ingall Ford Falcon BA 2:03.3545 10. Rick Kelly Holden Commodore VZ no time
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