Winterbottom secures Barbagallo pole
Ford Performance Racing's Mark Winterbottom stole a late pole position in qualifying for this weekend's Bigpond 400 at Barbagallo Raceway near Perth
With three minutes remaining in the session, reigning champion Garth Tander set a time of 56.5891 seconds, nearly a tenth and a half better than anyone else at that point of the session.
But with a minute left in the session, his teammate Mark Skaife took over pole as he went just over a tenth faster. However, Winterbottom was still circulating and just as the session ended set a time of 56.4362 seconds to edge Skaife off pole.
Behind Winterbottom, Skaife and Tander at the front of the grid are a trio of Fords, Craig Lowndes returning to the front of the grid ahead of James Courtney and the pole man's teammate Steven Richards.
Completing the top ten are the Kelly brothers, Rick and Todd, Rick's teammate Paul Dumbrell and the second Stone Brothers Falcon of Shane van Gisbergen.
A strong 2008 for Lee Holdsworth until the final race in Hamilton continued its downward turn, with Holdsworth unable to make it past the first segment of qualifying on a drying track, ending qualifying in 21st position.
However, he will start a place ahead of another driver whose season took a downward turn at Hamilton (before race one even began), Jamie Whincup also failing to find the speed he needed, and will start alongside Holdsworth in 22nd.
Pos Driver Make Time 1. Mark Winterbottom Ford 56.4362 2. Mark Skaife Holden 56.4786 + 0.0424 3. Garth Tander Holden 56.5891 + 0.1529 4. Craig Lowndes Ford 56.7294 + 0.2932 5. James Courtney Ford 56.8055 + 0.3693 6. Steven Richards Ford 56.8862 + 0.4500 7. Rick Kelly Holden 56.9660 + 0.5298 8. Todd Kelly Holden 56.9664 + 0.5302 9. Paul Dumbrell Holden 57.0601 + 0.6239 10. Shane Van Gisbergen Ford 57.3704 + 0.9342 11. Jason Richards Holden 57.0268 + 0.5906 12. Michael Caruso Holden 57.0338 + 0.5976 13. Cameron McConville Holden 57.0472 + 0.6110 14. Russell Ingall Holden 57.0619 + 0.6257 15. Jason Bright Ford 57.0958 + 0.6596 16. Greg Murphy Holden 57.1933 + 0.7571 17. Will Davison Ford 57.2148 + 0.7786 18. Andrew Jones Holden 57.2549 + 0.8187 19. Andrew Thompson Holden 57.3061 + 0.8699 20. Marcus Marshall Ford 57.5735 + 1.1373 21. Lee Holdsworth Holden 57.2779 + 0.8417 22. Jamie Whincup Ford 57.2806 + 0.8444 23. Fabian Coulthard Ford 57.2812 + 0.8450 24. Steven Johnson Ford 57.2842 + 0.8480 25. Paul Morris Holden 57.3050 + 0.8688 26. Shane Price Holden 57.3176 + 0.8814 27. Michael Patrizi Ford 57.3686 + 0.9324 28. Tony D'Alberto Holden 57.7454 + 1.3092 29. Kayne Scott Ford 59.0170 + 2.5808
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