Shane van Gisbergen to start second race at Symmons Plains from pole position

Triple Eight’s Shane van Gisbergen will be hoping to ignite a Holden fightback after securing pole position in qualifying for this afternoon’s final race at Symmons Plains.

HOBART, AUSTRALIA — APRIL 05: (EDITORS NOTE: A polarising filter was used for this image.) Shane van Gisbergen drives the #97 Red Bull Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore ZB during the Tasmania SuperSprint Supercars Championship Round at Symmons Plains Raceway on April 05, 2019 in Hobart, Australia. (Photo by Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images)

Triple Eight’s Shane van Gisbergen will be hoping to ignite a Holden fightback after securing pole position in qualifying for this afternoon’s final race at Symmons Plains.

After Scott McLaughlin delivered Ford’s seventh win of the season yesterday, van Gisbergen will be hoping to lead Holden to its first win of the year after putting himself at the front of the grid ahead of DJR Team Penske rival Fabian Coulthard and Erebus Motorsport’s David Reynolds.

First for the year, @shanevg97 claims @ARMORALLAusNZ Pole Position for Race 8.#VASC pic.twitter.com/UC9G5sJ4Z5

— Supercars (@supercars) April 7, 2019

Saturday’s pole sitter Mark Winterbottom finished fourth in qualifying, while McLaughlin put himself fifth on the grid.

“Awesome session, really close there as it always is here,’’ van Gisbergen said.

“Thanks to the team and all our guys, it’s awesome to be up the front.

“Hopefully I can get off the line today and we can have a good race.”

Van Gisbergen did raise eyebrows as he cruised back to the pits after his hot lap at the end of the session when Chaz Mostert was forced wide to pass him while he was still on a flying lap and then ran off the track.

Mostert finishes his session in the gravel.

Here's why 😬#VASC pic.twitter.com/DeMxdvMrJ1

— Supercars (@supercars) April 7, 2019

But the Red Bull Holden Racing Team driver said he gave Mostert enough room to pass.

“There’s more than enough room there on the right, that’s all right,’’ van Gisbergen said.

After his horror day at the track on Saturday when he finished last in race one following costly qualifying and race errors, Jamie Whincup will again be forced to start from mid-pack after failing to progress past Q2.

“The car does not feel too bad, we’re just slow down the straights from Friday,’’ Whincup said.

“I’m not sure. We’ll have a bit of a look and analyse the data.

“Disappointing not to make the 10 … the car feels quite nice around the corners, we are just not getting the time out of it.”

Scott McLaughlin drives the #17 Shell V-Power Racing Team Ford Mustang during the Tasmania SuperSprint Supercars Championship Round at Symmons Plains Raceway. Picture: Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images

There was chaos in Q1 after Brad Jones Racing rookie Macauley Jones spun at the turn four hairpin and caused a bank-up of six cars behind him.

Andre Heimgartner was left with nowhere to go and ran into Jones and then Garry Jacobson collected them. Will Davison, Nick Percat and Anton De Pasquale were all forced off the track to avoid the carnage.

🤬

Here's how all the Q1 confusion unfolded#VASC pic.twitter.com/QaJzPLA9kw

— Supercars (@supercars) April 7, 2019

Originally published as Shane van Gisbergen to start second race at Symmons Plains from pole position