JAMIE Whincup fell just 0.009 seconds short of claiming pole position in tomorrow's Bathurst 1000 after the Top 10 Shootout belonged to defending champion Dave Reynolds.
REIGNING champion David Reynolds has pipped Jamie Whincup for Bathurst 1000 pole, winning by less than a hundredth of a second in the top ten shootout.
HE is the Mount Panorama giant killer.Just 12 months after shocking the sport by claiming a come from nowhere Bathurst win to put his minnow team on the map, Dave Reynolds again toppled the Titans.
In an inch perfect Mount Panorama fling that saw him realise a life-long dream, Reynolds beat the V8 heavyweights to conquer the top-ten shoot-out.The Erebus Motorsport driver will begin his bid to become the first driver since 2008 to go back-to-back from pole position after edging Jamie Whincup by just .0094 of a a second.
“I just strapped my belt on as tight as I could and gave it all I had,’’ Reynolds said.
“The car was amazing and I was on the ragged edge for the entire lap. I went out there and just gave it everything I had.’’
In a thrilling session that saw a Bathurst rookie threaten to take the top-spot, Reynolds came out second last chasing his no-name teammate Anton de Pasquale for pole.
In his first Bathurst 1000 in a Supercar, de Pasquale rocked Mount Panorama by going out and setting a 2.04.34.
SEE HOW WE COVERED THE SHOOTOUT IN OUR BLOG BELOW
The rookie’s time remained unbeaten – giants like Scott McLaughlin and Shane van Gisbergen failing to match de Pasquale – before Reynold’s run.
“There was a lot of pressure on me,’’ Reynolds said.
“My teammate did a fantastic job but I couldn’t go out and be beaten by a kid.
My young teammate was amazing by I couldn’t let him beat me.’’
Man on a mission, Reynolds toppled his teammate by blasting his best ever lap around Mount Panorama.
“I owned it,’’ Reynolds said.
“I had to throw everything I had at it and I am very lucky to have such a good car.’’
Reynolds survived a last ditch bid by Jamie Whincup to topple his time with the Red Bull record breaker coming with in just one nine-thousandths of a second of beating his time.
Known as the V8 joker for his one liners and pit-lane antics like throwing flower pots from podiums, Reynolds revealed he dreamt of his top ten shoot out win the morning of his triumph.
“I was dreaming about finding the extra couple of tenths I was missing in qualifying,’’ Reynolds said.
“And I found them in my dream to get the job done. I woke up this morning and was ready.’’
Erebus Motorsport continued their Bathurst fairytale by claiming first and third in the shoot-out to prove last year’s race triumph was no fluke.In one of the great rookie Bathurst qualifying performances, de Pasquale was less than three tenths of a second away from winning a shoot-out on debut.
“It is amazing to now that I will be starting third and Dave first,’’ de Pasquale said.
“It is obviously great for the team. That is the best lap I have ever done around here so I am stoked. I lost a little time coming off the last corner but to start Bathurst in third is pretty surreal.
“I couldn’t be happier.’’
Reynolds will now be out to cement his Bathurst legend by becoming the first to go back-to-back since Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup made it a three-peat in 2008.
“My car is amazing,’’ Reynolds said.
“It has been good all weekend. It is really good at the bottom of the hill and we just need to work on it for the top. The last sector isn’t the best but all in all it is great.’’Craig Lowndes will start in 9th place after locking down in his last ever top-ten shoot-out as a full time driver.
BATHURST 1000 TOP 10 SHOOTOUT RESULTS
1. David Reynolds (Holden) 2mins4.0590sec
2. Jamie Whincup (Holden) 2:04.0680
3. Anton de Pasquale (Holden) 2:04.3500
4. Shane Van Gisbergen (Holden) 2:04.5390
5. Scott McLaughlin (Ford) 2:04.5490
6. Cameron Waters (Ford) 2:04.7520
7. Nick Percat (Holden) 2:04.7670
8. James Courtney (Holden) 2:05.0030
9. Craig Lowndes (Holden) 2:05.0840
10. Garth Tander (Holden) 2:05.1720
RELIVE OUR LIVE COVERAGE OF TODAY'S EVENTS AT BATHURST WITH OUR BLOG BELOW
That's it from us trackside at Mt Panorama. Join us again tomorrow from 9am as we get set for a big Bathurst 1000.
So many stories to come out of today with defending champ Dave Reynolds claiming pole position in the Top 10 Shootout and Craig Lowndes gearing up for his last race around the mountain as a full-time driver.
We'll leave you with this video of all the characters who help make Bathurst the great race that is…
REIGNING champion David Reynolds has pipped Jamie Whincup for Bathurst 1000 pole, winning by less than a hundredth of a second in the top ten shootout.
Young gun and Reynolds’ Erebus teammate Anton de Pasquale threatened a boilover with a stunning drive on his Bathurst debut until Reynolds’ stunning 2:04.0589 lap.
“I’m ecstatic. My young teammate did a pretty amazing time so I couldn’t let him beat me,” Reynolds said.
BATHURST 1000 TOP 10 SHOOTOUT RESULTS
1. David Reynolds (Holden) 2mins4.0590sec
2. Jamie Whincup (Holden) 2:04.0680
3. Anton de Pasquale (Holden) 2:04.3500
4. Shane Van Gisbergen (Holden) 2:04.5390
5. Scott McLaughlin (Ford) 2:04.5490
6. Cameron Waters (Ford) 2:04.7520
7. Nick Percat (Holden) 2:04.7670
8. James Courtney (Holden) 2:05.0030
9. Craig Lowndes (Holden) 2:05.0840
10. Garth Tander (Holden) 2:05.1720
This is how your top 10 will line up on the grid for the 2018 Bathurst 1000.
Jamie Whincup steps up for the final lap but he is a bit behind Reynolds on the split as he comes across the top of the mountain.
And he falls just short of Reynolds by 0.009 seconds.
Reynolds claims pole position for the bathurst 1000 in 2018, with Whincup second and Reynolds' Erebus Motorsports teammate de Pasquale in third.
🤯🤯🤯🤯@daffidreynolds takes @ARMORALLAusNZ Pole Position.
— Supercars (@supercars) October 6, 2018
0.009 of a second in it!#VASC #Bathurst1000 pic.twitter.com/HuH2oziksH
Jamie Whincup steps up for the final lap but he is a bit behind Reynolds on the split as he comes across the top of the mountain.
And he falls just short of Reynolds by 0.009 seconds.
Reynolds claims pole position for the bathurst 1000 in 2018, with Whincup second and Reynolds' Erebus Motorsports teammate de Pasquale in third.
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js🤯🤯🤯🤯@daffidreynolds takes @ARMORALLAusNZ Pole Position.
— Supercars (@supercars) October 6, 2018
0.009 of a second in it!#VASC #Bathurst1000 pic.twitter.com/HuH2oziksH
The man who set the lap record last year takes to the track in the final year for the Ford Falcon.
McLaughlin begins slow but also makes up time across the top of the mountain.
He clocks 2:04.549 to go third behind de Pasquale and van Gisbergen.
Nothing left there!#VASC #Bathurst1000 pic.twitter.com/w1KQcsE3rF
— Supercars (@supercars) October 6, 2018
The fastest man in practice today, Dave Reynolds, begins his flying lap.
And he absolutely blitzed the first half of the circuit to be ahead of de Pasquale on the split.
He made a couple of mistakes coming home but Reynolds nails first with a time of 2:04.0589.
De Pasquale is into second after leading from the top. Only jamie WHincup to come.
The man who set the lap record last year takes to the track in the final year for the Ford Falcon.
McLaughlin begins slow but also makes up time across the top of the mountain.
He clocks 2:04.549 to go third behind de Pasquale and van Gisbergen.
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsNothing left there!#VASC #Bathurst1000 pic.twitter.com/w1KQcsE3rF
— Supercars (@supercars) October 6, 2018
The Gis made up a bit of time in the back half of the circuit but not enough to topple de Pasquale at the top.
Van Gisbergen slots into second with 2:04.538. Just 0.19 seconds between first and second.
The Gis made up a bit of time in the back half of the circuit but not enough to topple de Pasquale at the top.
Van Gisbergen slots into second with 2:04.538. Just 0.19 seconds between first and second.