Tander rebounds to ensure shootout

DEFENDING champion Garth Tander produced an amazing recovery yesterday to qualify for today's Top 10 Shootout.

DEFENDING champion Garth Tander produced an amazing recovery yesterday to qualify for today's Top 10 Shootout to decide grid positions for tomorrow's Bathurst 1000 at Mount Panorama.

Tander, a three-time winner of the enduro, skidded off the track into a tyre wall coming out of turn two in official qualifying before nursing the car back to the pits.

Some quick work by his crew allowed the Holden Racing Team driver to return in the all-important 40-minute session where he produced two slick laps to ensure a spot in today's shootout and a realistic chance to defend the Bathurst title he shared with Nick Percat a year ago.

"I had a lock-up going into turn two. We had new rotors on the front and they grabbed the front tyre and wouldn't unlock," Tander said. "I dug myself out of a hole.

"The boys back in the pits did a fantastic job to get the car back into shape.

"To end up eighth and not too far off the fastest time, I was pleasantly surprised, to be honest with you.

"We won last year's race from ninth and Jason Bright won it from 15th back in 1998.

"While being in the shootout is a prestige thing, it also gives us an opportunity to start the car on Sunday from up front."

Series leader Jamie Whincup is again proving to be the quickest driver on the mountain, ending the day as the leading qualifier with his Team Vodafone Holden clocking 2min 07.3565sec ahead of Lockwood Racing's Fabian Coulthard and Will Davison (Trading Post Racing).

Mark Winterbottom, behind the wheel of the Orrcon Steel Falcon, and Whincup's nearest rival in the race for the championship, looked in danger of missing out on the shootout before pulling out a solid lap time of 2:07.9231. It was also a major turnaround for Coulthard, who rolled his car in a spectacular practice-session crash at Bathurst two years ago.

He dedicated his effort to fellow New Zealander the late Jason Richards, who achieved so much for the Brad Jones Racing team at Mount Panorama.

It was an emotional Coulthard who ended the day with his first top-three finish in qualifying.

"Any time you do a 2:07 around this place is quick," Coulthard said.

Richards, who died from cancer last year, was a key driver for both him and the team.

"It would be unreal to have a big race in memory of Jason.

"He was a huge part of BJR (Brad Jones Racing) and we remember him day by day, and no more a place than here at Mount Panorama.

"My track history here has not been that flash. But one of the biggest confidence boosts for me is that these BJR cars are a proven and known quantity on this track."

Coulthard said he was delighted to be in the top three.

"In a 1000km race it's important to have a front-row start, or somewhere close to the front, but there are plenty more factors that come into it, including a race-winning strategy that brings the car home out in front.

"I have a lot of trust in my chief engineer (Phil Keed)."