Feeney sets pace before Shootout, Love crashes

Broc Feeney has set the pace in final practice at the Repco Bathurst 1000, with an interrupted session setting the scene for a thrilling Boost Mobile Top Ten Shootout.

All 10 Shootout drivers featured in the top 11 on the time sheets, with Feeney 0.3s up the road on closest rival Richie Stanaway.

Jack Le Brocq was third ahead of Thomas Randle, who will start 19th. Chaz Mostert, Cam Waters, provisional pole-sitter Matt Payne, Will Brown, Andre Heimgartner and Brodie Kostecki rounded out the top 10.

The session was interrupted by three red flags, due to offs at Hell Corner for De Pasquale's co-driver Tony D'Alberto and Jaxon Evans, and a crash at The Cutting for Aaron Love.

For Blanchard Racing Team rookie Love, it was a bitter reminder of how Mount Panorama can bite, given the rising star twice crashed at the same corner during Race 1 in February.

The session began with a brief Full Course Yellow test, with teams opting to undertake driver change practice before the 10 drivers from Friday set after Shootout lap simulations.

Erebus Motorsport went off piste and sent Brodie Kostecki out immediately, with the 2023 pole winner clocking a handsome 2:06.8999s in the opening minutes to get a feel with a cool car.

D'Alberto triggered the first stoppage with his off at Hell Corner, where Craig Lowndes also bowled a wide. Evans foreshadowed his later off with an error at The Chase, before ultimately doing the same as D'Alberto.

Brown went second after the resumption with a 2:07.5151s, with Mostert remonstrating with his team over car set-up. The Supercars Bathurst lap record-holder would ultimately go fifth fastest by session's end, but was still well down on Feeney.

Feeney's time came after he took over from co-driver Jamie Whincup, who had a big slide under the tree Reid Park.

Love wasn't as lucky, crashing his CoolDrive Ford at The Cutting, triggering the third and final red flag of the session. All the while, Mostert ran as low as 24th, with Ford rivals Randle and Waters making it a Tickford Racing one-two.

However, Feeney's 2:06.1274s proved the quickest, putting the Triple Eight driver in the box seat to claim his maiden Great Race pole and the $15,000 cash prize.

The top 10 drivers from qualifying will return to the track for the blockbuster Boost Mobile Top Ten Shootout at 5:05pm. Tickets for the Repco Bathurst 1000 are on sale now.