Allen denies Stewart by 0.08s in Bathurst qualifying

Kai Allen has continued his top form in the Dunlop Series, with the Super2 champion beating Jobe Stewart in Boost Mobile Qualifying at the Thrifty Bathurst 500.

Allen (#1 Holden) has a golden chance to sweep Round 1, with the Saturday race winner to start from pole on Sunday afternoon.

The teenager defeated Super3 champion Stewart (#99 Holden) in a thrilling Qualifying session, with Allen just 0.0822s ahead after 30 minutes of action.

"It was a bit tricky, I went out there on the greens,” Allen said.

"I thought it was quite good, and then all the boys went past, so the track was going to be better, and then we re-pressured, trying to get to the end."

Eight drivers dipped into the 2:05s in the session, with Zach Bates (#25 Holden) and Saturday pole man Cooper Murray (#88 Holden) third and fourth.

Murray, however, starts Sunday 150 points behind Eggleston Motorsport teammate Allen following his crash midway through Saturday’s race.

Allen, Aaron Cameron (#27 Ford) and Bates were Saturday’s top three in a race that was backdated to five laps following a pile-up at The Cutting.

While several cars returned to the paddock on a flatbed truck on Saturday afternoon, all 25 cars hit the track on Sunday morning under overcast skies.

Bates loomed to claim a maiden Dunlop Series pole with a 2:05.6245s, before Stewart powered to provisional pole with a 2:05.4932s.

Allen, however, clocked a 2:05.4110s to claim his second career Dunlop Series pole, setting up an opportunity to leave Bathurst with a perfect 300-point haul.

Brad Vaughan (#5 Ford) was fifth ahead of Zane Morse (#11 Ford), who was turned around in the incident that ended Saturday's race.

Cameron, Rylan Gray (#55 Ford), Lochie Dalton (#6 Ford), and Cameron Crick (#38 Holden) rounded out the top 10, ahead of Jarrod Hughes (#118 Holden), Max Vidau (#17 Ford), and Cody Burcher (#15 Nissan).

The second 40-minute race of the weekend, Race 2, will launch at 1:40pm AEDT.