Waters pips Slade by 0.009s, Feeney misses Shootout
Supercars
21 Jul
Cam Waters pips Tim Slade to provisional pole by 0.009s
Chaz Mostert, Will Brown reach Race 16 Shootout
Brodie Kostecki 13th, Broc Feeney 16th, Thomas Randle 18th
Cam Waters was again the car to beat over one lap in Sydney, but championship contender Broc Feeney suffered a key blow to his title hopes in Boost Mobile Qualifying.
Waters, who claimed Boost Mobile Pole on Saturday, was just 0.0090s ahead of PremiAir Nulon Racing driver Tim Slade, with Nick Percat third for Matt Stone Racing.
Saturday winner Chaz Mostert and championship leader Will Brown were fifth and seventh, but fellow title rival Feeney was 0.4204s off Waters' pace in 16th.
Such is the tight nature of the field, that the margin from Brown in seventh to Feeney in 16th was just 0.0860s.
However, Feeney is set to start at least six positions behind Brown, who extended his margin from 78 to 96 points on Saturday night. Mostert, however, won the race and is just 126 points behind the championship leader.
Will Davison, Mostert, Anton De Pasquale, Brown, James Golding, Ryan Wood and David Reynolds completed the top 10, with a kerb strike costing Matt Payne dearly.
Davison set the first timed lap, a 1:30.6538s, before Brodie Kostecki (1:30.6258s), Bryce Fullwood (1:30.3851s) and Wood (1:30.1673s) improved.
Waters hit the front with a 1:30.1544s, with Randle third on a 1:30.3113s ahead of Feeney (1:30.3503s) and Brown (1:30.3671s). Payne then jumped to third with a 1:30.1782s.
All the while, Mostert was fastest to the second sector, but bailed out of the lap and returned to the garage. As times improved, Mostert was 25th and last as drivers improved.
De Pasquale hit the top with a 1:30.1453, before teammate Davison went just ahead with a 1:29.9668s. Randle was on the bubble in 10th, with Feeney 12th and Brown 13th.
Under pressure, Mostert powered to top spot with a 1:29.9491s before Waters went just ahead, by 0.1347s, with a 1:29.8144s. Slade impressed to second with a 1:29.8324s, with Brown jumping to sixth with a 1:29.8234s.
Payne picked up a kerb strike at Turn 5 and was at the mercy of his rivals. The pressure was telling, with Reynolds improving at the death to deny Payne a Shootout berth by just 0.0077s. As the chequered flag flew, Kostecki was 13th, Feeney 16th and Randle 18th.
Supercars will return to the track for the Boost Mobile Top Ten Shootout at 1:40pm. The Panasonic Air Conditioning Sydney SuperNight will conclude with Race 16 at 4:05pm.
