Wildcard Best scores shock Bend pole

Wildcard Zak Best has secured a shock ARMOR ALL Position for the OTR SuperSprint opener.

Best, 20, held on to clinch pole by just 0.02s from series leader Shane van Gisbergen.

Van Gisbergen was purple through the second sector, but was unable to usurp Best.

Best is being engineered by Dilan Talabani, who skippered Andre Heimgartner to pole and victory last year.

The Benalla native, who races for Tickford Racing in Super2, is running an unbranded Mustang.

Few would have expected Best to help the Mustang to its 11th pole in 12 attempts in Tailem Bend.

Not even Best, who will make his second Bathurst start in October.

“I wasn’t expecting this,” Best said.

“I don't really know what to say. We did the best we could.

“Had a big go into Turn 1, we were losing a bit to Cam [Waters].

“Had a look, pieced it all together finally and it was good enough for pole.”

Tickford teammate Waters will start third alongside Chaz Mostert.

Anton De Pasquale and Will Davison will form an all Shell V-Power Racing Team third row.

Broc Feeney, David Reynolds, Nick Percat and Will Brown rounded out the top 10.

De Pasquale led the way in Q1 on a 1:48.269s, with van Gisbergen second on a 1:48.487s.

Davison was as low as 24th as the chequered flag flew, but jumped to safety in 17th.

De Pasquale again set the early pace in Q2, before Waters blew everyone out of the water with a 1:47.908s.

All the while, Best chipped away and set a strong pace, running in the top 10 in Q1 and Q2.

Come Q3, and the #78 Mustang put a number on the field to the tune of 1:47.816s.

Drivers came and went, but they were unable to demote Best from top spot.

Van Gisbergen loomed to snatch the fairytale away, but fell a scant 0.02s short of a fifth pole in 2022.

Best, van Gisbergen, Waters and Mostert were covered by just 0.19s.

The 24-lap Race 21 will commence at 4:15pm local time.