Waters blitzes Townsville Shootout

Cam Waters has powered to ARMOR ALL Pole Position for the NTI Townsville 500 finale.

Waters maximised the benefit of fresh tyres to perfection to secure a fifth pole of 2022.

It was also Waters’ third pole in Townsville, and the 14th of his career.

“Super happy with that,” Waters said.

“There was oil down at [Turn] 1, so I had to get through that.

“I had a tyre advantage which was going to save me for the rest of the lap.

“Got through 2, got through 4, and away I went."

Waters will start alongside Anton De Pasquale for Race 20, which will start at 2:45pm local time.

Will Davison qualified second in the Shootout, but will start third by virtue of a grid penalty.

Davison claimed provisional pole, but was found to have impeded James Courtney.

The Shell V-Power Racing Team driver will have a one-place penalty applied, and will start third.

Davison will share the second row with Shane van Gisbergen, who won Saturday’s race.

Waters beat Davison by a whopping 0.3s, with De Pasquale and van Gisbergen 0.4s behind.

Courtney will share the third row with Chaz Mostert, with Jack Le Brocq and Scott Pye behind.

First man out David Reynolds will start ninth, with Shootout debutant Thomas Randle 10th.

The first runners had to contend with a dusty circuit following a spate of support category accidents.

It was Waters, who had green tyres, who pieced together the best lap of all.

Waters’ 1:13.860s was the only 1:13s lap of the Shootout.