Waters tops tight qualifying, Courtney crashes

Saturday winner Cam Waters has claimed provisional Race 26 pole at the Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500, with Tickford Racing teammate James Courtney crashing.

Waters (#6 Monster Energy Mustang) clocked a 1:10.4635s to edge Will Brown (#9 Coca-Cola Camaro) by just 0.0243s after 15 minutes of qualifying.

David Reynolds (#26 Penrite Mustang) and Shane van Gisbergen (#97 Red Bull Ampol Camaro) were just behind, with the top four covered by just 0.0574s.

As one side of the Tickford garage celebrated another strong session, the other was forced into rapid repairs after Courtney tripped over the beach chicane kerbs and crashed.

Courtney's #5 Snowy River Caravans Ford ran head-on into the tyre barriers, with the bonnet flying up as the 2010 series champion returned his damaged car to the pits.

Tickford managed to repair the car and sent Courtney back out, with the 2015 Gold Coast winner recovering to qualify 20th.

Waters set the early running with a 1:10.9440s, before Chaz Mostert (#25 Mobil 1 Optus Mustang) clocked a 1:10.7562s to jump to the top.

Van Gisbergen, who enters Sunday 104 points behind Brodie Kostecki (#99 Coca-Cola Camaro), powered to the top with the quickest time of the weekend, a 1:10.5209s.

The three-time champion held sway after the first runs, with Kostecki second with a 1:10.7414s.

As the field returned to the lane, Reynolds stayed out and powered to P1 with a 1:10.5011s, with the 2013 Gold Coast winner putting just 0.0198s on van Gisbergen.

Brown picked up a kerb strike at the first chicane on his first lap in the second runs, but rebounded to record a 1:10.4878s.

Mostert, Kostecki and Reynolds all recorded kerb strikes, with Waters managing a clean run to set a 1:10.8884s. With the wind in his sails, Waters claimed provisional pole with a 1:10.4635s. Kostecki, meanwhile, recorded a shortcut on his final lap.

Mostert hung onto sixth ahead of Anton De Pasquale (#11 Shell V-Power Mustang), who was as high as third after the first runs.

James Golding (#31 Nulon Camaro), Matt Payne (#19 Penrite Mustang) and Mark Winterbottom (#18 DEWALT Camaro) rounded out the top 10, with Winterbottom's Team 18 teammate Scott Pye (#20 Hino Camaro) missing out on a Shootout berth by 0.0015s.

It was a worse fate for van Gisbergen's teammate Broc Feeney, who will start 13th after being caught by a logjam at the final corner on his final lap. Feeney was delayed after Declan Fraser (#56 TRADIE Mustang) hit trouble at the final corner, with Bryce Fullwood (#14 Middy's Electrical Camaro) baulking ahead of Feeney.

Fullwood and Fraser qualified 19th and 21st respectively, either side of Courtney. Macauley Jones (#96 Pizza Hut Camaro) also ran long at Turn 11, and ended up 22nd.

Supercars will return to the track on Sunday for the ARMOR ALL Top Ten Shootout at 11:35am local time/12:35pm AEDT.

The Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500 will conclude with Race 26 at 2:15pm local time/3:15pm AEDT.