Wood takes pole, Love recovers after off

Ryan Wood has become the first repeat Super2 pole winner in the 2023 Dunlop Series after beating Aaron Love at the Penrite Oil Sandown 500.

Walkinshaw Andretti United driver Wood, who claimed pole in Newcastle, beat fellow rookie Love by just 0.0929s to Race 1 pole.

Wood and Love held onto their front row positions after a red flag was caused with two minutes remaining due to an electrical issue for Jack Perkins.

Perkins, driving a tribute livery of father Larry’s 1993 Bathurst win, pulled his Erebus Commodore over between Turns 9 and 10 with a suspected electrical issue.

The second-generation driver was 13th on the time sheets, and one of many Super2 drivers to fall foul of the stoppage.

Notably, Tickford Racing driver Brad Vaughan was only 22nd on the time sheets, one position behind Super3 rookie Valentino Astuti.

Super3 driver Cameron McLeod was an impressive 10th behind Perkins and Cooper Murray, with Zach Bates making it a WAU one-three result.

Points leader Zak Best was fifth behind Zane Morse, who qualified a strong fourth just weeks after scoring his first Dunlop Series podium at the NTI Townsville 500.

Eggleston Motorsport driver Kai Allen, who is 66 points behind Best, qualified seventh and will share the fourth row with Perkins.

McLeod scored Super3 honours with a 1:09.9428s aboard his Altima, ahead of points leader Jobe Stewart’s 1:10.2033s.

Murray was third overall and the only Super2 driver to set a representative time when Love locked up and ran off into the Turn 9 sand trap, triggering the first red flag.

The Blanchard Racing Team driver, who is undertaking double duties with his main game wildcard, returned to the session and recorded a 1:09.7069s to sit just 0.0929s behind Wood.

Wood clocked a 1:09.6140s, which proved good enough for pole when vision emerged of Perkins’ stranded car on the approach to Turn 10.

The first 40-minute race of the weekend, Race 1, will commence at 4:20pm AEST on Saturday afternoon.