Bathurst Shootout cancelled due to rainfall

The ARMOR ALL Top Ten Shootout has been cancelled due to heavy rainfall at Mount Panorama.

Heavy rain lashed the Bathurst circuit on Saturday afternoon.

It forced the cancellation of the lead-in Porsche Carrera Cup and Super2 races.

Race Control made the decision to cancel the Shootout 10 minutes prior to the commencement of the session.

A statement from Motorsport Australia reads: "Race Control has advised that the Supercars Top 10 Shootout has been cancelled due to extreme weather, leaving the track in an unsafe condition for competition.

"Stewards are currently determining grid position for tomorrow's Bathurst 1000.”

Motorsport Australia and Supercars representatives assessed the track conditions at 4:30pm local time.

Rivers formed across the circuit in several places.

Notably, there was a significant amount of standing water at the likes of Hell Corner, Skyline, the Dipper and The Chase.

There were a number of rivers across Hell Corner in particular.

Motorsport Australia advised at 4:55pm that the Shootout had been cancelled.

"Obviously we had that big downpour of rain," Supercars CEO Shane Howard explained.

"There was a lot of run-off coming across the circuit.

"The officials went out and gave it every chance they could, giving it some time to see if it improved.

"We actually tried to re-divert where the main water course was coming across the track.

"Unfortunately, there was too much there and it wasn't dissipating. 

"It was sheeting across the circuit, particularly across Turn 1 really bad.

"The officials deemed it too unsafe to compete, and obviously we can't compromise driver safety.

"Extraordinarily disappointing for everyone, all our great fans who sat out there waiting for it to happen.

"Obviously disappointing for the drivers as well, they want to go. We had to make a decision.

"We're going to put on a show tomorrow."

It ensures Cam Waters and James Moffat will launch from pole position for Sunday’s race.

Waters scored provisional pole in ARMOR ALL Qualifying on Friday ahead of Lee Holdsworth.

“I’m disappointed, I love the Shootout around here,” Waters said.

“It’s pretty special to get the place to yourself for a lap, but the rain was crazy.

“You saw the rivers going on… it was a safety thing.

“Disappointed, but awesome to be starting on pole for tomorrow."

Holdsworth started the 2021 race from pole position, having shared with Chaz Mostert.

Mostert and Fabian Coulthard will share the second row with the Richie Stanaway/Greg Murphy Erebus wildcard.

The Stanaway/Murphy entry is promoted to fourth, with Shane van Gisbergen's penalty applied.

Van Gisbergen qualified fourth, but drops to seventh on the grid following his grid drop over a clash with Macauley Jones.

The series leader collided with Jones at Skyline towards the end of qualifying.

The race is scheduled to commence on Sunday at 11:15am local time.