Courtney locks in final pole

James Courtney will start the final V8 Supercars race for 2015 on ARMOR ALL Pole Position.

The Holden Racing Team driver and Western Sydney boy recorded a 1min28.0667sec lap in the Coates Hire Sydney 500 Top 10 Shootout, elevating him from his qualifying position of sixth to first on the grid.

TEKNO Autosports’ Shane van Gisbergen was out last on-track for his one-lap dash, but could not topple Courtney, coming up a fine 0.0187sec short.

It’s Courtney’s third pole for the year and comes at the circuit where he stitched up the Championship in 2010, the last Ford driver to win before Mark Winterbottom yesterday.

“That’s awesome – we’ve been pretty strong at street circuits all year, I love this place, I’m a Western Sydney boy,” Courtney said.

“It’s more nerve-wracking standing here[watching] than being in the thing!”

Tim Slade was first out on track in the session and held the top spot until David Reynolds’ lap, the car before Courtney’s.

Winterbottom had a go (and will start third), as did Volvo’s Scott McLaughlin. He’ll start second after tapping the wall at the end of his lap.

David Wall – who took part in his first ever shootout – finished 10th but is under investigation for blocking in the qualifying session and may receive a two grid spot penalty. That would shift BJR’s Jason Bright and Fabian Coulthard up one position each. 

Click here for the full results.