Lap by Lap: Qualifying

It's fine – and hot – in Darwin for the SKYCITY Triple Crown, with ARMOR ALL Qualifying for Race 17 about to get underway, to be followed by a Top 10 Shootout an hour and 40 minutes later. 

Yesterday Mark Winterbottom was quickest in Practice Four, followed by Tim Slade, Scott McLaughlin, Shane van Gisbergen and Michael Caruso. 

Championship points leaders were down the bottom of the field, though there was no clear indication of speed because each car was on different quality tyres. 

There were four Nissans in the top 10 and three Mercedes-Benz – will they remain on the pace today, or be trumped by the Fords and Holdens in the field? 

Jason Bright holds the record at Hidden Valley Raceway, a 1min07.8546 from 2002 (on a Dunlop hard tyre) in a Holden Commodore VX. However, we haven't yet seen a driver crack the 1min08s yet. 

Interestingly, Bright also holds the race lap record, a 1min09.0149 from 1999 in a Ford Falcon AU.

It's a 20-minute session this morning. 

Plenty of cars starting on wet weather tyres in order to conserve rubber for today. Hard Dunlop tyres must be used in both races tomorrow, and exclusively today. 

Scott McLaughlin the first driver into the 1min10s, with a 1min10.9142 just five minutes in. Michael Caruso the second in his Nissan – and tops McLaughlin by 0.0450sec quicker. 

Six minutes in it's Chaz Mostert, Caruso, McLaughlin, Rick Kelly, James Moffat. Three of four Nissans in the top 10. All four were in the 10 after yesteray's last Practice session – will that carry over today? 

Seven minutes and Jamie Whincup fastest with a 1min10.5660. Will he remain at the top of the times? If so, it still won't guarantee him pole position, with the ARMOR ALL Top 10 Shootout still to come. Pole will be important today, with the car in first position to have a big advantage in the second half of the 60/60 race. 

Craig Lowndes much quicker – a 1min10.0814 for the man who recorded the best time in P2 here. He also has the last win recorded at the circuit. Both he and Whincup recorded a win at Hidden Valley in 2012. 

Will Davison was on pole for both of the 2012 races – he's now in third, behind Lowndes and James Courtney. 

Just over halfway into the session, and the rest of the top 10 is Fabian Coulthard in fourth, Tim Slade, Shane van Gisbergen, Jonathon Webb, David Reynolds, Garth Tander and Alex Davison. 

Coulthard now the first in the 1min09s. Will Davison 0.0589sec faster with just over eight minutes to go. 

Jason Bright appears in the 10, recording the sixth quickest time. Just over seven minutes left. 

While Will Davison is quickest, his Pepsi Max Crew FPR teammate Mark Winterbottom is last in 28th. He was quickest yesterday. 

Five minutes to go and top 10 is Will Davison, Coulthard, Bright, Lowndes, Winterbottom, Courtney, Slade, van Gisbergen, Web, Reynolds.

Caruso jumps into eighth. Caruso is a former winner at the circuit. 

Winterbottom to the top with four mins to go. It's a 1min09.6982. He's now in pit lane, with under three mins remaining in the session. 

Tander to p2 with a 1min09.9129.

Whincup from 19th to first with a minute and a half to go. 

Lowndes to first with just 17 seconds to go in the session. 0.3sec covering the top 10 cars. 

Top 10 is Lowndes, Whincup, Winterbottom, Bright, Courtney, Will Davison, Reynolds, Tander, van Gisbergen, Rick Kelly. 

Other to note are Coulthard 11th, Slade 13th and McLaughlin 14th. 

Click here for full results.