Mostert scores Bathurst pole with all-time lap record

Chaz Mostert has secured pole for the Repco Bathurst 1000 with an all-new practice/qualifying lap record at Mount Panorama.

Mostert, the third driver out in the ARMOR ALL Top Ten Shootout, clocked a 2:03.373s to leave his rivals for dead.

It marked Mostert's second Great Race pole position and second of the 2021 season.

It was also the first Bathurst pole by a Walkinshaw car since Garth Tander in 2009 for the Holden Racing Team.

Mostert will share the front row with Shell V-Power Racing Team driver Anton De Pasquale, who was 0.289s behind all told.

"I don't have the words," Mostert said.

"The car was just so enjoyable to drive, it's been awesome all weekend.

"Just want to thank our whole team, Walkinshaw Andretti United, we did it really tough at [Sydney Motorsport Park] for four weeks there.

"To all our members and fans, it's so good to have you back... I feel like that egged us on."

There were four previous Great Race pole-sitters in the shootout, including the last two in Waters and Mostert.

Le Brocq was first man out and clocked a 2:05.331, which was immediately lowered to the tune of 0.432s by Percat.

Davison ran wide at Turn 1 yet managed to run line astern with Percat through the first two sectors.

The 2012 pole man pieced together a strong final sector to pip Percat’s time by 0.12s.

Van Gisbergen, the fourth driver out, put 0.413s on Davison on a 2:04.364s.

From there, the pace continued to intensify; Kostecki went quickest in all three sectors and put 0.591s on van Gisbergen.

Kostecki’s 2:03.773s sent the Erebus garage into raptures, with the 24-year-old seemingly on track to secure a maiden pole.

That seemed the case when Waters scratched his way across the mountain.

The 2020 pole man went quickest in the first sector by 0.06s, but lost 0.2s across the top.

Waters had a wobble into Forrest’s Elbow, but was supreme to the line and put 0.22s on Kostecki in the third sector.

Somehow, Waters had come within 0.13s of his own shootout record, and 0.2s of the all-time Supercars practice/qualifying record.

Enter Mostert, who fired in a 2:03.373s to lower McLaughlin’s all-time marker set in Practice 5 in 2019.

It was even quicker than the 2:03.378s McLaughlin clocked in the 2019 shootout, a lap which was later scrapped from the record books.

De Pasquale left behind nearly 0.3s in the first sector, but dropped in the quickest run across the top to slot in behind Mostert on a 2:03.663s.

Brown managed a 2:03s lap, but it was still 0.6185s from Mostert's flyer.

"When I heard the times coming down from the other guys, I thought, 'Wow, that's getting fast'," Mostert said.

"Just blocked it all out and drove to the grip level. The car has been really responsive.

"I thought the dash was lying to me... it was a lot of fun."

The 161-lap Repco Bathurst 1000 will commence at 12:15pm AEDT on Sunday.

Supercars will return to the track on Sunday for the Warm Up at 9:10am AEDT. Click here to view the track schedule.

Every session of the event will be broadcast live on Foxtel (Fox Sports 503) and streamed on Kayo.

The Seven Network will provide live free to air coverage of the event. Tickets for the event are on sale now.