Heimgartner takes pole, nightmare for Triple Eight

Andre Heimgartner has powered to his first pole position for Brad Jones Racing in a thrilling qualifying session at the Beaurepaires Sydney SuperNight.

Heimgartner will share Saturday's night race front row with Erebus Motorsport’s Brodie Kostecki, with Red Bull Ampol Racing suffering a shocker.

Broc Feeney and Shane van Gisbergen, who are third and fourth in the championship, will start 16th and 20th respectively.

Van Gisbergen, who dominated both practice sessions, missed out on a Q3 berth after he violated track limits at Turn 5.

It was a brighter story for rivals Erebus, with points leader Will Brown qualifying fourth behind Kostecki and Tickford Racing’s Cam Waters.

Waters appeared set to spoil Brad Jones Racing’s party at the death, but an error at the final corner — and an improvement by Heimgartner — sealed pole for the Kiwi.

Brown also threatened to go to the top when he clocked the fastest first sector, but made an error into the Turn 7 hairpin.

It was Heimgartner’s first pole for BJR in 52 attempts since joining the team last season, his first since The Bend 2021, and third of his career.

The 28-year-old also became the ninth different driver to take an ARMOR ALL Pole in 2023, and fifth different driver to take a pole in the last five starts.

Heimgartner is now in the box seat to end his victory drought, which stretches back to May 2021 when he won at The Bend with Kelly Grove Racing.

“We’ve been so close this year, second by tiny margins,” said Heimgartner, who has five podiums already this season.

“It’s good to get that monkey off my back — I’m so pumped. We’ve had a good run so far, and hopefully we keep going.”

Jack Le Brocq (#34 Truck Assist Camaro) was fifth ahead of Bryce Fullwood (#14 Middy’s Electrical Camaro) and James Golding (#31 Nulon Camaro).

Cameron Hill (#35 Truck Assist Camaro) impressed to eighth ahead of Chaz Mostert (#25 Mobil 1 Optus Mustang) and Will Davison (#17 Shell V-Power Mustang).

Heimgartner’s run to pole was off the back of supreme performance in Q2, with a 1:29.2806s setting up a clean run through Q3.

Heimgartner delivered, running in a 1:29.4228s as he had the track to himself. Kostecki came closest, missing out on his first pole since Tasmania by just 0.08s.

Van Gisbergen led the way with a 1:29.6459s in Q1, with Todd Hazelwood setting the early pace with a 1:30.2133s.

Waters clocked a 1:29.7755s before van Gisbergen went fastest. Behind them, last-start winner Anton De Pasquale (#11 Shell V-Power Mustang) sat dangerously in 20th.

It got worse for De Pasquale, who ended up 23rd all told behind Nick Percat (#2 Mobil 1 NTI Mustang) and Declan Fraser (#56 Tradie Mustang).

Team 18, meanwhile, dodged a bullet — Mark Winterbottom wasn’t send out again while in 13th, and snuck into Q2 by 0.0552s.

Matt Payne (#19 Penrite Mustang) and Jack Smith (#4 SCT Logistics Camaro) were 24th and 25th.

Le Brocq was quickest early in Q2 with a 1:29.5523s, before Heimgartner put down a benchmark time of 1:29.2806s.

All the while, van Gisbergen and Feeney were 19th and 20th ahead of the closing minutes, having not set a lap.

Where Feeney was only 16th — and as high as 13th — van Gisbergen didn’t fire a punch at all due to his error.

Race 18 of the Repco Supercars Championship, a 51-lapper, is scheduled to start at 19:35 local time/AEST.