Mostert scores provisional pole, SVG reaches shootout

Chaz Mostert and Liam Talbot have vaulted the #65 Audi to provisional Bathurst 12 Hour pole.

Mostert benefited from an earlier fast flyer from Bronze teammate Talbot to clinch top spot.

Audi stablemates Kelvin van der Linde/Brad Schumacher and Ricardo Feller/Yasser Shahin were within 0.4s and 0.7s respectively.

Talbot and Mostert combined for a two-driver time of 4:08.589s in the #65 Coinspot-liveried Audi.

“Liam did a fantastic job, he gave me a few tenths up my sleeve,” Mostert said.

“A cold Pirelli around here definitely takes a few laps.

“It’ll be a different style of shootout, but it’ll be a lot of fun.”

Shane van Gisbergen managed to qualify eighth despite a trying run to 12th for Prince Jefri Ibrahim.

Ibrahim qualified the #888 Triple Eight Mercedes-AMG only 12th in the Bronze session.

Talbot was the fast man in the Bronze session, and held onto top spot after a late red flag.

The first session was halted with six minutes remaining after a spin for Shahin (#777 Audi).

Shahin rotated the car at the final corner, and became stuck in the wet grass as he attempted to rejoin.

The car lost its fastest time due to the stoppage, giving Feller a mountain to climb.

Talbot’s flyer handed Mostert a 0.281s headstart on the field, with van der Linde’s co-driver Schumacher 0.584s behind.

Schumacher was on a flyer of his own before the session went red for the stranded Shahin Audi.

A highly-fancied Pro line-up returned to the track for a final 25 minutes.

Mostert, van der Linde and Feller traded fast times, but it was the Supercars star who emerged quickest.

The two-time Bathurst 1000 winner held on by 0.336s over van der Linde, with Feller third.

The positions was frozen when Eric Constantindis (#11 Porsche) crashed exiting the Cutting.

The session was declared as the damaged car was retrieved, handing the #65 Audi provisional pole.

Jules Gounon/Martin Konrad shot the #75 SunEnergy1 Mercedes into fourth ahead of Brett Hobson/Garth Walden (#45 Mercedes-AMG).

Ben Barker/Stephen Grove helped the repaired #4 Porsche to sixth ahead of Duvashen Padayachee/Sergio Pires (#55 Mercedes-AMG).

Van Gisbergen was eighth, with Tony D’Alberto/Grant Denyer (#6 Lamborghini) and Lee Holdsworth/Marc Cini (#9 Audi) rounding out the top 10.

Will Brown, who triggered a red flag early in the second session, qualified 11th.

Brown buried his #19 Mercedes-AMG at Murray’s Corner, but returned to just miss a shootout berth.

The Erebus Supercars driver is paired with Mark Griffith.

The tweaked Pirelli Shootout procedure will be put to the test at 4:10pm local time.

Tickets for the LIQUI MOLY Bathurst 12 Hour are on sale now.