Bates on provisional pole ahead of historic Shootout

Zach Bates is sitting on provisional pole after Boost Mobile Qualifying for Race 4 of the 2025 Dunlop Super2 Series at the Snowy River Caravans Tasmania Super 440.

On what has been a difficult weekend for Eggleston Motorsport, the reigning champion will be the last car to roll out in the Top Five Shootout later this morning after setting a 52.2299s.

Bates led yesterday's race winner and current series leader Rylan Gray by just 0.0188s in what was an intense conclusion to the session, with Nash Morris finishing third just 0.0918s.

Three Tickford Autosport Mustangs will feature in the Top Five Shootout, with Reuben Goodall set to be the first car to roll out, and a strong performance from Bailey Sweeny saw the rookie end the session in fourth.

The final flyers were ultimately curtailed after Max Geoghegan ran long at the Turn 4 hairpin and got beached in the gravel, bringing out the red flags with a minute left in the session.

There was a brief five minute delay in proceedings following an opening lap accident in the preceding Touring Car Masters race, however all 23 cars rolled out under cloudy skies to battle it out to make the top five.

The warm up laps were considerably quicker than yesterday morning's qualifying session, with Cameron McLeod immediately setting a 53 second lap time on his first push lap.

Gray once again appeared at the top of the timesheets, however it was Bates who was fastest after the first run on a 52.5143s, some one and a half tenths faster than Gray, who had an off at Turn 2.

Whilst one Eggleston Motorsport driver appeared at the top of the timesheets, there were major dramas for Round 1 winner Jordyn Sinni, who came into pit lane after one lap reporting another power steering problem.

The team sent him out after not finding any problems, however the power steering let go on his out lap, with the #54 consigned to pit lane for the remainder of the session, with fluid once again pooling underneath the Commodore in pit lane.

After the first run it was Bates, Gray, Lochie Dalton, Cody Burcher, and Ben Gomersall who were the top five, however the whole field bar two rolled out for their final runs with eight minutes to go.

One of those drivers was Sinni, who will start last having not been able to join the field, and the other was Sweeny, who ran an off-sequence strategy in the Blanchard Racing Team's sole entry.

The unique strategy worked wonders for the New South Welshman, who rose to the top of the timesheets on a 52.4s, however Bates once again rose to the top, and would remain there for the rest of the session.

The only Tickford car to miss the Shootout was Launceston-born Lochie Dalton, who was only 0.04s away from progressing into the one-lap dash, and will line up in sixth.

The top 10 was rounded out by Burcher, Jackson Walls, Elliott Cleary, and Brad Vaughan.

Up next for the Dunlop Super2 Series will be the historic Top Five Shootout at 10:55am AEST, before Race 4 of the 2025 season begins at 12:40pm AEST.