Bailey Sweeny claims shock Bathurst Super2 pole
BRT driver upstages teammate and points leader Lochie Dalton
Opening race begins at 3:20pm local time
As has been the case for most of the 2026 Super2 season, a Blanchard Racing Team Ford will start from pole position. But it wasn't Lochie Dalton.
Instead, it was Bailey Sweeny who claimed a shock first career Boost Mobile Pole Award, upstaging a Shootout field who have all contested in Supercars races this.
Pole was a welcome boost to Sweeny, who entered the weekend 14th in points, despite his teammate being the class of the field so far in 2026.
Sweeny will start alongside Tickford's Nash Morris on the front row for the opening race on Friday afternoon, with Dalton to start third.
Qualifying
Qualifying was over before it began for Ryan Tomsett, the teenager returning to pit lane after an out lap with an engine drama that left him to start from the tail of the field for Friday's opening race.
Dalton was the first to set a genuine benchmark on the opening run, with a strong 2:05.8029s, with Nash Morris the only other driver in the 2:05's after the opening run on a 2:05.9537s.
Campbell Logan and Brendon Leitch both suffered lock-ups early in the session, Logan running wide at Hell Corner, and Leitch dipping into the grass at The Chase.
On new tyres, Ben Gomersall was the first to dip below Dalton's initial benchmark on a 2:05.7423s, before Dalton's BRT teammate Bailey Sweeny soared to the top on a 2:05.4347s.
Dalton made it a BRT 1-2 with a 2:05.1841s, however the pair were split by Gomersall, who set a 2:05.3105s. Brad Vaughan and Morris would also progress to the Top Five Shootout.
The only major incident was for Vaughan's Brad Jones Racing teammate Matt Hillyer, who thumped the wall at the exit of The Cutting, pulling the right front corner out of the #2 Holden.
Reuben Goodall missed the cut for the Shootout by just 0.05s, with Logan, Bayley Hall, Hillyer, and Cody Burcher rounding out the top 10.
Top Five Shootout
Morris was the first one out in the Boost Mobile Top Five Shootout, and on new tyres he all but matched his Qualifying time to set a 2:05.5962s for the field to chase.
Holden's hopes rested on Vaughan, who was up against four Mustangs, but the South Australian could only muster a 2:06.8138s on a used set of tyres, losing more than a second through the first two sectors alone.
Sweeny was also on a used set of tyres, and just squeaked ahead of Morris on a 2:05.5851s, just 0.0111s clear of Morris' Tickford Mustang.
Morris' teammate Gomersall was unable to beat Sweeny's time, setting a 2:05.7737s, not helped by dropping two wheels into the grass at the exit of Murray's Corner.
That guaranteed that BRT would claim pole for the opening race of the weekend, with Dalton the only driver standing in the way of the New South Welshman and his first career pole.
Despite the series leader being on maximum commitment across the top of the Mountain, he could only muster third on the grid with a 2:05.7493s.
Morris was the big winner of the Shootout, going from provisional fifth to second on the grid, with Dalton and Gomersall sharing the second row, and Vaughan rounding out the Shootout field.
Race 1 for the DUNLOP Super2 Series will commence at 3:20pm local time.
