Aaron Love claims closest-ever Super2 pole
West Aussie driver Love pips Reuben Goodall by 0.0006s
Previous 'closest-ever' marker had stood for 10 years
Aaron Love has rewritten the DUNLOP Super2 Series record books, claiming his second straight pole position by the closest margin in series history.
Love pipped Tickford Autorsport driver Reuben Goodall by just 0.0006s, beating the previous marker from Perth 2016, when Andrew Jones squeaked ahead of Jack Le Brocq by 0.0013s. In a twist of irony, Le Brocq was also driving a Tickford entry.
While Love's dream run continued, series leader Lochie Dalton struggled. Dalton will only line up seventh for Sunday's finale, in what was his worst qualifying effort of the season to date.
Goodall was the first to rise to the top in Sunday qualifying on a 55.1919s, quickly usurped by Tickford teammate Ben Gomersall on a 55.1316s, while Campbell Logan popped into third on a 55.3081s.
Brad Vaughan and Love rounded out the early top five in their respective Brad Jones Racing and Eggleston Motorsport Commodores, with Dalton only seventh on his first run.
Matt Hillyer had his second off at Turn 1 in as many qualifying sessions, while Love pushed the limits at the exit of Turn 6 by running two wheels through the grass on the outside.
The whole field sat in pit lane for the best part of five minutes before they all rolled out with seven minutes remaining on the clock for their final run on green tyres.
Cody Burcher was the first to improve to the top on a 55.1285s, though was quickly displaced by Eggleston teammate Bayley Hall on a 55.0077s, before Love broke into the 54's on a 54.8988s.
Love went faster again on a 54.7077s, and looked almost certain to nail pole once again before Goodall strung together a late flyer.
However, by the barest of margins, Tickford enduro co-driver Goodall missed out on his first career Super2 pole, a 54.7083s playing Love's 54.7077s.
Goodall led all four Tickford cars who will be in formation on the grid, Gomersall, Nash Morris, and Logan rounding out the top five. Dalton could only manage seventh, behind Vaughan, with Hall, Bailey Sweeny, and Ryan Tomsett rounding out the top 10.
The final race of Round 3 will commence at 1:55pm local time/3:55pm AEST.
