Supergrid: How average grid shows favourites for Bathurst pole

The 2024 average qualifying position sheds light on who the favourites are for Boost Mobile Pole at the Mountain, with Broc Feeney and Cam Waters the qualifying benchmarks heading to Bathurst.

It should be no surprise that Feeney and Waters, who combine for nine of the season's 20 poles, have the best qualifying averages through nine rounds in 2024.

Two-time Great Race pole winner Waters has a season-best five poles, with Feeney just behind on four. Feeney, however, has the best average grid position of the season to date with 5.26, just ahead of Waters' 5.74.

After slumping to 20th and 18th in the first two races of the season in Bathurst, Waters has been no lower than eighth in 15 of 17 races, with 10 front row starts. Feeney has seven front row starts, and has missed the top 10 just three times.

There's plenty at stake, with bragging rights for Bathurst pole, and the $15,000 that goes with it. Heading to Bathurst, Supercars.com has created a 'Supergrid' to illustrate the 2024 qualifying pecking order, with the Supergrid created rom the average qualifying figures from the 19 races so far.

Behind Feeney and Waters is series leader Will Brown, Chaz Mostert and Anton De Pasquale, who is the only driver to reach every Top Ten Shootout so far this season.

So, heading to the Mountain, what of the rest of the field, and whose one-lap pace isn't matched by their championship position?

Top four the best

Perhaps it's no surprise that the top four in the points have the top four average grid positions, with the quartet claiming 13 of the 19 poles so far.

De Pasquale is the biggest mover versus his championship position; the Dick Johnson Racing sits 10th in the points, but is fifth on the Supergrid.

Two drivers whose qualifying rankings differ the most from their current championship positions are Nick Percat and James Golding.

Golding and Percat are sixth and seventh in the championship, but are 12th and 11th when it comes to the Supergrid.

Percat has 13 top 10 finishes and two wins, but has started outside the top 10 on 11 occasions. Golding, who claimed his first podium at Sandown, claimed a maiden pole in Darwin, but is six positions worse off on the Supergrid versus his championship position.

Taupō winner Andre Heimgartner is 11th in the championship, but is only 17th on average in qualifying.

The flip-side

De Pasquale is fifth on the average grid, but is five positions worse off in qualifying. The outgoing DJR driver has what it takes over one lap in Bathurst, qualifying sixth of better in five of six attempts.

Townsville pole-sitter Jack Le Brocq is ninth on the average grid, but 12th in the points, his progress largely undone by a late incident with Matt Payne at Sandown.

Payne has two poles and is fifth in the championship, but is only seventh on average in qualifying. Surprisingly, Payne has started no better than ninth for the last 10 races, and has missed the top 10 altogether six times.

As for other drivers, Todd Hazelwood, who substituted for Brodie Kostecki at the first two rounds, had a 12.17 average grid spot across the Bathurst 500 and the Grand Prix.

Triple Eight wildcard Cooper Murray qualified 23rd and 10th in Darwin, and was only 18th at Sandown before recovering to fifth with Craig Lowndes. Matt Chahda, meanwhile, qualified 25th at Sandown in his only attempt so far this season.

Then, there's Tickford Racing wildcard Lochie Dalton, who won't take part in the Great Race, and left his solo Sydney wildcard with an average grid position of 24.00.

Drivers will fight for pole in the all-important Boost Mobile Shootout on Saturday, a day after all drivers tackle the Mountain in Boost Mobile Qualifying. Tickets for the event are on sale now.

2024 Supergrid (Average qualifying position after Sandown)

*Missed the first two rounds