Tickford’s shot at Bathurst pole position history
Tickford Racing can become the equal most successful team in Bathurst pole history next weekend.
The Ford team is one of just 26 teams to have scored pole position for the Great Race.
The Holden Racing Team leads the way with seven poles, with its last coming in 2009 courtesy of Garth Tander.
Tickford sits on six Bathurst poles, and scored No. 6 last year courtesy of Cameron Waters.
Waters was the fast man at Mount Panorama at the February season-opener, with the 27-year-old claiming the Saturday pole.
The Monster Energy Mustang pilot currently holds the Top Ten Shootout record in Bathurst with a 2:03.5592s.
Tickford’s conversion rate from pole in Bathurst is poor; it has never won a Great Race after it started on pole.
Mark Winterbottom scored the team’s first Bathurst pole in 2007, and added a second in 2010.
Will Davison made it three poles for the team in 2012, before David Reynolds emerged atop a rain-affected shootout in 2015.
Tickford has taken the last two Bathurst poles; Chaz Mostert is now credited with the 2019 pole after Scott McLaughlin was retrospectively disqualified.
Waters scored a Bathurst pole earlier this year/em>
Pole-sitters have converted to victory in the Great Race on just 12 occasions. McLaughlin and Alex Premat won in 2019, even though they are now wiped from that year’s pole records.
In fact, more pole-sitters have failed to finish (14 instances) than gone on to claim victory.
Tander and Davison won for HRT from pole in 2009. Mark Skaife/Jim Richards (2002) and Greg Murphy/Rick Kelly (2003) are the only other pairings in the 21st century to win from pole.
The 2021 Repco Supercars Championship and Dunlop Series seasons will conclude at the Repco Bathurst 1000.
Every session of the event will be broadcast live on Foxtel (Fox Sports 503) and streamed on Kayo.
The Seven Network will provide live free to air coverage of the event. Tickets for the event and camping are on sale now.
Most Bathurst 1000 pole positions (teams)
7: Holden Racing Team6: Tickford Racing (PRA/FPR)5: Ford Motor Company, Holden Dealer Team3: Glenn Seton Racing, Triple Eight Race Engineering, DJR/DJR Team Penske
