Waters beats Payne to provisional pole

Cam Waters has edged Matt Payne to Race 16 provisional pole at the NTI Townsville 500, with series leader Brodie Kostecki only 15th.

Waters (#6 Monster Energy Mustang) turned in a 1:13.3207s at the death to secure last-man-out honours for Saturday’s one-lap dash.

Five Mustangs and five Camaros will tackle the first Top Ten Shootout since the season-opening Thrifty Newcastle 500.

Penrite Racing rookie Payne, aged just 20, was just 0.0010s ahead of Erebus Motorsport’s Will Brown, who is 59 points behind Kostecki.

Payne, the youngest driver in the field, secured passage through into his first Supercars Shootout.

It’s another blow to Kostecki (#99 Coca-Cola Camaro), who saw his championship lead slashed in Darwin after a costly incident in Race 15.

Race 15 winner Jack Le Brocq (#34 Truck Assist Camaro) qualified fourth ahead of Shell V-Power Racing Team’s Will Davison.

James Golding (#31 Nulon Camaro) was sixth ahead of Broc Feeney (#88 Red Bull Ampol Camaro), who is 91 points behind Kostecki.

David Reynolds made it two Penrite Fords in the top 10, with Chaz Mostert (#25 Mobil 1 Optus Mustang) ninth.

Van Gisbergen, who suffered handling issues on Friday, took the final Shootout berth over Bryce Fullwood (#14 Middy's Electrical Camaro) by 0.0650s.

Feeney set the fastest first flyer in the 15-minute session with a 1:14.3087s.

Kostecki (1:13.9206s) and Brown (1:14.0669s) made it an Erebus one-two, ahead of Reynolds and Mostert.

Friday fast man Le Brocq went quickest with a 1:13.8262s, before Waters dropped in a 1:13.8125s.

However, rookie Payne raised eyebrows with a 1:13.5186s best ahead of the final runs.

Several big names were in the drop zone; notably, van Gisbergen — who had an off at Turn 7 — was 12th, Brown 14th and Feeney 20th.

Feeney jumped to second with a 1:13.6766s and van Gisbergen third on a 1:13.7427s, before Brown jumped to the top with a1:13.4660s.

The chequered flag came out, and Le Brocq powered in a 1:13.5498s before Waters motored from eighth to first.

The Shootout order is Waters, Payne, Brown, Le Brocq, Davison, Golding, Feeney, Reynolds, Mostert and van Gisbergen.

Kostecki will share the eighth row with James Courtney (#5 Snowy River Caravans Mustang).

Andre Heimgartner (#8 R&J Batteries Camaro), who is sixth in the championship, was only 17th.

The Shootout — at 12:00pm AEST — will finalise the grid for the first 88-lap race of the weekend, Race 16, at 2:40pm.