Albert Park Supercars: McLaughlin, Whincup lock out poles

McLaughlin and Whincup already secured a pole position each from yesterday's two 10-minute sessions, the DJR Team Penske driver on top in the Race 1 session, before Whincup struck back for the Race 2 pole.

The title favourites were back to the same tricks today, McLaughlin comfortably charging to pole for Race 3 with a 1m55.157s, before Whincup made the best of the second 10-minute session to bag the Race 4 pole with a 1m55.477s.

That means McLaughlin will start today's first race and tomorrow's third race from pole, while reigning champion Whincup will lead the field away in Race 2 tomorrow and Race 4 on Sunday.

Unlike yesterday, however, neither were able to secure a front-row start for both races. Whincup will start Race 3 from fourth, while McLaughlin was just ninth fastest in Race 4 qualifying, having failed to nail his crucial first lap.

Nick Percat was the most consistent of the two sessions today, the Brad Jones Racing driver grabbing second for Race 3 and third for Race 4.

Walkinshaw Andretti United driver Scott Pye was impressive as well, taking a third and a fifth from the two sessions.

David Reynolds found gains for the second session, jumping from ninth first time around to second for Race 4. Tim Slade went the other way, qualifying fifth for Race 3 but just 13th for Race 4.

Chaz Mostert was sixth fastest in the Race 3 session before leaving his run very late to grab fourth for Race 4, while Fabian Coulthard ended up with a seventh and a sixth.

The biggest shock of the two sessions was Shane van Gisbergen, the points leader just 17th in the first session, before slumping to the very back of the field without a representative lap in the second after sliding off-track on his final run.

Cam Waters was another shock omission from the Top 20 for Race 3, winding up way down in 22nd. He only managed to improve to 15th a second time around.

James Courtney's difficult weekend continued, failing to trouble teammate Pye on his way to a 11th and a 25th.

Mark Winterbottom failed to make the Top 10 for either race either, with a 12th and a 14th.

Race 3

Cla	#	Driver	Car	Time
1	17	Scott McLaughlin	Ford Falcon FG X	1'55.1576
2	8	Nick Percat	Holden Commodore ZB	1'55.3121
3	2	Scott Pye	Holden Commodore ZB	1'55.4181
4	1	Jamie Whincup	Holden Commodore ZB	1'55.5744
5	14	Tim Slade	Holden Commodore ZB	1'55.5841
6	55	Chaz Mostert	Ford Falcon FG X	1'55.6534
7	12	Fabian Coulthard	Ford Falcon FG X	1'55.7604
8	23	Michael Caruso	Nissan Altima	1'55.7936
9	9	David Reynolds	Holden Commodore ZB	1'55.8202
10	888	Craig Lowndes	Holden Commodore ZB	1'55.8516
11	25	James Courtney	Holden Commodore ZB	1'55.9946
12	5	Mark Winterbottom	Ford Falcon FG X	1'56.0122
13	99	Anton de Pasquale	Holden Commodore ZB	1'56.0816
14	33	Garth Tander	Holden Commodore ZB	1'56.1326
15	7	Andre Heimgartner	Nissan Altima	1'56.1449
16	15	Rick Kelly	Nissan Altima	1'56.1778
17	97	Shane van Gisbergen	Holden Commodore ZB	1'56.3884
18	78	Simona de Silvestro	Nissan Altima	1'56.5177
19	230	Will Davison	Ford Falcon FG X	1'56.6207
20	34	James Golding	Holden Commodore ZB	1'56.6627
21	21	Tim Blanchard	Holden Commodore ZB	1'56.6871
22	6	Cameron Waters	Ford Falcon FG X	1'56.8657
23	19	Jack Le Brocq	Holden Commodore ZB	1'56.9542
24	18	Lee Holdsworth	Holden Commodore ZB	1'57.0785
25	56	Richie Stanaway	Ford Falcon FG X	1'57.1634
26	35	Todd Hazelwood	Ford Falcon FG X	1'57.3529

Race 4

Cla	#	Driver	Car	Time
1	1	Jamie Whincup	Holden Commodore ZB	1'55.4777
2	9	David Reynolds	Holden Commodore ZB	1'55.5330
3	8	Nick Percat	Holden Commodore ZB	1'55.5726
4	55	Chaz Mostert	Ford Falcon FG X	1'55.5825
5	2	Scott Pye	Holden Commodore ZB	1'55.7679
6	12	Fabian Coulthard	Ford Falcon FG X	1'55.8967
7	23	Michael Caruso	Nissan Altima	1'55.9745
8	230	Will Davison	Ford Falcon FG X	1'55.9877
9	17	Scott McLaughlin	Ford Falcon FG X	1'55.9927
10	99	Anton de Pasquale	Holden Commodore ZB	1'55.9948
11	33	Garth Tander	Holden Commodore ZB	1'56.0082
12	888	Craig Lowndes	Holden Commodore ZB	1'56.1351
13	14	Tim Slade	Holden Commodore ZB	1'56.1409
14	5	Mark Winterbottom	Ford Falcon FG X	1'56.2174
15	6	Cameron Waters	Ford Falcon FG X	1'56.2405
16	7	Andre Heimgartner	Nissan Altima	1'56.2950
17	15	Rick Kelly	Nissan Altima	1'56.4759
18	19	Jack Le Brocq	Holden Commodore ZB	1'56.4871
19	78	Simona de Silvestro	Nissan Altima	1'56.8815
20	56	Richie Stanaway	Ford Falcon FG X	1'57.0245
21	21	Tim Blanchard	Holden Commodore ZB	1'57.2643
22	35	Todd Hazelwood	Ford Falcon FG X	1'57.3489
23	34	James Golding	Holden Commodore ZB	1'57.6625
24	18	Lee Holdsworth	Holden Commodore ZB	1'58.4219
25	25	James Courtney	Holden Commodore ZB	2'15.2034
26	97	Shane van Gisbergen	Holden Commodore ZB