Gold Coast 600: McLaughlin on pole, van Gisbergen disqualified
The Supercars title contenders will start the first leg of the Gold Coast 600 from opposite ends of the Top 10, with Scott McLaughlin on pole and Shane van Gisbergen on the fifth row after a kerb strike in the Shootout.
Running third last, McLaughlin starred in the single-lap dash, beating his regular qualifying time with a 1m10.374s.
That helped him jump both Jamie Whincup and David Reynolds, who couldn't match McLaughlin's time, before provisional polesitter van Gisbergen took himself out of the running by jumping a kerb at the Beach Chicane and having his time wiped.
That means McLaughlin will start today's 300-kilometre race from pole, while van Gisbergen will start way back in ninth.
“I felt we could have done it in that first qualifying and just didn’t put the lap together, but to do it in the Shootout is fantastic,” said McLaughlin.
“It’s a great prize, obviously, being on pole, but we need to do it in the race. We’ll give it a good hard crack.”
Despite losing nine spots thanks to the kerb strike, van Gisbergen was philosophical about the Shootout result.
“I just pushed too much. It’s a shame, the first sector I mucked up and was just trying to make it back,” he said.
“It makes it hard starting from 10th, but we’ll have a go. We’ll be right.”
Whincup and Reynolds will start second and third, van Gisbergen's disqualification meaning they matched their regular qualifying efforts despite being beaten by McLaughlin.
Fabian Coulthard will start on the outside of the second row, two spots better than qualifying thanks not just to van Gisbergen's drama, but James Courtney's kerb strike earlier in the Shootout.
Chaz Mostert, Michael Caruso, Nick Percat, and Cam Waters all made up two spots as well, while Courtney will join van Gisbergen on the fifth row after overstepping the mark in the chicane.
“They’re joking with all those hop things aren’t they?" said Courtney after being told he'd been disqualified.
"It just ruins it for everyone. There’s better systems.”
| Cla | # | Driver | Car | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 17 |  Alexandre Prémat  Scott McLaughlin | Ford Falcon FG X | 1'10.3743 | |
| 2 | 1 |  Jamie Whincup Paul Dumbrell | Holden Commodore ZB | 1'10.5831 | 0.2088 |
| 3 | 9 | David Reynolds  Luke Youlden | Holden Commodore ZB | 1'10.5845 | 0.2102 |
| 4 | 12 | Tony D'Alberto  Fabian Coulthard | Ford Falcon FG X | 1'10.7303 | 0.3560 |
| 5 | 55 |  Chaz Mostert  James Moffat | Ford Falcon FG X | 1'10.7851 | 0.4108 |
| 6 | 23 |  Michael Caruso  Dean Fiore | Nissan Altima | 1'10.8403 | 0.4660 |
| 7 | 8 | Nick Percat Macauley Jones | Holden Commodore ZB | 1'10.9715 | 0.5972 |
| 8 | 6 | David Russell  Cameron Waters | Ford Falcon FG X | 1'11.3938 | 1.0195 |
| 9 | 25 | Earl Bamber Shane van Gisbergen | Holden Commodore ZB | ||
| 10 | 97 |  James Courtney Jack Perkins | Holden Commodore ZB |
Previous article
Gold Coast 600: Van Gisbergen fastest, grid penalty for Lowndes
Next article
Drivers investigated over Gold Coast post-race altercation
About this article
| Series | Supercars |
| Event | Surfers Paradise |
| Author | Andrew van Leeuwen |
Sam Brabham drives BT-19 at Mount Panorama
Todd Kelly builds André's Bathurst 1000 engine
Can DJR still be a Supercars powerhouse after Penske?
Roger Penske's whirlwind Australian Supercars sojourn is over. After six seasons, three drivers' titles, three teams' championships and a Bathurst 1000 crown, The Captain has sold his controlling stake in Dick Johnson Racing back to the squad and walked away from the category.
Can Whincup be Triple Eight's ruthless leader?
Supercars' most successful team of the past 15 years is set for a radical shakeup next year when Jamie Whincup retires from driving and takes over the reins at Triple Eight. But does he have what it takes to be the new Roland Dane?
How a lifetime Supercars deal broke down in one year
David Reynolds inked what was effectively a lifetime deal with Erebus in 2019 – only to walk out a year later. What went wrong?
Why Supercars now needs a new "human salt harvester"
Scott McLaughlin has been a controversial figure in Supercars over the past few years but, as he heads off to a fresh challenge in IndyCar, the Australian tin-top series needs to find someone else to fill his drama-filled boots as the category enters a new era...
Why 2020 isn't McLaughlin's greatest title
Scott McLaughlin was quick to describe his third Supercars title as his best yet. But even though it didn't match the dramatic backstory of his 2018 triumph, there's a good reason for him wanting to control the narrative this time around.
Why a Bathurst finale is risky business for Supercars
The Bathurst Grand Final may provide Supercars its greatest spectacle yet – but there's a risk it will force the series to face a hard truth.
Why Scott McLaughlin must become an IndyCar driver
Scott McLaughlin, two-time and current Supercars champion, should have been making his NTT IndyCar Series debut for Team Penske at the GP of Indianapolis, but the Covid-19 pandemic forced a rescheduling that has put the brakes on his career switch. But David Malsher-Lopez explains why the New Zealander deserves this opportunity as soon as possible.
Tickford's 10-year wait for James Courtney
When the Supercars season resumes James Courtney will be a Tickford Racing driver – but it's not the first time the star driver has flirted with the famous Ford squad.
