+ STM beats Craft-Bamboo and 75 Express to top spot
+ Result: Pirelli Pole Battle
Cameron Waters set the second fastest lap in Meguiar’s Bathurst 12 Hour history en route to his and STM’s first Allan Simonsen Pole Trophy at Mount Panorama today.
The car he shares with fellow Supercars drivers Thomas Randle and Chaz Mostert led a Mercedes-AMG 1-2-3 following a back and forth tussle between the Australian squad, Craft-Bamboo, 75 Express and the Jamec/MPC Audi.
Setting fastest times in final practice and qualifying had made Waters favourite for top spot but he had to dig particularly deep on his second flying lap to beat last year’s pole man Lucas Auer and his factory colleague Luca Stolz who both occupied provisional pole for a short time.
Broc Feeney and then Marco Mapelli set the early pace before STM’s Mercedes-AMG hit the front with a 2m01.922s. Qualifying suggested that wouldn’t be enough – indeed, Waters’ PB from that session was four tenths faster – and so it proved when Auer jumped ahead before Haase slotted into second.
Stolz then lowered the fastest time further but was only out front momentarily before Waters – who’d slipped to sixth at that point – set the weekend’s definitive time: 2m01.079s.
Auer was next across the line and joined Waters on the front row by beating Stolz. However, his best effort fell 0.177s shy of the Mercedes-AMG ahead.
75 Express shares row two with Absolute Racing’s Porsche, which was hustled to fourth in the closing stages by former pole winner Matt Campbell who came within half-a-tenth of also beating Auer.
Jamec/MPC’s Audi is not eligible to score Intercontinental GT Challenge points on Sunday but will be a victory contender all the same based on the speed shown by Haase and Will Brown on Friday and Saturday. It starts fifth, one place ahead of Wall Racing’s Bronze class-leading Lamborghini driven by factory ace Marco Mapelli.
BMW won Bathurst last year but has work to do from seventh, 11th and 12th. Raffaele Marciello heads up row four from Geyer Valmont Racing/Tigani Motorsport’s Pro-Am contender which mixed it with the factory contingent thanks to Scott Andrews.
Feeney slipped to ninth in HRT’s Ford, while Tigani’s works supported-entry made it five Mercedes-AMGs in the top 10. STM’s pole was the constructor’s record-extending sixth at the 12-Hour.
IGTC’s other two manufacturers failed to progress from qualifying. Arise Racing’s Ferraris start 17th and 19th, while JMR’s Chevrolets are line astern in 25th and 26th.
All four crews will be eager to make early progress tomorrow when round one of this year’s Intercontinental GT Challenge goes green at 05:45 local time (GMT +11).
