Jamie Whincup and Paul Dumbrell will start from pole in today's first endurance V8 Supercars race of the season as they chase history at the Sandown 500.
In an elongated qualifying process with separate 20-lap races for co-drivers and regular-series drivers, Dumbrell won the lead and Whincup kept it. Sincethe race became a 500km affair, no driver has taken three straight victories.
The two Pepsi Max Falcons led by Mark Winterbottom and Chaz Mostert showed superior pace all weekend leading up to the qualifying races. The pair gave their co-drivers the front grid for their race only to allow Dumbrell to steal a lead within 90 seconds of their race.
Cameron Waters, 21, couldn't cash in on his pole position, making an error on the first lap to slip to third. Similarly, Winterbottom's co-driver Steve Owen, complaining of braking issues, was overtaken shortly after to put Dumbrell in front.
When the drivers flipped, neither Winterbottom nor Mostert could find a way past Whincup - with series leader Winterbottom edging his team-mate for the front row.
"PD did all the work this morning ... unfortunately, I was a bit of a road block in that race," he said. "We've got a fair bit of work to do but it was great to be able to maximise today."
Winterbottom was happy enough to be starting second, choosing not to make a pass during the qualifying race.
"Tomorrow it's going to be a different story, I'll squeeze her in there," he said. "You see some guys out there bumping people and getting drive-throughs and whatever - it's not worth a penalty for one spot."
That quote was a less-than-subtle dig at Craig Lowndes, who was served a drive-through penalty for bumping the luckless Jack Perkins. Lowndes began his race in 12th spot, surged to be seventh but then suffered the blow and will start the race from 23rd.
Of the Kiwis, Shane van Gisbergen and co-driver Jono Webb will start on the second row, Fabian Coulthard will start ninth and Scott McLaughlin 16th. Super Black Racing were near the tail in qualifying.
