Shell V-Power Racing’s Scott McLaughlin has clinched provisional ARMOR ALL Pole Position for the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000. Having set record after record throughout practice in the Mount Panorama sunshine, McLaughlin was not deterred by the wet Friday afternoon conditions.

Mount Panorama threw everything it had at Supercars teams and drivers today, with record breaking track conditions this morning before a storm front rolled through to provide a wet track for qualifying.

“I was so nervous before that qualifying session because we had such a good car,” commented Scott McLaughlin. “This is probably going to be the only wet session that we have, I’m really proud. We’ve been struggling with our wet car, but we had an awesome car from the start. That was hands-down the best wet car I’ve ever had. Thanks so much to the team for giving me the tools to get the job done. We start last in the shootout tomorrow, hopefully it’s dry so we can have a proper crack at it.”

The day opened with a co-driver only session in Practice 4, with Alex Prémat and Tony D’Alberto on track in the Shell V-Power Mustangs. Both co-drivers did an excellent job, working on race-pace before handing the cars back to Scott McLaughlin and Fabian Coulthard for Practice 5.

Both cars were fast in the cold, dry conditions with McLaughlin lowering his lap record even further to a 2m03.4813s to be a half-second clear of the field.

Temperatures plummeted and rain began to fall around the circuit in the hour before qualifying, with the full 40-minute session run in wet conditions.

McLaughlin was again fast in the trying conditions, sitting at the top of the time sheets for the majority of the forty-minutes. Conditions dried out a little late in the session, and timing became key with Coulthard losing out on best track conditions to be pushed out of the Top 10.

McLaughlin took provisional pole, and will start last in tomorrow afternoon’s Top 10 Shootout that will decide the final places on the grid.