Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
Cam Waters has continued his blistering form in the Darwin Triple Crown, claiming pole position for the first time in his Supercars season ahead of the second race at Hidden Valley Raceway.
The Tickford Racing star was the second-to-last driver in the top-10 shootout, but he snared first position by 0.133 seconds before the 200km, 70-lap race later on Saturday.
The pole position lays the perfect platform for the 31-year-old to build on his hot start to the Triple Crown after he won Friday’s sprint race, which was also his first race victory since February 2025.
On Saturday, provisional pole sitter Brodie Kostecki veered wide in the final stages of his lap to finish second, while Grove Racing’s Matt Payne will start third under the beaming Northern Territory sun.
Last year’s champion Chaz Mostert secured fourth as his Toyota Supra comes to grips with the boiling conditions, while young gun Kai Allen will start in fifth position after finishing second in Friday’s sprint race.
Following a horror sprint race, where he finished a paltry 14th, championship leader Broc Feeney bounced back, finishing sixth, while battling through issues with his brakes.
Matt Stone Racing’s driver Jack Le Brocq came seventh while Thomas Randle, James Golding and Zach Bates rounded off the top 10.
Earlier, the biggest shock of the first of three legs of qualifying was Team 18’s Anton De Pasquale, who will start in 20th position after missing out on progressing to the second stage for the first time this season.
It comes after De Pasquale finished second in Friday’s qualifying and is looking to move into the competition’s top five with some strong racing this weekend.
Elsewhere, Triple Eight Race Engineering’s Will Brown will start 11th for Race 18 while Kiwi Ryan Wood also had a qualifying session to forget after veering off the track in the second stage and finishing 17th.
The Triple Crown is round six of the championship and is the fourth-to-last racing weekend before the Sprint Cup champion is crowned.
The winning driver of the Sprint Cup will earn a finals berth.
Racers are also looking to accumulate the highest number of points across the weekend to secure the coveted Triple Crown.
Drivers will return for Race 18 at 3.20 pm (local time).
RACE 18 TOP-10 SHOOTOUT RESULTS:
1. Cam Waters (Tickford Racing)
2. Brodie Kostecki (Dick Johnson Racing)
3. Matt Payne (Grove Racing)
4. Chaz Mostert (Walkinshaw TWG Racing)
5. Kai Allen (Grove Racing)
