Mark Winterbottom has given every indication that Ford Performance Racing will be a serious threat at this weekend’s V8 Supercars Phillip Island 300 by winning pole position for today’s opening race. The Victorian narrowly edged out FPR team-mate David Reynolds for top spot, while Will Davison will start from fourth place.
While series points leader Jamie Whincup led the way early on in today’s twenty-minute qualifying session, the three FPR cars entered contention for pole with their first flying laps on new tyres halfway into the session.
While Whincup was unable to improve his time on his final run – falling to eighth at the end – Ford’s factory trio moved to the pointy end of the timesheets on their final runs, with no one able to break the Winterbottom-Reynolds front row.
Jason Bright was the quickest Holden driver in the field with the third-fastest effort overall, while Tim Slade rounds out the top five in his Stone Brothers Ford.
Completing the top ten places are Rick Kelly, Craig Lowndes, Whincup, Garth Tander and Lee Holdsworth.
The first of this weekend’s two races gets underway at 4:05pm local time (GMT+10).
2012 V8 Supercars Phillip Island 300 – Race 1 Qualifying Results:
| Driver | Entry / Team | Result | ||
| 1. | Mark Winterbottom |  |
Orrcon Steel / Ford Performance Racing | 1:32.1320 |
| 2. | David Reynolds | |
The Bottle-O Racing Team / Rod Nash | + 0.1199 |
| 3. | Jason Bright |  |
Team BOC / Brad Jones Racing | + 0.2053 |
| 4. | Will Davison | |
Trading Post / Ford Performance Racing | + 0.2518 |
| 5. | Tim Slade | |
Lucky 7 Racing / Stone Brothers Racing | + 0.2798 |
| 6. | Rick Kelly | |
Jack Daniel’s / Kelly Racing | + 0.2835 |
| 7. | Craig Lowndes | |
Team Vodafone / Triple 8 Racing | + 0.3048 |
| 8. | Jamie Whincup | |
Team Vodafone / Triple 8 Racing | + 0.3895 |
| 9. | Garth Tander | |
TOLL / Holden Racing Team | + 0.4111 |
| 10. | Lee Holdsworth | |
Irwin Racing / Stone Brothers Racing | + 0.5118 |
| 11. | Shane van Gisbergen | |
SP Tools / Stone Brothers Racing | + 0.5190 |
| 12. | Fabian Coulthard | |
Lockwood Racing / Brad Jones Racing | + 0.7779 |
| 13. | Jonathon Webb | |
Tekno Autosports | + 0.9035 |
| 14. | Steve Owen | |
VIP Petfoods / Dick Johnson Racing | + 0.9108 |
| 15. | Steven Johnson | |
Jim Beam Racing / Dick Johnson Racing | + 0.9340 |
| 16. | James Courtney | |
TOLL / Holden Racing Team | + 1.0452 |
| 17. | Michael Caruso | |
Fujitsu Racing / Garry Rogers Motorsport | + 1.0930 |
| 18. | Dean Fiore | |
Jim Beam Racing / Dick Johnson Racing | + 1.1810 |
| 19. | Michael Patrizi | |
Tekno Autosports | + 1.1898 |
| 20. | Greg Murphy | |
Pepsi Max Crew / Kelly Racing | + 1.2151 |
| 21. | Tony D’Alberto | |
HIFLEX Racing / Tony D’Alberto Racing | + 1.2227 |
| 22. | Alexandre Prémat | |
Fujitsu Racing / Garry Rogers Motorsport | + 1.3207 |
| 23. | Todd Kelly | |
Jack Daniel’s / Kelly Racing | + 1.3351 |
| 24. | Russell Ingall | |
Supercheap Auto / Walkinshaw Racing | + 1.4430 |
| 25. | Taz Douglas | |
Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport | + 1.4983 |
| 26. | Karl Reindler | |
Fair Dinkum Sheds / Kelly Racing | + 1.5938 |
| 27. | James Moffat | |
Team Norton / Dick Johnson Racing | + 1.5971 |
| 28. | David Wall | |
Wilson Security / Brad Jones Racing | + 1.7004 |
 |
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Richard Bailey
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