10 Oct 2009

Tander has Bathurst pole while NZers fall foul of stewards

7:05 pm on 10 October 2009

Holden star Garth Tander has claimed pole position for tomorrow's Bathurst 1000.

The Holden Racing Team driver clocked a two minute, 7-point-9 second lap to become the first man to claim back-to-back poles at Bathurst since Mark Skaife in 1997-98.

Tander and Will Davison will begin the one thousand kilometre race ahead of Ford's Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup, who are chasing an unprecedented fourth straight Bathurst crown.

New Zealand driver Jason Richards, who had provisional pole before today's shootout will start 5th.

And Greg Murphy had his time excluded by stewards after a pit lane exit issue.

That means he and Holden teammate Skaife will start the race from 10th position.

Meanwhile, Ford's New Zealand driver Mark Winterbottom has been slapped with a 61 hundred dollar (NZ) fine for a crash which led to a rival's Holden being destroyed at Mt Panorama.

Winterbottom was weaving at slow speed to heat up his tyres, directly in front of rookie Sam Walter's Commodore during Saturday practice.

Walter was forced to take evasive action, ploughing his car into a wall.

Stewards have fined Winterbottom 18 thousand dollars, but with two thirds suspended pending any further incident.