Supercars series leader New Zealander Scott McLaughlin fought back tears after breaking his own Mount Panorama lap record to claim pole position for this afternoon's Bathurst 1000.
Scott McLauglin Photo: Photosport
The Ford gun clocked an astonishing two minutes, 03.83 seconds, eclipsing his mark set in Friday's practice by 0.31 of a second, in yesterday's top 10 shootout.
His record-breaking effort was too good for a scorching shootout field, finishing ahead of Holden's David Reynolds (2:04.27) and Ford's 2013 Bathurst champion Mark Winterbottom (2:04.49).
All eyes were on McLaughlin when he emerged as the last man on the track for a flying lap in the top 10 shootout after his assault on the record books on Friday.
McLaughlin set 2:04.14 in Friday's practice to obliterate Holden great Jamie Whincup's 2015 lap mark by a whopping 0.76 of a second.
It was a hard act to follow.
Yet McLaughlin soaked up the pressure to produce the fastest lap at Mount Panorama by a Supercar - again.
McLaughlin was fighting back tears as he emerged from his Falcon.
"Oh, my God. I am over the moon," he said.
"But I knew we could do that.
"I could hear the fans, it was crazy, so thank you.
"That was the most incredible moment of my life."
McLaughlin's pole position ensures he starts on the front row of the grid for the 18th successive time this season.
He has not featured outside the front row since the opening round.
Ford's 2014 Bathurst champion Chaz Mostert was fourth fastest, ahead of defending Supercars series champ New Zealander Shane van Gisbergen of Holden.
McLaughlin's Ford teammate and fellow Kiwi Fabian Coulthard - third in the drivers' standings - was seventh fastest ahead of the 161-lap great race.
-AAP
