Van der Linde scores Bathurst pole for BMW
17 Feb
SHELDON van der Linde has scored BMW’s first Repco Bathurst 12 Hour pole in six years, with WRT emerging on top in an enthralling Pirelli Shootout.
Van der Linde claimed WRT’s first Allan Simonsen Pole Award, and BMW's second after Chaz Mostert and Schnitzer Motorsport in 2018.
The #32 WRT BMW will share the front row for Sunday’s race with the #888 National Storage Mercedes-AMG, with Supercars star Broc Feeney 0.256s down in second.
Maro Engel (#130 GruppeM Mercedes-AMG) and Matt Campbell (#912 Manthey EMA Porsche) were third and fourth, yet over 0.4s behind the #32.
Luca Stolz, sharing the #75 SunEnergy1 Mercedes-AMG with fellow defending race winners Jules Gounon and Kenny Habul, was 0.458s down in fifth.
Ricardo Feller (#2 KFC Team MPC Audi), van der Linde’s older brother Kelvin (#22 Wash It Team MPC Audi), Maxime Martin (#46 WRT BMW), Alessio Picariello (#911 The Bend Manthey EMA Porsche), and Jordan Love (#88 Triple Eight Mercedes-AMG) rounded out the top 10.
“Honestly man, I have massive goosebumps right now,” said pole winner van der Linde, who finished fourth in last year’s Bathurst 12 Hour.
“Just coming back to Bathurst and driving this track is a massive honour, for sure. To be on pole in my second running in Bathurst is obviously unexpected, for sure.
“My brother is here as well, trying to catch me in the race. The pressure’s on, definitely. My teammates have done an amazing job so far.
“As you can see, there was a bit of gravel on the side of the car, so I was obviously pushing trying to improve.
“Very happy with the lap, no mistakes from my side, and I think it’s a really good race car.”
Kelvin van der Linde set the early running in the first grouping, clocking a 2:03.7894s before raising the benchmark to a 2:02.8271s and, later, a 2:02.7602s.
As Feller moved the marker to a 2:02.6604s, Campbell languished in fifth on a 2:06.7477s, some 3.9s off the pace. With the pressure of Porsche on his shoulders, Campbell pulled a 2:02.4259s from nowhere as the clock wound down, giving himself a chance at a second Simonsen Pole Award.
The Aussie driver’s time was 0.234s quicker than Feller’s best, with Kelvin van der Linde 0.334s down in third ahead of Martin and Picariello.
Sheldon van der Linde led the first runs of the second group with a 2:07.6197s as drivers got up to speed on a rapidly changing Mount Panorama surface.
The #32 WRT BMW went quickest in the first sector, and as Stolz went to second with a 2:02.5493s, and Engel to seventh with a 2:03.0768s, van der Linde made a big statement.
The 2022 DTM champion clocked just the second 2:01s lap of the weekend, a 2:01.9810s, to put 0.444s on Campbell’s fastest time.
Engel vaulted to second with a 2:02.4100s, but was still 0.429s behind van der Linde. Feeney’s first flyer was a 2:02.2407s, but the Supercars driver was still 0.259s behind the BMW.
The reigning Simonsen Pole Award winner was on track to move up the order in the closing seconds, but bailed out and returned to the lane, guaranteeing pole for WRT.
Sunday’s race will start at 5:45pm AEDT.
