Vanthoor puts Audi on Bathurst 12 Hours pole

Phoenix Racing's Audi took pole position for Sunday's Bathurst 12 Hours after an action-packed qualifying session at Mount Panorama.

Just before the session was red-flagged for a parked Ferrari, Phoenix's Laurens Vanthoor sped around the four-mile track in a stunning 2m02.5521s, the fastest laptime ever recorded at the famed circuit, in the car he shares with Markus Winkelhock and Marco Mapelli.

"It was tough in the beginning but we knew the speed was there," related Vanthoor. "We had the group qualifying with some problems with traffic with people coming out of the pit lane, so I was very happy to have a free lap at the end and put it all together and it was a nice moment to have pole here at Mount Panorama.

"Of course qualifying for such a big race is just a small point but it is a good point to start the weekend. I expected a low ‘three’ would be impossible this morning but the 2.25 was not what I really expected. With qualifying, though, you push everything and I almost put the car into three pieces a few times, so it was worth it!"

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Sharing the front row with the Audi R8 LMS Ultra is the Lamborghini Gallardo of local team JBS.

David Russell had been prominent in most of the practice sessions, and looked to have taken pole until Vanthoor's late effort. Russell, a V8 Supercars Development Series regular, will share the car with fellow Australians Steve Owen and Roger Lago.

Katsumasa Chiyo took third for Nissan after an eventful session. He looked to be a lap that could put him on pole until he backed the GT-R NISMO GT into the concrete wall at The Cutting, leaving him to struggle slowly back to the pits.

Best of the Ferraris was the AF Corse "Australian" entry of Michele Rugolo/Steve Wyatt/David Rigon. Rugolo has been in fine form and the trio appear to carry much of Ferrari's hopes for back-to-back wins.

The 2014 winner Maranello Motorsport is out of the race after Tony D'Alberto crashed in practice. Attempts to lease one of AF Corse's cars for Sunday failed, leaving D'Alberto and co-drivers Mika Salo and Ben Collins to watch the race from the pits.

The Bentleys struggled, with the M-Sport cars outpaced for much of the time by a local Continental until Steven Kane qualified his car ninth fastest.

David Brabham was 15th fastest in the local Flying B Racing Bentley, six spots ahead of Maxi Buhk in the second M-Sport entry, while Oliver Gavin will start 23rd in a local Audi.

One of the more remarkable efforts came from American rookie Austin Cindric. Having never seen the track before, the 16-year-old looked set for a top six result until the red flag. The Erebus Mercedes he will share with Nathan Morcom and Simon Hodge will line up 19th.

Former Champ Car and V8 Supercar regular Marcus Marshall took Class B honors in his Porsche GT3 Cup car, which was 26th overall.

Garry Jacobson was fastest in Class I in his MARC Focus V8; Ben Shoots took Class D honors in his Daytona Coupe; and Michael O'Connor led Class C in his Lotus Exige.

The session was concluded under red flag conditions, with the field set to return for qualifying later in the afternoon before the Class A cars return for what is sure to be a frenetic 20 minute further qualifying session for them.

The race starts at 5:50 a.m. local time Sunday (Saturday at 1:30 p.m. ET).

Live video streaming and live timing of all of today's action is available:

Originally on Autosport.com