Darwin Supercars: McLaughlin, van Gisbergen share poles
Scott McLaughlin and Shane van Gisbergen took a pole position each from a thrilling battle across the back-to-back Sunday sessions.

There was little between the two Kiwis in both 10-minute sessions, McLaughlin getting the better of his rival in the first to the tune of just 0.05s to grab pole for Race 2.
Van Gisbergen then hit back in fine style in the second session, tucking in behind Fabian Coulthard to get a tow that helped him pip McLaughlin by 0.03s for the Race 3 pole.
For van Gisbergen the strong performance vindicated the decision to change his motor overnight.
"It's awesome. I have to thank the guys, they put in a big effort changing the motor last night, and then [engineer Grant McPherson] going through the set-up," said van Gisbergen.
"We just had to go back to basics. The car was awesome. Right from when I left pitlane we were up the front again."
Read Also:
Team 18 continued its strong showing, Scott Pye qualifying an impressive third, two spots ahead of teammate Mark Winterbottom, for the first race.
Pye dropped back to eighth in the second session after a small mistake on his lap, Winterbottom providing the heroics with a third of his own.
Jamie Whincup didn't trouble the front-runners in either session, the Triple Eight driver facing eighth and seventh place starts in the two races.
Fabian Coulthard, meanwhile, dropped 10 places between the sessions, the Penske driver qualifying sixth for Race 2 and 16th for Race 3.
Qualifying Race 2 results
Cla | # | Driver | Time | Gap | Interval |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 17 | | 1'06.258 | ||
2 | 97 | | 1'06.315 | 0.056 | 0.056 |
3 | 20 | | 1'06.364 | 0.105 | 0.049 |
4 | 6 | | 1'06.392 | 0.133 | 0.028 |
5 | 18 | | 1'06.405 | 0.147 | 0.013 |
6 | 12 | | 1'06.444 | 0.186 | 0.038 |
7 | 8 | | 1'06.506 | 0.247 | 0.061 |
8 | 88 | | 1'06.536 | 0.278 | 0.030 |
9 | 7 | | 1'06.544 | 0.285 | 0.007 |
10 | 44 | | 1'06.589 | 0.330 | 0.044 |
11 | 5 | | 1'06.697 | 0.439 | 0.108 |
12 | 25 | | 1'06.720 | 0.462 | 0.022 |
13 | 99 | | 1'06.729 | 0.470 | 0.008 |
14 | 15 | | 1'06.742 | 0.484 | 0.013 |
15 | 55 | | 1'06.762 | 0.503 | 0.019 |
16 | 3 | | 1'06.778 | 0.520 | 0.016 |
17 | 9 | | 1'06.825 | 0.566 | 0.046 |
18 | 14 | | 1'06.828 | 0.569 | 0.003 |
19 | 2 | | 1'06.876 | 0.618 | 0.048 |
20 | 35 | | 1'06.969 | 0.711 | 0.092 |
21 | 22 | | 1'07.110 | 0.852 | 0.141 |
22 | 19 | | 1'07.293 | 1.034 | 0.182 |
23 | 34 | | 1'07.393 | 1.134 | 0.099 |
24 | 4 | | 1'07.430 | 1.171 | 0.037 |
View full results |
Qualifying Race 3 results
Cla | # | Driver | Time | Gap | Interval |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 97 | | 1'06.289 | ||
2 | 17 | | 1'06.319 | 0.030 | 0.030 |
3 | 18 | | 1'06.322 | 0.032 | 0.002 |
4 | 8 | | 1'06.353 | 0.063 | 0.030 |
5 | 25 | | 1'06.419 | 0.129 | 0.066 |
6 | 6 | | 1'06.435 | 0.145 | 0.015 |
7 | 88 | | 1'06.447 | 0.158 | 0.012 |
8 | 20 | | 1'06.510 | 0.220 | 0.062 |
9 | 99 | | 1'06.517 | 0.227 | 0.007 |
10 | 7 | | 1'06.528 | 0.238 | 0.011 |
11 | 5 | | 1'06.548 | 0.258 | 0.019 |
12 | 9 | | 1'06.565 | 0.275 | 0.017 |
13 | 2 | | 1'06.575 | 0.286 | 0.010 |
14 | 44 | | 1'06.639 | 0.349 | 0.063 |
15 | 55 | | 1'06.683 | 0.393 | 0.043 |
16 | 12 | | 1'06.700 | 0.410 | 0.017 |
17 | 14 | | 1'06.706 | 0.416 | 0.006 |
18 | 35 | | 1'06.730 | 0.440 | 0.023 |
19 | 19 | | 1'06.802 | 0.513 | 0.072 |
20 | 15 | | 1'06.823 | 0.533 | 0.020 |
21 | 22 | | 1'06.843 | 0.554 | 0.020 |
22 | 34 | | 1'06.858 | 0.568 | 0.014 |
23 | 3 | | 1'06.947 | 0.657 | 0.088 |
24 | 4 | | 1'07.486 | 1.196 | 0.539 |
View full results |

Previous article
Whincup suspects Darwin start lights were too fast
Next article
Darwin Supercars: McLaughlin takes 50th career win

About this article
Series | Supercars |
Event | Hidden Valley II |
Author | Andrew van Leeuwen |
Darwin Supercars: McLaughlin, van Gisbergen share poles
Trending
Supershots Sandown
Supershots Bathurst
Sam Brabham drives BT-19 at Mount Panorama
Can DJR still be a Supercars powerhouse after Penske?
Roger Penske's whirlwind Australian Supercars sojourn is over. After six seasons, three drivers' titles, three teams' championships and a Bathurst 1000 crown, The Captain has sold his controlling stake in Dick Johnson Racing back to the squad and walked away from the category.
Can Whincup be Triple Eight's ruthless leader?
Supercars' most successful team of the past 15 years is set for a radical shakeup next year when Jamie Whincup retires from driving and takes over the reins at Triple Eight. But does he have what it takes to be the new Roland Dane?
How a lifetime Supercars deal broke down in one year
David Reynolds inked what was effectively a lifetime deal with Erebus in 2019 – only to walk out a year later. What went wrong?
Why Supercars now needs a new "human salt harvester"
Scott McLaughlin has been a controversial figure in Supercars over the past few years but, as he heads off to a fresh challenge in IndyCar, the Australian tin-top series needs to find someone else to fill his drama-filled boots as the category enters a new era...
Why 2020 isn't McLaughlin's greatest title
Scott McLaughlin was quick to describe his third Supercars title as his best yet. But even though it didn't match the dramatic backstory of his 2018 triumph, there's a good reason for him wanting to control the narrative this time around.
Why a Bathurst finale is risky business for Supercars
The Bathurst Grand Final may provide Supercars its greatest spectacle yet – but there's a risk it will force the series to face a hard truth.
Why Scott McLaughlin must become an IndyCar driver
Scott McLaughlin, two-time and current Supercars champion, should have been making his NTT IndyCar Series debut for Team Penske at the GP of Indianapolis, but the Covid-19 pandemic forced a rescheduling that has put the brakes on his career switch. But David Malsher-Lopez explains why the New Zealander deserves this opportunity as soon as possible.
Tickford's 10-year wait for James Courtney
When the Supercars season resumes James Courtney will be a Tickford Racing driver – but it's not the first time the star driver has flirted with the famous Ford squad.