A flying 2m26.87s lap – 0.002s slower than the qualifying record for the class – saw the Direct Plasterboard Outlet BMW 335i Turbo edge out Beric Lynton and Tim Leahey’s BMW 1M for the top spot by 0.2 seconds in a tense 15-minute session for the top 20 fastest cars.

Garth Walden and Ben Porter will start the race from third place in their AMG A45, despite Walden clouting the wall at turn two moments after banking his impressive 2m27.35s lap.

The Mercedes suffered damage to the right hand side however was able to drive back to the paddock under its own power and will be repaired prior to the race tomorrow.

Iain Sherrin saved his best lap for late in the session however could only manage fourth in the Sherrin Rentals BMW 135i.

The top four cars were split by just 0.5 seconds and had a comfortable margin to the fastest of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution runners in fifth place.

That car was the surprising Massel Racing car driven by Michael Caine and Gerry Murphy.

A 2m28.68s lap from Caine late in the session bumped favoured Mitsubishi runners Dylan Thomas and Terry Nightingale to sixth position by just 0.2 seconds.

Despite posting their fastest times of the weekend to date, David Wall and John Bowe will start the race from seventh position in their Wilson Security Mitsubishi, one position alongside the Rod Salmon and Andrew Richmond Melbourne Performance Centre entry.

Wade Scott and Duncan Handley (CXC Global Mitsubishi Lancer) and the Tony Virag, Jeromy Gray and Warren Millet HSV GTS completed a top-10 that featured four different brands and seven models.

Not featuring in the fight for pole as expected was the Roadchill Express BMW Luke Searle utilised to top the time sheets throughout Friday practice.

With co-driver Barry Graham ill, the team flew former Bathurst champion Paul Morris down late last night to deputise however the BMW M135i blew an engine early into the final practice session on Saturday morning.

The experienced outfit expects to start the race with a replacement unit sourced from Sydney overnight.

While the top-20 cars qualified for their grid positions in a stand-alone 15-minute session, an early hour-long session decided the remaining track positions and the respective class starting orders.

Experienced campaigners Mark Eddy and Francois Jouy scored pole in Class C, their Renault Megane RS265 26th outright and more than three seconds faster than their nearest rivals.

The Toyota 86 GTS of Leigh Burges, Gary Burges and Geoffrey Moran scored the top spot in class D, while the Nissan Pulsar of Dimitrios Agathos and James Duckworth grabbed pole in the ‘compact’ class E.

Lindsay Kearns and Colbey Cowham took the invitational class pole in their AU Falcon Saloon Car.