Super Sub Coulthard Grabs Pole
 
Fabian Coulthard – deputising for an injured Greg Murphy - grabbed a sensational pole position for the first race at Round 2 of the V8 SuperTourer championship at the Powerbuilt Tools Raceway, Ruapuna Park, this afternoon, and was the only driver to dip below 1 minute 24 seconds in challenging track conditions.
 
Wind and dust from earlier track demonstrations preventing the quicker times from being achievable until late in the qualifying session, but Coulthard put in two laps good enough for pole after jousting for the last few minutes of the session with Ford men Jonny Reid and John McIntyre, both of whom held provisional pole at some stage of qualifying.
 
Reid's last flying lap ended with a spin at Turn 1, but he was closest to the flying Coulthard’s M3 racing Commodore with a 1.24.054 lap. McIntyre's best of 1.24.362 was good enough for third.
 
"For the minimal laps we have had it's obviously been a pretty good day," said Coulthard. "It's also clear these guys have built a pretty good car too. I'm definitely pleased to break the 1 minute 24 barrier, conditions were changeable and beating the times we had achieved this morning was a challenge."
 
Craig Baird was fourth quickest in the United Video Ford Falcon FG, with young charger Scott McLaughlin in the Supercheap Holden Commodore rounding out the top five. Canterbury student Richard Moore was an excellent sixth in the Skinny Racing Holden Commodore.

ENDS