The omens are good for Ford's Mark Winterbottom ahead of Sunday's Bathurst 1000 despite Scott McLaughlin's all-conquering form at Mount Panorama.
'Frosty' could only manage third fastest for the 161-lap classic after Supercars series leader McLaughlin set an astonishing new lap record in top 10 qualifying on Saturday.
McLaughlin left the Bathurst faithful in shock and rivals in awe when he clocked two minutes, 03.83 seconds - the fastest Supercars lap ever seen on the infamous Mount Panorama street circuit.
He became the first to crack the 2min:04sec barrier on the mountain after shattering the record mark he had set barely 24 hours earlier in Friday's practice.