Rick Kelly grabs first ever pole for Kelly Racing

Rick Kelly has claimed the first pole position for the Kelly Racing team for race 12 of the championship later today at Winton.

2006 series champion set a great lap to move to the top of the time sheets half way through the session, but then normality seemed to be restored as the TeamVodafone pairing of Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes set times that would give them the front row.

Then Rick Kelly went and found some more time in his #15 Holden Commodore, and moved ahead of Whincup by 0.042 of a second to take the team’s first ever pole position.

That wasn’t the only surprise, as Bottle-O Racing’s Paul Dumbrell qualified as the top Ford in third, breaking up the TeamVodafone drivers.

James Courtney, who’s aiming to leave Winton with the series lead by finishing ahead of Whincup, will start 6th.

Mark Winterbottom has qualified fifth in the FPR Ford Falcon, and will fancy his chances after saving more ‘green’ tyres as a result of yesterday’s strategy call.