Stanaway on Sandown pole

Cam Waters has taken pole position for the Sandown 500 on a qualifying day marred by a major crash to Supercars young gun Todd Hazelwood.

Waters, with Kiwi co-driver Richie Stanaway, stole a march on their more experienced rivals yesterday and share the front row of the grid with the fellow Falcon of series leader Scott McLaughlin.

The Prodrive Racing pair, combined beautifully in Melbourne.

Stanaway surged to be third with stunning ease after the codrivers qualifying race.

Waters finished the job in the fulltime drivers race by jumping front-row starters McLaughlin and David Reynolds off the line.

He held off a determined challenge from McLaughlin to grab a second pole position of his Supercars career.

‘‘Im absolutely pumped and didn’t expect it,’’ Waters said.

‘‘From the start the car was amazing.

‘‘We’re in with a really good shot tomorrow.

‘‘I wanted to do a burnout at the end but it wasn’t a race so we’ll have to try and do it tomorrow.’’

Stanaway said it was a ‘‘perfect day today . . . an amazing result for the team’’.

McLaughlin will be content with second place, though Jamie Whincup – his closest championship rival – lurks behind in fourth.

David Reynolds and Luke Youlden were the best performed Holden, and will begin in third.

The third row of the grid will be filled with two more Falcons – Fabian Coulthard of DJR Team Penske and Chaz Mostert, who smashed his own race lap record.