Tim Slade was “super happy” with his surprising second place in qualifying for race 15 in Townsville.
Slade was just 0.066 seconds off provisional pole for race 15, with series leader Shane van Gisbergen again being the quick man.
Jamie Whincup was less than 0.03 seconds behind Slade, with the top three only being 0.094 seconds behind.
It was a welcome return to the front for Slade, who continued his return to form at the last start Merlin Darwin Triple Crown.
“I’m super happy with this last run,” he said.
“We just worked on it all weekend; yesterday wasn’t great.
“Never lose faith in the great team that I have here.
“It was better this morning and after a few changes the guys made it got better and better.
“Super happy for everyone at CoolDrive Racing, it’s pretty cool.”
It was a strong recovery from a hit-and-miss Friday, with Slade good enough to finish 19th and 16th in Friday’s practice sessions.
The two-time race winner received a boost from his fiancée, his newborn and his mother in Townsville.
“It’s cool to have her here,” he said.
“Also consecutive races during the week, of course, so a little vacation for us between the races.
“It’s cool to have the family with me so I don’t miss them while I’m away.”
Slade will be penultimate in the ARMOR ALL Top 10 Shootout at 1:05 p.m. AEST, which sets the grid for Race 15.
The 88 lap 250 km race starts at 3:45 p.m.
