Brown and Waters miss out in Sandown qualifying

Brown failed to progress from Q1 to Q2 and was the first driver below the cut. He blamed a gear selection issue on his final flying lap, saying a third-gear shift at Turn 1 stuck and put him out of sync, which led to a front wheel locking. He said the team had opted not to run two sets of greens, a decision he acknowledged might not have been the best at the end.

Brown had already endured a difficult Saturday, spinning while battling for the lead with Brodie Kostecki and later receiving a 15-second post-race penalty after an incident with Cameron Hill. He sits 88 points below the cut-off line to make the final four in the Sandown Semi-Final.

Matt Payne topped the two-part qualifying that determined the Top 10 Shootout runners, with Anton De Pasquale, Zach Bates and Cooper Murray completing the top four. Chaz Mostert missed out on the Top 10 Shootout after James Golding's last-gasp effort placed him ninth.