Those were the apt words of commentator John Hindhaugh as a superb Bathurst 12 Hour Top 10 Shootout lap from Toni Vilander delivered pole position to the Maranello Motorsport garage on Saturday.

A lap of two minutes and 2.861 seconds from the Finnish driver – who was last out in the shootout – saw him just edge out former Bathurst 1000 winner Chaz Mostert (2:03.055).

The late Allan Simonsen formerly contested the 12 Hour with the Maranello team and it was an emotional moment for the team as they earned the trophy for the first time since his passing.

“I must admit some strong emotions went through when I saw the trophy,” Vilander said after the shootout.

“I saw Allan for the first time in ‘94 when I raced in Denmark. Even in the race when he had the big issue and the accident I had been talking with him on the grid so it’s not an easy moment.”

Vilander said the heat made Mount Panorama an even more daunting challenge than usual.

“The conditions were quite difficult out there. It was a really hot track temp. We were seeking those right tyre pressures and to get a good setting for the car for this and also for the race,” he said.

“The lap was pretty good. I had a little moment in the last corner, I’m not sure why. Maybe there was some dirt or something but I lost my grip suddenly.

“It’s not an easy format of qualifying in the shootout. Adds some extra pressure when you have to wait those three extra hours to get out there and you don’t really not what to expect.

“It was good to be here in the past with the Ferrari 458, now with the 488 and the sensation is quite nice.”

Third man away in the shootout, Ash Walsh, produced time of 2:03.823 in his Miedecke Stone Motorsport Aston Martin Vantage.

The following four drivers in the shootout were unable to better the mark and an upset was on the cards.

Marco Wittmann ended those hopes for the Miedecke garage when he finished with a time of 2:03.249 in his BMW Team SRM entry.

Mostert, also behind the wheel of a BMW M6, then took his MARC Cars Australia entry to the top.

Vilander was the fastest of all drivers across the first and third sectors to land pole position for the 2014 12 Hour champion team.

Scorching 37 degree temperatures ended hopes of a record breaking performance on Saturday. Drivers were unable to get close to Shane van Gisbergen’s 2016 pole time of 2:01.286.

Van Gisbergen’s Team STM/HTP Motorsport entry, as well as the 2015 champion Nissan Motorsport team, were surprise absentees from the shootout after underwhelming qualifying performances.