"ABSOLUTELY awesome."
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Those two words summed up perfectly the feeling of Cameron Waters after he claimed pole position for the Bathurst 1000 with a scorching lap in Saturday's top 10 shootout.
While Waters' lap in the #6 Monster Energy Tickford Mustang was not flawless - he had a nervous moment at The Dipper - his time of 2:03.5592 was 0.4429 seconds faster than any of his rivals.
It was also the fastest lap in history in a Supercar around Mount Panorama.
"That was absolutely awesome, I knew the car had something special in it, I just had to put it all together," Waters said.
"That was absolutely unreal. The car was just hooked up, so the boys have done such an awesome job to give me something like that.
"I just knew the markers I had to hit and I went and did it. I knew we were going to go a fair bit quicker than practice so I gave it everything."
Waters booked a spot in the shootout for the second time in his career - 2018 being the other - by being fourth fastest in Friday's qualifying. However, he looked a real threat to take pole given his form across the practice sessions.
It was a threat he came good on.
He scorched through the opening sector and while he locked his front right tyre through The Dipper, it did not cost him. He claimed the fifth pole of his career.
"I am so pumped, that was absolutely awesome, so much fun," he said.
"I made a mistake at The Dipper, but who cares?
"I was surprised I actually stopped the thing ... I just turned it left, two-wheeled it and got out."
Waters' co-driver Will Davison, who placed sixth in last year's shootout, played coy when asked if he would be the man starting from position one on Sunday morning.
"Maybe, it's up to these guys, I'm just doing as I'm told," he said.
"He's [Waters] been super fast and I'm just so proud of him, that was a super lap to watch."
Having already claimed pole position 15 times this season, Scott McLaughlin set his sights on hitting number 16. The Kiwi star also had a point to prove given he was stripped of his record 2:03.3783 qualifier last season after a technical engine breach.
But the changes he made to the set up of his DJR Team Penske Ford Mustang, including the angle of his rear wing, was not enough to see him get position one. He finished second in the shootout with a 2:04.0021.
"We had a massive swing at it in the shootout and yeah, the car felt really good then," he said
"Yeah we were fourth tenths off, but it was a solid lap from Cam and good changes for our car."
The reigning pole champion, Chaz Mostert was third out on track in his Walkinshaw Andretti United Commodore. He was the quickest at that point through the first sector and while having a moment at when sliding at McPhillamy Park, he kept it together to clock a 2:04.010.
It was a time which secured him third on the grid for Sunday's Great Race.
"Yeew, that's what top 10s are all about. It might not be pole, but God that was fun," Mostert said after his lap.
Brad Jones Racing talent Nick Percat was meant to start the race alongside Mostert in the second row after qualifying fourth fastest.
However, the #8 Commodore was found to be underweight during a series of checks following Percat's lap.
Contesting his third consecutive shootout, Percat was first out on track and he peeled off his quickest ever time around the circuit with a 2:04.2474.
But as he was disqualified from the session the car he shares with Thomas Randle will start the race from 10th place.
It means Shane van Gisbergen, who did a 2:04.4511, moves up to fourth on the grid.
As the fastest man in Friday's qualifying session, Lee Holdsworth was the last out on track to do a one-lap flyer.
It was his first appearance in the shootout since 2015. On that occasion he qualified in fourth and Penrite Racing's David Reynolds took pole, this time around he could only manage fifth with his 2:04.6765.
"I pushed as hard as I could, but the grip just wasn't there," he said.
Anton de Pasquale (2:04.7688), Fabian Coulthard (2:04.8534) James Courtney (2:05.3549) fill positions six, seven and eight respectively.
Jamie Whincup initially rounded out the 10 with a 2:06.3941 before Percat's disqualification pushed him up into ninth.
Having claimed pole in 2016 and 2013 and made every shootout this decade, Whincup looked a chance of topping the time sheet as he pushed hard on his lap.
But the Red Bull Racing star - a man with 89 career poles - made a mistake at the bottom of the hill and his wheels went off the track. He was 0.06 of a second up on Mostert when running off at The Chase.
