Zak Best becomes first Super2 driver to crack 2:04s at Mount Panorama

The Anderson Motorsport team which he started can now boast the honour owning the first Super2 car to crack the 2:04s at the iconic Bathurst circuit.

The milestone moment came during qualifying for the second 100 kilometre race which makes up the penultimate round of the Super2 series, Zak Best scorching around the Mount in a time of 2:04.7025.

The team owner could not have cast a prouder figure.

"It's just an unreal feeling," Anderson said.

"We knew we had the pace there yesterday, we had good race pace yesterday, and we came out this morning and the car was just on rails. Zak drove it fantastic, but not only that, the car was perfect too.

"To do that lap time was phenomenal, I don't think the main game [Supercars] on softs will even do that."

As Anderson points out, Best's effort in the Super2 qualifier stacks up well against what was seen in the Supercars' Bathurst 1000 qualifying session on Friday afternoon.

Only Supercars championship leader Brodie Kostecki, who took provisional pole with a 2:04.66, went quicker that Best's flyer.

While having the utmost confidence in his team and the 21-year-old Victorian driver, Anderson admitted he had never imagined such a time would be possible in the #17 Mustang.

"If someone had told me we'd do that I would've said 'I think you might have been dreaming'," he beamed.

"The car has been perfect for him [Best], ever since practice one he's said this is the best car that he's ever driven at the Mount. He's done 1000s and driven a lot of cars, so when you hear that in practice one you know you are on the money.

"We are just fine tuning him to make sure we are getting the most out of it."

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Best peeled off the history-making effort on his third lap of the 15-minute qualifying session.

It's a session which came to a premature end, red-flagged when Friday's race winner Aaron Love crashed at Reid Park.

The impact with the concrete wall ripped the front left wheel out of his Ford Mustang and also puts Love in huge doubt for Saturday afternoon's race.

In contrast it was all smiles for Best and the the Bathurst team as for the second consecutive time, they claimed pole position.

Best lowered his own Super2 qualifying lap record of 2:05.2863 which he had clocked on Friday morning.

Now the mission is for Best to make a better start from pole than he did in race one when placing third.

Best currently holds a 42-point lead in the championship over Eggleston Motorsport's Kai Allen and is intent on further building that advantage ahead of next month's season finale in Adelaide.

Should Best win on Saturday afternoon, it would put him in prime position to join an honour roll of Super2 champions which includes the likes of of Mark Winterbottom, Scott McLaughlin, Cameron Waters and Broc Feeney.

It would also be a significant moment for Anderson Motorsport.

The Bathurst team has already proven itself in the Super3 Series, having won that championship in 2022 with Brad Vaughan after finishing runner-up in 2021 (Anderson) and 2019 (Jayden Ojeda).

Now it is looking to emulate the efforts of Australian motorsport heavyweights such as Triple Eight Race Engineering, Brad Jones Racing and Dick Johnson Racing in winning a Super2 title.

Anderson admits he does have to pinch himself to think that the team he started in 2016 is on the cusp of such a remarkable achievement.

"Coming from last year winning Super3 and now we're leading Super2 and doing it the best way possible by breaking lap records. There's no better feeling," he said.

"I'm proud of the whole team and DJR have been very supportive of every part of the car as well, so I can't thank them enough for what they've put into it as well."

Saturday afternoon's 100 kilometre race is set to commence at 3.55pm.

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