Shanks clocked 3min 30.18 in this morning's heats to slip under the record she set at the track a year ago and grab the fastest qualifying time in the event.
Her time was less than 38/100ths of a second outside the time she set in winning the world championship in Poland and faster than her winning effort in the recent Beijing World Cup.
She will ride off tonight against Mid-Canterbury's Lauren Ellis who produced a massive personal best of 3min 36.027sec to force her way into the gold medal ride.
"That felt really great - the best I've felt on the track for a while," Shanks said. "I know I am stronger and with six weeks to go to the world championships it's a real confidence boost to know that I am right up close to my personal best this far out."
National team pursuit squad members Kaytee Boyd (Auckland) and Rushlee Buchanan (Waikato-Bay of Plenty) will ride for the bronze medal.
Waikato's Peter Latham topped qualifiers in the men's 4000m individual pursuit and was to meet fellow world championship medallist Wes Gough in tonight's final.
Latham clocked 4min 20.438sec to qualify for his first New Zealand final while Gough (Waipukurau) was a second back to earn a spot in his second national individual pursuit final, after finishing runner-up to Hayden Roulston two years ago.
The ride-off for bronze will see Beijing Olympic medallist Marc Ryan (Timaru) against Tasman's Jason Allen, who qualified after a re-run when he suffered a flat tyre.
Earlier all the big guns qualified through to tonight's finals in the keirin with national sprint champion Natasha Hansen and Auckland's Rosy McCall winning the women's heats.
In the men's competition triple junior world champion Sam Walker, fellow junior world team sprint teammate Ethan Mitchell, kilo record setter Eddie Dawkins and New Zealand representative Simon Van Velthooven are all through.
Provisional results: Keirin qualifiers women, heat 1: Natasha Hansen (Canterbury) 1, Kate Mullarkey (Auckland) 2. Heat 2: Rosy McCall (Auckland) 1, Hannah Latta (Wellington) 2.
Men, heat 1: Ethan Mitche1l (Auckland) 1, Eddie Dawkins (Southland) 2. Heat 2: Sam Webster (Auckland) 1, Andy Williams (Auckland) 2. Heat 3: Simon Van Velthooven (West Coast North Island) 1, Matthew Archbold (Otago) 2.
Women's 300m individual pursuit top qualifiers: Alison Shanks (Otago) 3min 30.180sec, 1; Lauren Ellis (Mid South Canterbury) 3:36.027, 2; Kaytee Boyd (Auckland) 3:39.079, 3; Rushlee Buchanan (Mid South Canterbury) 3:40.853, 4.
Men's 4000m individual pursuit qualifiers: Peter Latham (Waikato Bay of Plenty) 4:20.438, 1; Westley Gough (East Coast North Island) 4:21.369, 2; Marc Ryan (Mid South Canterbury) 4:25.938, 3; Jason Allen (Tasman) 4:28.359, 4.
