Dunlop Super2 Series points leader Anderson Motorsport’s Zak Best has jumped very quickly out of the blocks with a demon time of 2:05.5180s in the ex-DJR Ford Mustang. The Round 5 first practice time was just fractionally off the quickest time ever set in the category at Mount Panorama.
In Super 3, Ryan Gilroy was in the 2:08s and just in front of fellow Nissan Altima pilot Cameron McLeod and Jobe Stewart (Holden Commodore VF) who was the pace-setter until the final moments of the 40-minute session.
Eleven minutes into the first practice session the Red Flags were out due to James Masterton putting his Mustang into the tyres at Forrest’s Elbow. At that stage, Best had laid down the fastest lap, a 2:06s on his third lap after Jack Perkins did a 2:07s on his second lap. The session resumed 12mins later.
Best went on to post the three fastest times of the session and was 1.16s ahead of Perkins (Image Racing Commodore ZB) when the chequered flag emerged. Third-fastest was Walkinshaw Andretti United’s Ryan Wood (ZB), in front of Aaron Love (Petronas Mustang) and Kai Allen (Eggleston Motorsport ZB).
Seventh in the outing was Zane Morse (Mustang) ahead of Commodore drivers Jay Hanson, Zach Bates, Cooper Murray, Aaron Seton, Lochie Dalton, Matt Chahda, Jordyn Sinni and Cameron Crick before the first of the Super3 entries, Gilroy and McLeod.
Speedcafe-supported driver Nash Morris (ZB) was next from Stewart, Mason Kelly (Altima), Elly Morrow (Mustang), Jett Johnson (Altima), Callum Walker (ZB) and Valentino Astuti (Altima) in his first tin top drive at Bathurst.
Super2 and Super3 will be back on track at 14:50 AEDT for Practice 2 ahead of Race 1 Qualifying on Friday.