Courtney pips van Gisbergen and Fullwood in Practice 1

James Courtney has pipped Shane van Gisbergen to Practice 1 honours at the Robson Civil Projects Townsville SuperSprint by 0.0568s.

The Tickford Racing driver was one of the last to complete the half-hour session, recording a 1:12.6292s in the #44 Boost Mobile Mustang.

In doing so, he not only knocked the #97 Red Bull Holden Racing Team entry out of first position, but also saw that the top four would be covered by less than a tenth of a second.

Walkinshaw Andretti United’s Bryce Fullwood (#2 Mobil 1 Middy’s ZB Commodore) was briefly fastest with a 1:12.6996s before van Gisbergen bettered it, and Scott Pye (#20 DeWalt ZB Commodore) ended up fourth with a 1:12.7248s.

Of the title contenders, Scott McLaughlin (#17 Shell V-Power Mustang) finished ninth courtesy of the 1:12.9798s which he set on his first flyer and Jamie Whincup (#88 Red Bull HRT ZB Commodore) wound up 18th on a 1:13.4062s.

McLaughlin was almost two tenths clear of the field after most had set their initial lap times before van Gisbergen set a 1:12.9463s on his second flyer.

The latter went fastest to the second sector on his next lap, swiped the left-hand mirror fascia off the #97 ZB Commodore on exit of Turn 10, and ultimately clocked a 1:12.9909s.

Chaz Mostert (#25 Mobil 1 Appliances Online ZB Commodore) then jumped to the top with a 1:12.7840s, his first representative time after roading tyres at the start of the session.

The top three remained the same until many but reportedly not all drivers took green tyres for their final runs.

Van Gisbergen understeered over the edge of the race track and got loose at Turn 6, for a second time, on the lap before the 1:12.6860s which looked like it might be best for the session.

Pye, similarly, was briefly third before Courtney broke the beam right near the end.

That shuffled Mostert back to fifth with no improvement on his first run proper, ahead of Andre Heimgartner (#7 Ned Mustang), Anton De Pasquale (#99 Penrite ZB Commodore), Todd Hazelwood (#14 Black Duck ZB Commodore), McLaughlin, and Nick Percat (#8 R&J Batteries ZB Commodore).

David Reynolds effectively missed half a session due to engine misfire in the #9 Penrite ZB Commodore before setting a 1:13.0265s that left him 11th all told.

Cameron Waters, who set the pace this time last week with a 1:12.5033s, was 12th-fastest with a personal best 1:13.0980s in the #6 Monster Energy Mustang.

Fabian Coulthard (#12 Shell V-Power Mustang) ended up 20th on a 1:13.4204s and Rick Kelly propped up the timesheets with a 1:13.7516s after suffering a sticking throttle in the #15 Castrol Mustang.

Following a cloudy Practice 1, the second session for the full Virgin Australia Supercars Championship field starts at 11:20 local time/AEST.

Results: Practice 1