James Golding has set the pace in both practice sessions for the fifth and final round of the S5000 Australian Drivers’ Championship at Darwin’s Hidden Valley Raceway.

The Garry Rogers Motorsport driver, who is still a mathematical chance of winning the Gold Star, set a 1:03.6466s in the morning session, before going as quick as a 1:04.0553s in the hotter, afternoon hit-out.

Kaleb Ngatoa was second on combined times courtesy of his 1:04.0762s in Practice 1, although his second session came to a premature end.

The New Zealander became stranded in the infield when he fired off at Turn 5, with replays suggesting he suffered broken suspension componentry by hitting a kerb in the flip-flop which precedes that right-hander.

Nathan Herne (GRM), Cooper Webster (Versa Motorsport), and championship leader Joey Mawson (BRM) rounded out the top five, all courtesy of their opening practice times.

The latter was 0.5517s off the pace in that session, and seventh in Practice 2 at 0.4311s away from Golding’s benchmark then.

Tim Macrow (Tim Macrow Racing), second in the title race at 55 points behind Mawson, was seventh-quickest all-told at 0.6361s in arrears thanks to his Practice 2 efforts.

Tomorrow sees Qualifying from 08:30 local time/09:00 AEST, then Race 1 at 11:00 local time/11:30 AEST, as part of the Merlin Darwin Triple Crown.

Results: Practice Combined