![Andre Heimgartner. Picture: Ross Gibb](https://speedcafe.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/20230310113123__05A3864-1200x800.jpg)
Brad Jones Racing’s Andre Heimgartner has set the fastest lap in the first ever practice session for the Gen3 Supercars, at the Thrifty Newcastle 500.
With a set of green tyres on the #8 R&J Batteries Chevrolet Camaro, the New Zealander clocked a 1:11.9958s which ended up being the fastest lap of Practice 1 for the Repco Supercars Championship field by 0.1813s.
Erebus Motorsport’s Will Brown set a subsequent 1:12.1771s in the #9 Coca-Cola Camaro, with Grove Racing’s David Reynolds first of the Ford contingent in third on the timesheet on a 1:12.1979s in the #26 Penrite Mustang.
At the start of the 45-minute session, Walkinshaw Andretti United’s Chaz Mostert laid down a 1:14.4467s on his first flying lap in the #25 Mobil 1 Optus Mustang and was still quickest when he set a 1:13.3132s next time around.
That remained the benchmark until Brown set a 1:13.2424s during his second run but he was quickly usurped by Reynolds, who achieved a 1:13.1844s and a 1:13.1275s on back-to-back laps.
It was another Ford driver who was next to move the marker, WAU’s Nick Percat setting a 1:13.110s in the #2 Mobil 1 NTI Mustang, before Heimgartner put the R&J Batteries machine on top with a 1:13.084s just past the half-hour point.
Then it was the turn of the 2021 and 2022 champion, Shane van Gisbergen, to reset the fastest lap when he drove the #97 Red Bull Ampol Camaro to a 1:13.0103s with 10 minutes to go, before Mostert was first into the twelves with a 1:12.9672s.
However, Heimgartner had just taken a new set of soft tyres and he bolted to a 1:11.9958s with six minutes to go.
Brown then set the 1:12.1771s with two minutes to go, before just keeping Car #9 off the barriers when he locked up at Turn 2, or Cops, on his following lap.
Reynolds ended up third for the session, from WAU team-mates Percat and Mostert, then PremiAir Racing team-mates James Golding (#31 Nulon Camaro) and Tim Slade (#400 Nulon Camaro), BJR’s Bryce Fullwood (#14 Middy’s Camaro), Will Davison (#17 Shell V-Power Mustang), and Mark Winterbottom (#18 DeWalt Camaro).
Van Gisbergen was classified 11th at just over a second off the pace, with Anton De Pasquale (#11 Shell V-Power Mustang) 14th and Cameron Waters (#6 Monster Energy Mustang) in 19th.
Turn 2/Cops was a hotspot throughout the session.
Heimgartner had an early journey up the run-off area at the top of Watt Street before he was emulated by Broc Feeney (#88 Red Bull Ampol Camaro), Waters, Macauley Jones (#96 Pizza Hut Camaro), Matt Payne (#19 Penrite Mustang), and Jack Le Brocq (#34 Truck Assist Camaro).
Practice 2, another 45-minute session but with the option of refuelling, starts at 13:45 local time/AEDT.
Results: Practice 1
Pos | Num | Team/Sponsor | Driver | Car | Fastest lap | Split |
1 | 8 | R&J Batteries Racing | Andre Heimgartner | Chev Camaro ZL1 | 1:11.9958 | |
2 | 9 | Coca-Cola Racing by Erebus | William Brown | Chev Camaro ZL1 | 1:12.1771 | 0:00.1813 |
3 | 26 | Penrite Racing | David Reynolds | Ford Mustang GT | 1:12.1979 | 0:00.2021 |
4 | 2 | Mobil 1 NTI Racing | Nick Percat | Ford Mustang GT | 1:12.5000 | 0:00.5042 |
5 | 25 | Mobil 1 Optus Racing | Chaz Mostert | Ford Mustang GT | 1:12.6763 | 0:00.6805 |
6 | 31 | Nulon Racing | James Golding | Chev Camaro ZL1 | 1:12.6868 | 0:00.6910 |
7 | 400 | Nulon Racing | Tim Slade | Chev Camaro ZL1 | 1:12.8756 | 0:00.8798 |
8 | 14 | Middy’s Racing | Bryce Fullwood | Chev Camaro ZL1 | 1:12.8930 | 0:00.8972 |
9 | 17 | Shell V-Power Racing Team | Will Davison | Ford Mustang GT | 1:12.9190 | 0:00.9232 |
10 | 18 | DEWALT Racing | Mark Winterbottom | Chev Camaro ZL1 | 1:12.9934 | 0:00.9976 |
11 | 97 | Red Bull Ampol Racing | Shane van Gisbergen | Chev Camaro ZL1 | 1:13.0103 | 0:01.0145 |
12 | 96 | Pizza Hut Racing | Macauley Jones | Chev Camaro ZL1 | 1:13.1013 | 0:01.1055 |
13 | 34 | Truck Assist Racing | Jack Le Brocq | Chev Camaro ZL1 | 1:13.2234 | 0:01.2276 |
14 | 11 | Shell V-Power Racing Team | Anton De Pasquale | Ford Mustang GT | 1:13.3157 | 0:01.3199 |
15 | 19 | Penrite Racing | Matthew Payne | Ford Mustang GT | 1:13.3536 | 0:01.3578 |
16 | 35 | Truck Assist Racing | Cameron Hill | Chev Camaro ZL1 | 1:13.3655 | 0:01.3697 |
17 | 99 | Coca-Cola Racing by Erebus | Brodie Kostecki | Chev Camaro ZL1 | 1:13.3875 | 0:01.3917 |
18 | 20 | Hino | Scott Pye | Chev Camaro ZL1 | 1:13.4281 | 0:01.4323 |
19 | 6 | Monster Energy Racing | Cameron Waters | Ford Mustang GT | 1:13.5606 | 0:01.5648 |
20 | 88 | Red Bull Ampol Racing | Broc Feeney | Chev Camaro ZL1 | 1:13.5803 | 0:01.5845 |
21 | 3 | CoolDrive Racing | Todd Hazelwood | Ford Mustang GT | 1:13.6704 | 0:01.6746 |
22 | 4 | SCT Motorsport | Jack Smith | Chev Camaro ZL1 | 1:13.7524 | 0:01.7566 |
23 | 5 | Snowy River Racing | James Courtney | Ford Mustang GT | 1:13.7680 | 0:01.7722 |
24 | 56 | Tradie Racing | Declan Fraser | Ford Mustang GT | 1:14.2408 | 0:02.2450 |
25 | 55 | Castrol Racing | Thomas Randle | Ford Mustang GT | 1:14.4254 | 0:02.4296 |