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Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia Championship leader Harri Jones has finished top of the timesheets for Friday practice at the Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500.
Jones blasted the fastest-ever lap of a a Porsche GT3 Cup Car around the shortened Surfers Paradise circuit, setting a 1:11.7035s late in Practice 2.
EMA Motorsport’s David Russell’s time of 1:11.9108s in Practice 2 was also under the previous fastest time, set by 2017 title winner David Wall in 2019, with Timken Racing’s Dale Wood finishing the day third-fastest with a 1:12.0402s in Practice 2.
Wood topped the timesheets in Practice 1 with a 1:12.5245s, edging out Dylan O’Keeffe who set a 1:12.5397s and Nick McBride third with a 1:12.5632s.
Points leader Jones was fourth in that session, with Wall in fifth.
Aaron Love, Duvashen Padayachee, Callum Hedge, Luke Youlden, and Max Vidau completed the top 10 in the first session.
Dean Cook set the pace in the Morris Finance Pro-Am class, finishing ahead of Adrian Flack and Sam Shahin.
Practice 1 was red flagged and ended early after Matt Belford hit the wall square on at the Turn 1 chicane, while Pro-Am class leader Geoff Emery went backwards into the tyre bundle on the exit of Turn 11.
In Practice 2, Aaron Love was quick early setting a 1:12.8251s on his second lap before the session was red-flagged due to debris found on the front straight, with 18 minutes remaining of the 25-minute session.
When the session resumed, Love was on the pace again, blasting a 1:12.4065s on his sixth lap, with Wall and Wood trading times for second.
On his seventh lap, Love made contact with the tyre bundle on the beachside chicane, breaking the steering arm on the right front corner on his #999 entry.
A slow-moving Love was unable to get out of the way of Padayachee who collided with the rear of the Sonic Motor Racing Porsche sending Padayachee into the wall, with Dean Cook glancing the rear wing of the #45, while Love had to be retrieved from the escape road at Turn 11.
The session went green with just over four minutes on the clock, with a flurry of fast times ending the session.
Jones set the fastest time of the day on his 12th lap in Practice 2, topping the session ahead of Russell, and Wood.
Hedge was fourth, with Youlden in fifth.
McBride, O’Keeffe, Love, Vidau, and Wall rounded out the top 10.
Adrian Flack claimed Morris Finance Pro-Am class honours for Practice 2, ahead of Sam Shahin, with Tim Miles in third.
Emery found himself in the wall for the second consecutive session, with the Pro-Am class leader making front on contact down at Turn 2.
Porsche Carrera Cup Australia returns to the track tomorrow for Qualifying 1 at 09:55 local time/10:55 AEDT.
