Kelly stuns Super2 in his Super3 Nissan

Mason Kelly has proven to the master of the wet in Adelaide in his Nissan Altima by being fastest in Practice 1 for the Dunlop Super 2/3 final round.

He out-paced Super2 hotshots Ryan Wood and Zach Bates of Walkinshaw Andretti United, Eggleston Motorsport’s Cooper Murray and Tickford Racing’s Brad Vaughan.

The opening practice session began in wet conditions on the Adelaide streets. Murray (Commodore) was the first to do a competitive time, given the conditions. It was then Vaughan (Mustang) who sat at the top of the times.

Fellow Mustang pilot Zane Morse sat second ahead of Murray and his team-mate Cameron Crick. Holden drivers Jordan Boys, Nash Morris, Jay Hanson and Bates followed. Best of the Super3s in the early going was Kelly.

Even though there didn’t appear to be any change to the grip levels, the times were gradually coming down. Aaron Love (Mustang) went to the top, then it was Hanson, and predictably Cameron McLeod (Altima) went best in Super3, for 14th overall as they neared the halfway point of the 40-minute outing.

Next, Bates went fastest, down into the 1:35s after everyone was battling to break a 1:40s beforehand. Super2 Championship leader Zak Best had a moment at Turn 5 but managed to keep the Anderson Motorsport Mustang off the tyres and out of the gravel trap.

With nine-and-a-half minutes to go the Safety Car was deployed for the Callum Walker Commodore in the gravel at Turn 5. At the same time Vaughan was stopped and needed a tow after he went off at Turn 4.

At this stage Kelly had reeled off a 1:34.65s to be fastest overall. Wood had jumped to second ahead of his team-mate Bates, Murray, Vaughan, Crick, Love, Hanson, Boys and Lochie Dalton (Commodore). Kelly retained the top spot for the session as it was not restarted.