Le Brocq tops Townsville 500 practice

Last-start winner Jack Le Brocq has set the fastest lap across the two Repco Supercars Championship practice sessions at the NTI Townsville 500.

The Truck Assist Racing driver ended up a relatively sizeable 0.2470s clear of the field after setting a 1:13.4320s with the chequered flag out on Practice 2 at the Reid Park Street Circuit.

Brad Jones Racing’s Bryce Fullwood was next on the timesheet with a 1:13.6790s in the #14 Middy’s Camaro, while Tickford Racing’s Cameron Waters was first of the Ford contingent at another 0.0851s off the pace in the #6 Monster Energy Mustang.

With skies still overcast, it was Practice 1 fast man Will Brown (#9 Coca-Cola Camaro) who set the pace initially with a 1:14.2916s, from Matt Payne (#19 Penrite Mustang).

The latter reportedly started on almost new tyres and he was quickest next time through on a 1:14.1906s, before a lot more drivers switched to better rubber.

Walkinshaw Andretti United’s Chaz Mostert (#25 Mobil 1 Optus Mustang) clocked a 1:14.0657s to go top before he was usurped by BJR drivers Andre Heimgartner (#8 R&J Batteries Camaro) on a 1:13.7691s and then Fullwood on the aforementioned 1:13.6790s.

The top five ahead of the final runs was Fullwood, Heimgartner, Le Brocq, Scott Pye (#20 Hino Camaro), and David Reynolds (#26 Penrite Mustang) in the first of the Fords.

The latter’s Grove Racing team-mate, Payne, then went fourth on a 1:13.8143s in the final three minutes, before Brown rebounded to third on a 1:13.7950s.

Brown’s championship-leading Erebus Motorsport team-mate Brodie Kostecki threatened to go to the top until he pinched the inside front and let his #99 Camaro run long at Turn 3.

Waters clocked a 1:13.7641s just before the chequered flag came out on the half-hour session, after which Matt Stone Racing’s Le Brocq usurped all.

Shane van Gisbergen, who complained of a handling anomaly in the #97 Red Bull Ampol Camaro in Practice 1, claimed fourth at just one ten-thousandth of a second slower than Waters, with Heimgartner ending up fifth.

Brown took sixth, from Pye, Payne, Broc Feeney (#88 Red Bull Ampol Camaro), and Tickford Racing’s James Courtney (#5 Snowy River Caravans Mustang), the latter of whom made for three Fords in the top 10.

Will Davison (#17 Shell V-Power Mustang) was 13th and Kostecki 14th.

Qualifying for Race 16 starts tomorrow at 10:15 local time/AEST, followed later in the day by a Top 10 Shootout.

Results: Practice 2