Jones set a 1:47.6167s late in the half-hour session at Albert Park and ended up being one of three Brad Jones Racing drivers in the top 10, the others being rookie Jaxon Evans (#12 SCT Logistics Camaro) in fifth and Andre Heimgartner (#8 R&J Batteries Camaro) in 10th.

Less than a tenth of a second covered the top three, which was rounded out by Ford drivers Matt Payne (#19 Penrite Mustang) of Grove Racing and Cam Waters (#6 Monster Energy Mustang) of Tickford Racing.

The field rolled out from their infield paddock via Turn 13 for the start of the opening hit-out in Event 2 of the Repco Supercars Championship and it was Matt Stone Racing’s Nick Percat (#10 Bendix Camaro) fastest after the first flyers on a 1:48.4636s, before Walkinshaw Andretti United’s Chaz Mostert (#25 Mobil 1 Optus Mustang) set a 1:48.1447s next time around.

After 10 minutes, Mostert, Waters on a 1:48.1984s, and Payne on a 1:48.4219s made for an all-Ford top three, with championship leader Will Brown (#87 Red Bull Ampol Camaro) in seventh on a 1:48.7639s, which he set after an excursion through the grass at Turn 1.

By then, most had been into pit lane, with the Supercars teams set up in front of the garages which are this weekend being used by the FIA Formula 2 Championship competitors.

Waters moved the benchmark to a 1:48.1386s on his second run before he was usurped by Percat on a 1:48.0263s and then Mostert on a 1:47.9828s.

They were the top three with 10 minutes to go although the order changed when Percat took over top spot again with a 1:47.7370s with three minutes remaining.

He then had an off at Turn 1 as Waters went quickest on a 1:47.6769s, for just a moment, before #6 was usurped by #19 when Payne clocked a 1:47.6721s as a number of drivers moved onto another set of green tyres.

With just over a minute remaining, Jones climbed from middle of the pack to the very top in the #96 Camaro, and that would prove the quickest lap of the session.

Team-mate Evans jumped from 22nd to fifth with his 1:47.8443s with the chequered flag out, while Team 18’s Mark Winterbottom brushed the wall late in the piece at Turn 8 in the #18 DeWalt Camaro but looked to have escaped damage of any significance.

Erebus Motorsport’s Todd Hazelwood (#99 TFH Hire Camaro) ended up sixth at 0.3503s off the pace, from Mostert on his 1:47.9828s, Anton De Pasquale (#11 Shell V-Power Mustang), Jack Le Brocq (#9 TFH Hire Camaro), and Heimgartner, with Brown 15th and Broc Feeney (#88 Red Bull Ampol Camaro) 20th.

Practice 2 for the MSS Security Melbourne SuperSprint, another 30-minute session, starts this afternoon at 13:25 local time/AEDT.

Results: Practice 1