McLaughlin sets fastest lap before crashing in Practice 5

Scott McLaughlin set the fastest lap before crabbing back to the pits after hitting the wall in Practice 5 for the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000.

The 2019 Great Race winner laid down a 2:04.3716s with green tyres, 43 minutes into the hour-long session at Mount Panorama, but came to grief when he went for an apparent qualifying simulation right at the end.

McLaughlin was fastest to the first sector but a snaggy gear change as he came down the mountain caused the back of the #17 Mustang to break free, and the left-rear corner made sizeable contact with the wall just above Forrest’s Elbow before the front was pulled in.

McLaughlin spun into that left-hander and while he was able to drive back to the pits, the Shell V-Power Racing Team machine was obviously bent.

The incident may have also denied several of his rivals a chance to improve on their personal best lap times, leaving championship rookie Bryce Fullwood second at 0.1133s off the pace in the #2 Mobil 1 Middy’s ZB Commodore.

Thursday fast man Cameron Waters did go fastest to the second sector subsequent to McLaughlin’s crash but opted to pit instead of completing the lap, and the #6 Monster Energy Mustang remained fourth on the timesheet, behind the sister Tickford Racing entry of Lee Holdsworth (#5 Truck Assist Mustang).

Jamie Whincup (#888 ZB Commodore) ended up fifth, one spot up on fellow Red Bull Holden Racing Team driver Shane van Gisbergen (#97 ZB Commodore).

When the session began, it was only Nick Percat in the ‘fives’ having driven the #8 R&J Batteries ZB Commodore to a 2:05.9806s.

McLaughlin clocked a 2:05.8809s and then a 2:05.6373s on his subsequent flyers but Waters held sway after his first run proper with a 2:05.5595s.

Chaz Mostert (#25 Mobil 1 Appliances Online ZB Commodore) then closed to 0.0072s off the pace, before McLaughlin raised the bar with a 2:05.3983s despite a somewhat untidy run out of The Chase.

James Courtney (#44 Boost Mobile Mustang) came close to knocking #17 off its perch when he set a 2:05.4422s on his third run, while Mostert did beat it when he punched out a 2:04.7582s just after the half-hour mark.

That lap was reportedly completed on new tyres while McLaughlin and Waters went out with used rubber for their third runs.

The former moved to second with a 2:05.3750s before the latter clocked a 2:04.6758s to take over first position.

Jamie Whincup took greens for his third run and, after giving up one lap due to a moment at Griffins, drove the #888 Triple Eight Race Engineering car to a 2:04.6280s.

McLaughlin went out on new tyres on his fourth run and duly reclaimed first position with a 2:04.3716s, before Holdsworth moved to second with a 2:04.5299s.

Fullwood, the recently re-signed Walkinshaw Andretti United driver, then fired in a 2:04.4849s, bumping Holdsworth to third, from Waters and Whincup, ahead of the final runs.

Only a handful had a chance to then go for really hot laps due to McLaughlin’s crash, leaving that top five unchanged.

Van Gisbergen got in a 2:04.6792s just before that moment to move up to sixth, ahead of Mostert, Alex Davison (#19 Local Legends ZB Commodore), Courtney, and Scott Pye (#20 DeWalt ZB Commodore).

Percat ended up 11th and Jack Le Brocq (#55 Supercheap Auto Mustang) 12th in a session run once again in slightly overcast conditions.

Both of the cars which caused red flags in Practice 4 were back on-track.

Todd Hazelwood putting the #14 Cub Cadet ZB Commodore 15th and Tyler Everingham ended up at the foot of the timesheet in the #40 Valvoline ZB Commodore after their co-drivers had incidents in the preceding hit-out.

Although there were a handful of offs in Practice 5, McLaughlin’s was the only major on-track mishap, while Matt Stone Racing encountered an oil leak in the #35 Yellow Cover ZB Commodore.

The next session for the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship field is Qualifying, at 16:05 local time/AEDT.

Results: Practice 5