S5000 field closes in on sub-two-minute barrier at Bathurst

Joey Mawson flashed the raw speed of the S5000 machinery in threatening to break the magical two-minute barrier at Mount Panorama this afternoon.

The 2021 Gold Star winner was electric during Practice 2 for the Shannons S5000 Tasman Series as times consistently tumbled.

All told, Mawson was quickest on a 2:00.8702s in just the second ever S5000 session around The Mountain.

The time puts him in the ballpark of the official Bathurst lap record, a 1:59.2910s, set by Christopher Mies during the 2018 Challenge Bathurst aboard an Audi R8 LMS GT3.

Having had opening practice cut short by a Roberto Merhi crash, a myriad of drivers spent time at or near the top of the leaderboard.

Mawson was the first into the 2:02s, before James Golding went fastest with a 2:02.5669s just before the halfway point of the 30-minute outing.

Barely a minute later, Mawson reclaimed top spot, and then improved again and again on his next two tours, the latter seeing him duck into the 2:01 bracket.

Soon after, Blake Purdie relieved Aaron Cameron of second as Mawson went about going even faster.

Golding then seized first with a 2:01.7976s, only for Mawson to respond with a 2:01.2166s, and for Cameron to shoot back up to second.

In the third-last minute, Mawson posted a 2:01.0146s before setting the ultimate benchmark moments before the chequered flag flew.

Behind him, Golding wound up second on a 2:01.3197s, with Cameron third and also within a half-second of the leader.

Purdie finished fourth while Jordan Boys jumped from seventh to fifth right at the death, pipping John Martin and Tim Macrow.

Nathan Herne and Luis Leeds rounded out the field, which was missing Merhi and fellow international Yoshiaki Katayama, who is still completing his 72-hour quarantine upon arrival back into Australia.

Qualifying for the Shannons S5000 Tasman Series takes place tomorrow at 12:15 (local time/AEDT).

Results: Combined practice, Shannons S5000 Tasman Series