Dunlop Super2 Series leader Zak Best has kicked off the second half of the season by being fastest over the two practice sessions at Sandown raceway.

The Anderson Motorsport Ford Mustang pilot took the top spot away from Eggleston Motorsport’s Kai Allen (Holden Commodore ZB) by just 0.006s as Cameron McLeod continued to be the fastest in Super3 aboard Brad Neill’s Nissan Altima.

Melbourne’s unusually warm conditions for the fourth round of the Super2/Super3 Series meant that the earlier of the two practice sessions were predicted to reap the faster times. The UV was higher as was the temperature which went up from 19 degrees in the morning to 23 by the second session.

But Brad Vaughan (Tickford Racing Mustang) defied the predictions with the first to dip into under a 1:10s. Then as the afternoon session resumed, nine went quicker than Allen’s session best in Practice 1.

Third-fastest was Zane Morse (Mustang), from Jack Perkins in the Erebus Motorsport retro Castrol-liveried ZB. Then followed Vaughan, Aaron Love (Mustang) and Aaron Seton (ZB) just 0.21s off the fastest time.

Eighth-fastest was McLeod, who continues to mix with the Super2 quicks, ahead of Jay Hanson (ZB) and Mason Kelly at 10th in the team’s Super3 Altima. Third in Super3 was points leader Jobe Stewart (Holden Commodore VF), who was 17th overall.

The session had two red flags. The first came when Lochie Dalton speared off at Dandenong Road. It was a brief interruption as Dalton managed to extract his ZB without assistance.

The next came when Valentino Astuti bunkered at the same corner in the MW Motorsport Altima. Jordyn Sinni (ZB) came off there as well but was able to get back on track. Ironically both caused red flags in Practice 1 by venturing off there in separate circumstances.

In that opening session, Allen was the fastest ahead of Perkins by 0.02s with Best third in front of Murray, Love, Morse, Hanson, Wood, Seton and Sinni. Super3’s quickest and 14th overall from McLeod and Ryan Gilroy who had made the switch from previously racing in a Commodore to an Altima. Kelly was third-quickest in front of Stewart, Astuti and Jeff Johnson Altima.