Bathurst winner Mark Winterbottom ended Friday’s final practice session just 22nd on the time sheets after suspension damage ruled out a late green tyre run.
Winterbottom had made heavy contact with one of the large inner kerbs at the circuit’s iconic beachside chicane, bending suspension arms on the Pepsi Max Ford.
“I had a little moment at the double-chicane and clipped the big sleeper on the ground and it has done a bit of damage to the rear end which wasn’t ideal,” he explained.
“It also meant I didn’t get a run on new tyres as planned. All-in-all I thought we would be further off with the tyres we had so potentially it isn’t too bad.
“There are some quick guys out there setting impressive times so we will have to see where we are when it counts tomorrow.”
As usual, the policing of kerb hopping at Surfers Paradise was a talking point throughout practice, with the electronic detection system working overtime during the morning before being wound back for the afternoon.
Winterbottom’s Practice 4 kerb strike proved a major test for the newly eligible Supashock dampers being run-back-to-back with the team’s regular Sachs units on the two Pepsi cars during practice.
Despite the dampers escaping damage in the hit, team principal Tim Edwards told Speedcafe.com that the team will not decide which suspension it will qualify with until the morning, following closer analysis of performance.
Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport also ran a set of the Supashocks on Dean Fiore’s Holden during first practice, but has reverted to the Sachs for the rest of the weekend.
The #88 Dodo entry is being engineered this weekend by the experienced Ian Walburn, who left Dick Johnson Racing earlier this season.
Fiore’s former engineer, the Triple Eight-employed David Cauchi, is now back working for the main Red Bull outfit.
