SVG tops Supercars Practice 2 at The Bend despite late off

Shane van Gisbergen has set the pace in Repco Supercars Championship Practice 2 at The Bend Motorsport Park despite a late off.

The Red Bull Ampol Racing driver looked set to improve on his 1:48.2602s with the chequered flag out in the second session at the OTR SuperSprint but found the green stuff in the #97 ZB Commodore.

Still, van Gisbergen finished the session 0.1037s clear of his nearest rival in the title race, the Shell V-Power Racing Team’s Anton De Pasquale (#11 Mustang), with Cameron Waters similarly third in the drivers’ standings and third on the Practice 2 timesheet.

Conditions were much the same as earlier in the day at Tailem Bend, in regional South Australia, with the mercury low and the wind high.

Brodie Kostecki (#99 Boost Mobile ZB Commodore) was quickest straight out of the box with a 1:49.0951s, before Waters (#6 Monster Energy Mustang) went top with a 1:48.4782s on his second run.

The Tickford Racing steerer was still almost four tenths of a second to the good until van Gisbergen usurped him with a 1:48.2602s with just over 10 minutes remaining.

Chaz Mostert (#25 Mobil 1 Optus ZB Commodore) on a 1:48.4152s and then De Pasquale on a 1:48.3639s subsequently went to second place ahead of the final runs.

Despite an abundance of new soft compound tyres for the end of proceedings, the pointy end would remain the same, although that was not for lack of trying.

Van Gisbergen set the fastest first sector but then understeered off on the run from the long Turn 15 left-hander into the Turn 16 switchback.

Waters snuck into third with a late 1:48.3791s, ahead of Mostert and Thomas Randle (#55 Castrol Mustang) on a 1:48.4664s in the second of the Tickford entries.

Mostert’s fourth came despite a mid-session front anti-rollbar issue, although it had apparently been fixed quickly according to the man himself.

Brodie Kostecki ended up sixth, ahead of Mark Winterbottom (#18 Irwin Tools ZB Commodore) and Practice 1 fast man Broc Feeney (#88 Red Bull Ampol ZB Commodore).

Zak Best was third in Practice 1 and despite torching a tyre early in the second session, he suggested his earlier effort was hardly a fluke when he finished ninth in Practice 2 on a 1:48.7547s in the #78 Tickford Mustang.

Will Davison (#17 Shell V-Power Mustang) finished 10th, one spot ahead of Nick Percat (#2 Mobil 1 NTI ZB Commodore).

Qualifying for Race 21 of the season, a three-part knockout session, starts at 13:30 local time/14:00 AEST.

Results: Practice 2