Van Gisbergen and Slade come together in Practice 1

Cameron Waters set the Practice 1 pace at the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 while Tim Slade spun in Scott McLaughlin’s Mustang as a result of contact with Shane van Gisbergen.

Van Gisbergen was following the #17 Shell V-Power Racing Team entry down the hill before he attempted to drive through a gap on the inside at Forrest’s Elbow, with just under 10 minutes to run in the session.

When Slade turned down on Car #97, he incurred contact in his left-rear corner and rotated, grazing the splitter on the inside wall.

The South Australian was sent back out while van Gisbergen took no further part in the session due to what he described as a minor “tweak” to his Red Bull HRT ZB Commodore as a result of the incident.

McLaughlin had been fastest for much of the hour-long session before handing over to his new co-driver with around 15 minutes remaining.

In the end, Car #17 was shuffled back to eighth on the timesheet with a best time of 2:05.8715s, 0.8482s slower than Waters ended up going late in the piece.

The Tickford Racing driver wheeled his #6 Monster Energy Mustang to a 2:05.0233s, bettering Jamie Whincup’s effort not long prior by 0.2659s.

James Courtney made it two Tickford entries in the top three with a 2:05.5226s in the #44 Boost Mobile Mustang.

Fourth was Penrite Racing’s David Reynolds (#9 ZB Commodore), who had been fastest through the first flyers with a 2:07.8684s, 0.6489s up on the expanded, 25-car field.

DJR Team Penske duo McLaughlin and Fabian Coulthard (#12 Mustang) both bettered that next time around, the former with a 2:07.2105s then the latter with a 2:06.8357s.

McLaughlin moved the marker again on his fourth flyer in setting a 2:06.5362s, with Whincup closing to 0.1167s off the pace a lap later in the #888 Red Bull HRT ZB Commodore.

Coulthard reclaimed top spot with a 2:06.5279s on his second run, but only for a matter of seconds before Reynolds did likewise with a 2:06.5224s.

McLaughlin then clocked a 2:06.1871s which put Car #17 0.3353s clear of the field, before becoming the first to hit a ‘five’ when he notched up a 2:05.8715s just prior to the half-hour mark.

Anton De Pasquale then made it Penrite cars second and third by driving the #99 ZB Commodore to a 2:06.3683s.

Chaz Mostert (#25 Mobil 1 Appliances Online ZB Commodore) climbed near the top of the timing screen with a 2:06.2615s during his third run, but De Pasquale responded by going within a whisker of the then-fastest lap in setting a 2:05.9237s just after.

A handful of co-drivers had started the session and a few more were sent out in the final quarter of an hour, including Warren Luff in Mostert’s Walkinshaw Andretti United machine and Slade in #17.

However, Lee Holdsworth pressed on in the #5 Truck Assist Mustang and knocked McLaughlin off with a 2:05.6530s, before Whincup took #888 to a 2:05.2892s in the final four minutes.

Courtney was briefly second before Waters set his fastest lap, around two minutes prior to the chequered flag.

“Good start for the weekend, obviously,” said Waters.

“Car was pretty good, wasn’t 100 percent happy with it, but obviously good to start the weekend P1 and have a straight car.

“It’s doing a couple of little things which I’m not really that happy with. Don’t want to shed light on it too much, but I think we can definitely improve it.”

The session was running under sunny skies, but both Mostert and McLaughlin commented that the Mount Panorama circuit was still “green” due to lack of rubber, with only one support session having preceded Practice 1.

Holdsworth wound up fifth, ahead of Bryce Fullwood (#2 Mobil 1 Middy’s ZB Commodore) at 0.7466s off the pace.

Rounding out the top 10 were Todd Hazelwood (#14 Cub Cadet ZB Commodore), McLaughlin, Jack Le Brocq (#55 Supercheap Auto Mustang), and De Pasquale, while Coulthard was 17th with a best of 2:06.4493s.

But for van Gisbergen’s and Slade’s coming-together, the session seemingly ran mostly trouble-free.

Alex Davison had an early run up the escape road at Murray’s Corner in the Team Sydney’s #19 Local Legends ZB Commodore and van Gisbergen cut The Esses a short time later, but that appeared to be a manoeuvre to avoid traffic as he was on a slow lap.

Practice 2, for co-drivers only, starts at 12:45 local time/AEDT.

Results: Practice 1