Shane van Gisbergen has edged Fabian Coulthard to top spot in Practice 2 on the opening day of the Coates Hire Ipswich SuperSprint.
Van Gisbergen clocked a 1:09.2447s after the chequered flag moments before his compatriot crossed the stripe only 0.0838s slower.
David Reynolds (#9 Erebus Penrite ZB Commodore) looked like topping the second 45-minute open practice session when he improved his benchmark in the final minutes.
However, he was usurped initially by last year’s Queensland Raceway winner Chaz Mostert (#55 Supercheap Auto FGX Falcon).
Van Gisbergen went just over a tenth of a second faster in the #97 Red Bull HRT ZB Commodore with the clock at zero before he was joined at the pointy end by the #12 Shell V-Power FGX Falcon.
“It’s good. Just a frustrating day. Like we’re just running around on crap tyres,” said van Gisbergen.
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“There’s been no wet races this year and we’ve finished all of them, so we’ve got no tyres left. Everyone’s in the same boat. So it’s just frustrating and then you put a better set on then a new set and ‘oh, the car’s good, all your problems are solved’.
“It’s very frustrating but it is what it is.”
Rick Kelly (#15 Castrol Racing Nissan Altima) and Mark Winterbottom (#5 The Bottle-O FGX Falcon) were slightly slower again in fourth and fifth, less than two tenths away from the very top.
Jamie Whincup (#1 Triple Eight ZB Commodore) slotted into sixth, ahead of Reynolds, Michael Caruso (#23 Drive Nissan Altima), and Craig Lowndes (#888 Autobarn ZB Commodore).
Richie Stanaway (#56 Rabble.Club FGX Falcon) made it three Tickford Fords in the top 10, while Cameron Waters (#6 Monster Energy FGX Falcon) was 18th.
Simona de Silvestro (#78 Harvey Norman Nissan Altima) was as high as fifth before settling in 11th.
Championship leader Scott McLaughlin suffered an electrical drama on his way to 12th in the #17 DJR Team Penske FGX Falcon, before running out of fuel just prior to the end of the session.
Wildcard entrant Kurt Kostecki was 26th in the #42 Kostecki Brothers Racing VF Commodore.
A third 45-minute practice session takes place tomorrow at 1120 local time/AEST.
Results: Supercars Practice 2
| 1 | 97 Red Bull Holden Racing Team | Shane Van Gisbergen | Holden Commodore ZB | 1:09.2447*SS | |
| 2 | 12 Shell V-Power Racing Team | Fabian Coulthard | Ford Falcon FG/X | 1:09.3285 SS | 00.0838 |
| 3 | 55 Supercheap Auto Racing | Chaz Mostert | Ford Falcon FG/X | 1:09.3635 SS | 00.1188 |
| 4 | 15 Castrol Racing | Rick Kelly | Nissan Altima | 1:09.3948 SS | 00.1501 |
| 5 | 5 The Bottle-O Racing Team | Mark Winterbottom | Ford Falcon FG/X | 1:09.4314 SS | 00.1867 |
| 6 | 1 Red Bull Holden Racing Team | Jamie Whincup | Holden Commodore ZB | 1:09.4863 SS | 00.2416 |
| 7 | 9 Erebus Penrite Racing | David Reynolds | Holden Commodore ZB | 1:09.4888 SS | 00.2441 |
| 8 | 23 Drive Racing | Michael Caruso | Nissan Altima | 1:09.4952 SS | 00.2505 |
| 9 | 888 Autobarn Lowndes Racing | Craig Lowndes | Holden Commodore ZB | 1:09.5493 SS | 00.3046 |
| 10 | 56 RABBLE.club Racing | Richie Stanaway | Ford Falcon FG/X | 1:09.5686 SS | 00.3239 |
| 11 | 78 Team Harvey Norman | Simona De Silvestro | Nissan Altima | 1:09.5735 SS | 00.3288 |
| 12 | 17 Shell V-Power Racing Team | Scott McLaughlin | Ford Falcon FG/X | 1:09.6010 SS | 00.3563 |
| 13 | 8 Summit Racing | Nick Percat | Holden Commodore ZB | 1:09.6153 SS | 00.3706 |
| 14 | 21 Team CoolDrive | Tim Blanchard | Holden Commodore ZB | 1:09.6605 SS | 00.4158 |
| 15 | 120 Milwaukee Racing | Will Davison | Ford Falcon FG/X | 1:09.6929 SS | 00.4482 |
| 16 | 34 Wilson Security Racing GRM | James Golding | Holden Commodore ZB | 1:09.7116 SS | 00.4669 |
| 17 | 18 Preston Hire Racing | Lee Holdsworth | Holden Commodore ZB | 1:09.7376 SS | 00.4929 |
| 18 | 6 Monster Energy Racing | Cameron Waters | Ford Falcon FG/X | 1:09.7497 SS | 00.5050 |
| 19 | 7 Plus Fitness Racing | Andre Heimgartner | Nissan Altima | 1:09.7889 SS | 00.5442 |
| 20 | 25 Mobil 1 Boost Mobile Racing | James Courtney | Holden Commodore ZB | 1:09.8188 SS | 00.5741 |
| 21 | 2 Mobil 1 Boost Mobile Racing | Scott Pye | Holden Commodore ZB | 1:09.8283 SS | 00.5836 |
| 22 | 99 Erebus Motorsport | Anton de Pasquale | Holden Commodore ZB | 1:09.8472 SS | 00.6025 |
| 23 | 19 Tekno Autosport | Jack Le Brocq | Holden Commodore ZB | 1:09.8548 SS | 00.6101 |
| 24 | 33 Wilson Security Racing GRM | Garth Tander | Holden Commodore ZB | 1:09.9431 SS | 00.6984 |
| 25 | 14 Freightliner Racing | Tim Slade | Holden Commodore ZB | 1:09.9712 SS | 00.7265 |
| 26 | 42 Arcoplate Racing | Kurt Kostecki | Holden Commodore VF | 1:10.2661 SS | 01.0214 |
| 27 | 35 Bigmate Racing | Todd Hazelwood | Ford Falcon FG/X | 1:10.3182 SS | 01.0735 |
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