Red Bull Ampol Racing’s Shane van Gisbergen has set the fastest lap in Practice 1 for the Repco Supercars Championship field at the Beaurepaires Sydney SuperNight.
There were eight Camaros in the top 10 at the end of the half-hour session around Sydney Motorsport Park, with Walkinshaw Andretti United’s two Mobil 1-backed Ford Mustangs taking fifth and 10th in the hands of Chaz Mostert and Nick Percat, respectively.
The bulk of the pace came in the first two laps, with van Gisbergen ending up quickest on an early 1:30.4941s in the #97 Chevrolet Camaro entry which is in fact the chassis from Triple Eight Race Engineering’s Supercheap Auto wildcard.
CLICK HERE for van Gisbergen reaction to the new chassis
Conditions were overcast for the start of the session at 12:15 local time but, despite overnight showers, the track was dry.
Championship leader Will Brown (#9 Coca-Cola Camaro) was fastest after the first flyers on a 1:30.8574s, from Erebus Motorsport team-mate Brodie Kostecki (#99 Coca-Cola Camaro) on a 1:30.8864s and van Gisbergen on a 1:31.1025s.
Next time around, the latter clocked his 1:30.4941s, with replays suggesting the two-time Bathurst 1000 winner benefited from a tow from James Courtney (#5 Snowy River Caravans Mustang) down Brabham Straight.
Meanwhile, James Golding (#31 Nulon Camaro) spun on his own at Turn 3, and both Shell V-Power Racing Team Mustangs were back in the garage with steering problems.
Jack Le Brocq, on the other hand, went for a long first run in the #34 Truck Assist Camaro.
He was second on the timing screen with a 1:30.6826s on his second lap but clocked a 1:33.9439s on his 11th lap, before finally pitting.
With the chequered flag out, the top 13 had set their best time to that point on either their first or second laps, before Andre Heimgartner (#8 R&J Batteries Camaro) jumped seven positions to eighth on a 1:31.2235s.
The top 10 once the music stopped was van Gisbergen, Le Brocq, Kostecki on a 1:30.7107s, Brown, Mostert (#25 Mobil 1 Optus Mustang) on a 1:31.1333s, Golding, Broc Feeney (#88 Red Bull Ampol Camaro), Heimgartner, Tim Slade (#23 Nulon Camaro), and Percat (#2 Mobil 1 NTI Mustang) on a 1:31.3080s.
Last-start winner De Pasquale, whose drama was reportedly a steering column, ended up 12th on a 1:31.3220s which he set at the start of his first run proper, once the Dick Johnson Racing crew had attended to the #11 Mustang.
Team-mate Will Davison would confirm that he did indeed have a steering rack problem in the #17 DJR Mustang, and ended up classified 18th on a 1:31.5100s.
Brad Jones Racing’s Bryce Fullwood (#14 Middy’s Camaro) claimed 11th and Tickford Racing’s Cameron Waters (#6 Monster Energy Mustang) 13th.
Practice 2, another half-hour hit-out, starts this afternoon at 14:45 local time/AEST.
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