While Super2 completed two practice sessions, the Porsche Carrera Cup fourth round, Toyota GR Cup second round and Round 5 of Australian Superbikes undertook qualifying
Walls in Objective Racing/Triple Eight Race Engineering Holden ZB Commodore, posted a lap of 1:09.2467s to edge out the series-dominating Tickford Racing Ford Mustangs.
Second in the points, Reuben Goodall, was just a tenth off Walls and ahead of his Tickford teammate Nash Morris.
Ford drivers were also fourth, fifth and sixth with Cameron McLeod (Kelly Racing), Bailey Sweeney (Blanchard Racing Team) and series leader Rylan Gray (Tickford Racing).
In the Eggleston Motorsport Commodores, Jordyn Sini, Elliott Cleary and Zach Bates were next ahead of Walls’ teammate Ben Gomersall and Cody Burcher (Eggleston).
When the teams headed out for Practice 1, the track was damp and there was a mix of wet and dry tyre-shod cars. As the 40-minute session progressed, the track dried and the lap times dropped.
By the culmination it was McLeod on his final lap that set the benchmark with a 1:09.7420, 0.3 seconds under the previous best, by Scott Pye in 2012. McLoed edged out Bates and Ayrton Hodson (Anderson Motorsport Mustang) by 0.1s and 0.09s respectively.
Eight minutes into Practice 2, the red flags were out when Sinni beached at Turn 6. Image Racing’s Max Geoghegan (ZB) had a moment there just before Matt Hillyer (Walkinshaw Andretti United ZB) went off at Turn 3. Both were able to extract themselves and continue.
It took to the second half of the session for times to undercut what had been set earlier in the day. With five minute to go eight had surpassed the P1 fastest and that number increased to 11 by the end. The session was cut short when Mason Kelly bunkered at Turn 6 with less than two minutes left.
At 9:00am on Saturday, Qualifying will take place for the first 40-minute race at 2:45pm AEST.
Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia
Harri Jones has hit back in practice and qualifying after he lost the championship lead at the previous round. After he topped Practice 2, Jones took out a thrilling qualifying session by 0.01s.
Racing for his own team Jones Motorsport, he headed the session for 22mins before TekworkX Motorsport’s David Russell pipped him. Then with 50s left on the clock, Jones went fractionally quicker to take pole for Race 1.
Earl Bamber Motorsport’s Dale Wood held second at times before relegated to third. Next after he languished 15th, points leader Garth Walden Racing’s Dylan O’Keeffe snatched fourth late in the session, ahead of Bayley Hall, Clay Osborne, Caleb Sumich, Lockie Bloxsom and Finland’s Marcus Amand.
Despite a couple of off-track moments, Sam Shahin was fastest of the Pro-Am drivers. Rodney Jane held second for much of the session before he was relegated to fourth behind Matt Belford and Brett Boulton.
The first race for the German thoroughbreds is scheduled for 2:20pm on Saturday.
Toyota Gazoo Racing Australia GR Cup
After two practice session, the first on a damp track and sixth overall, Lachlan Evennett has taken his second pole position in a row. He edged out Lincoln Taylor who was fastest in Practice 1, by 0.04s to accomplish the back-to-back effort.
Third fastest in the overcast but dry conditions was Charlie Parker ahead of Kade Davey who headed Practice 2, Josh Anderson and Oliver Wickham.
Toyota guest driver Jayden Ojeda was seventh in front of Lachlan Gibbons, Jack Wesbury and Hayden Hume. Fabian Coulthard who is in the second guest car, was 13th behind Tyler Cheney and Jordan Freestone.
The GR Cup kicks off Saturday’s racing with Race 1 at 8:30am with Race 2 at 11:10am.
Australian Superbike Championship
Reigning champion and current points leader Josh Waters has qualified fastest on his McMartin Racing Ducati V4R fastest with a time of 1:07.6058. Using just the one tyre set, he was 0.11s ahead of the Yamaha Racing Team’s Josh Waters (Yamaha YZF-R1.
Next fastest in Qualifying 2 for the fastest 12 out of Q1 were Ducati riders Glenn Allerton and Broc Pearson with Ant West and Jonathan Nahlous fifth and sixth on Yamahas.
They were followed by Harrison Voight (Ducati) and the Yamaha ridden by Cru Halliday, Cameron Dunker, Max Stauffer, John Lytras and Jack Favelle. Just missing out on the cut by 0.05s was Arthur Sissis (Yamaha).
Race 1 for the bikes will be at 11:45am.
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