Brown tops Payne in opening Bathurst practice

Erebus Racing has emerged on top of the time sheets in the opening practice session of this weekend’s Bathurst 1000, with Will Brown’s 2:05.965 the fastest of the session.

Brown set his best time mid-way through the 60-minute run, and it was enough to top New Zealander Matt Payne by just 0.007 seconds.

Payne ran for 40 minutes of the session with co-driver Kevin Estre cutting his first laps of Mount Panorama in a Supercar over the opening stages. Payne and Brown were the only drivers to go under the 2:06 barrier.

Brodie Kostecki lit the timing screens up early, setting a 2:06.0720, enough for him to finish third. His co-driver, David Russell, also got some good track time at the end of the session.

Chaz Mostert and David Reynolds both set their best laps as the chequered flag fell for fourth and fifth, respectively. Mostert’s 2:06.3075 was 0.3422 seconds off the lead, while Reynolds was a further 0.1610 behind.

Scott Pye was the sixth fastest, ahead of Broc Feeney, Anton de Pasquale and Andre Heimgartner. Triple Eight’s #888 wildcard was run by Craig Lowndes for the entire session, with the seven-time Bathurst winner going tenth quickest.

Defending champion Shane van Gisbergen ran for the majority of the session before handing over to compatriot Richie Stanaway in the final minutes, the former’s best time of 2:07.4153 being the 15th fastest.

Teams will be relieved the opening session has run incident-free, with only Aaron Love and Courtney having moments and running off at The Chase.

Supercars return for one further practice session today, for co-drivers only at 6.50 pm (NZ Time).

Bathurst 1000 First Practice Results

Header Image: Supercars