Bathurst 1000: Chaz Mostert fastest ahead of Shootout
Prodrive Racing’s Chaz Mostert topped this morning’s final practice session at Mount Panorama, going quickest on a Shootout simulation lap.
Photo by: Dirk Klynsmith
Most teams spent the majority of the session working on high fuel loads and driver changes, meaning there wasn’t a lot of Hollywood lap times to be seen until well inside the last 10 minutes.
It wasn’t until six minutes from the end that the times dipped below the 2m06s mark, Prodrive’s Mark Winterbottom bolting on some good rubber and putting in a Top 10 Shootout simulation lap to go fastest with a 2m05.638s.
He was quickly demoted to second by teammate Chaz Mostert, though, the #55 Ford driver topping the session with a 2m05.335s on his own Shootout sim lap – despite co-driver Steve Owen having nearly binned the car at The Dipper a few laps earlier.
Winterbottom wound up second, happy enough but lamenting some lost pace in the final sector.
“We just did a simulation for a Shootout; it was okay, but it’s moving around in the rear a bit,” he said. “You get one lap, you tighten the belts and try and have a go. We’re half a chance this afternoon if we can tidy it up a little bit.”
Volvo’s Scott McLaughlin was another late improver, with a qualifying sim that also saw him dip into the fives.
Shane van Gisbergen was next in the #97 Triple Eight Commodore, setting his best of a 2m06.196s 20 minutes from the end before handing over to co-driver Alex Premat for the remainder of the session. Will Davison was next in the Tekno car, he and Prodrive’s Cam Waters both making late gains to slot into fifth and sixth.
It was two Brad Jones Racing Commodores next in line, Jason Bright marginally quicker than Tim Slade, with the #3 Holden Racing Team Commodore and the Team Eighteen Commodore rounding out the Top 10.
Jamie Whincup, who will run last in today’s Shootout after topping yesterday’s qualifying, had a quiet session, finishing up just 12th fastest, 1,7s slower than Mostert.
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