Action for the Repco Supercars Championship at this year’s Australian Grand Prix began with opening practice this morning as Shell V-Power Racing’s Anton De Pasquale topped the timesheets from championship leader Shane van Gisbergen.
In what was an interrupted session due to a long red-flag period caused by Red Bull Ampol Racing Team’s rookie sensation Broc Feeney contacting the tyre wall at Turn 5, causing significant damage to both his Holden ZB Commodore and the barrier.
Drivers completed four laps before the stoppage, with the Shell V-Power racing pair of De Pasquale and Will Davison at the top of the timesheets.
A short run concluded the session as De Pasquale set a 1m 46.601s lap to be the benchmark from van Gisbergen, who logged his lap time late to be just 0.041s behind the Ford Mustang driver.
Davison was third from Grove Racing’s David Reynolds and a superb performance from Macauley Jones in the newly liveried tools.com Brad Jones Racing ZB Commodore placed him within the top five.
BJR teammate Andre Heimgartner was sixth from Lee Holdsworth, Tim Slade, Gary Jacobson and Bryce Fullwood.
Former championship leader Chaz Mostert was 13th in his Mobil 1 Optus Racing ZB Commodore, just behind Monster Energy Racing’s Cameron Waters.
Others to be out of place included Brodie Kostecki (16th), Nick Percat (19th), Feeney (20th) and Will Brown (22nd).
The Repco Supercars Championship is back on-track at 12:30pm for practice 2.