Jon Trende and Kane Rose set the pace in practice today ahead of the fifth round of Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Australia at Sandown.
The Victorian duo battled with wet/dry weather conditions to finish the day with the fastest lap times. Trende was the quickest outright competitor and Rose posting the second quickest outright time and the best of the 996 Cup Class drivers.
Behind Trende and Rose, debutant Hugh Gardiner finished third ahead of John Modystach, Ivan Klasan, series leader Roger Lago, Steven McFadden and Phil Morriss.
Trende, who posted the quickest time of the official practice session, suggested the times will not reflect competition at the front throughout the weekend.
“I’d say you’ll see a fair shake up from today’s times this weekend. A few of the guys didn’t go out on slicks, so I guess we’ll see in tomorrow’s qualifying who’s where,” said Trende.
Meanwhile, Rose hasn’t competed in motorsport since his Sandown GT3 Cup Challenge victory last year and hopes he can replicate his 2010 form this weekend.
“I hope to be up the front,” said Rose.
“I think Trende and Jeff Bobik are going to be the two to beat over the weekend but we should be around the money if we do the times we were doing last year. I don’t think the times are going to be a hell of a lot quicker than they were in 2010.”
The Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Australia is supporting the Shannons Nationals at Sandown this weekend.