T8’s Stanaway fastest in final Bathurst 1000 co-driver practice

Triple Eight Race Engineering’s Richie Stanaway has set the fastest three laps of the final designated co-driver practice session at the Repco Bathurst 1000, in the Shane van Gisbergen Camaro.

With the majority of the starting grid locked in, the race itself just a day away, and primary drivers watching on from the pits, the focus of Practice 5 at Mount Panorama was unquestionably long runs.

Stanaway was into the low-sixes on his first run in the #97 Red Bull Ampol Racing entry and finished the session 0.4622s clear of next-best, namely Grove Racing’s Garth Tander in David Reynold’s #26 Penrite Mustang.

There were dramas for the two cars which had substantial incidents in the preceding afternoon’s Qualifying session, with Will Brown’s #9 Erebus Motorsport Camaro and Declan Fraser’s #56 Tickford Racing Mustang both set back by handling issues.

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Practice 5 had begun under sunny skies at 10:00 local time and Stanaway set the early pace in the #97 Camaro which is set to be fourth onto the track in this afternoon’s Shootout.

His first run consisted of a 2:06.8321s followed by a 2:06.2480s, a 2:06.1545s, and a 2:06.0486s, with Tander next-best at that point on a 2:06.5108s.

In the other Red Bull Ampol Camaro, meanwhile, Jamie Whincup was sixth on a best of 2:07.1400s in his first run, during which he had a tour through the Hell Corner gravel trap.

Meanwhile the #9 Coca-Cola Camaro was back in the Erebus garage after Brown’s co-driver, Jack Perkins, reported a handling issue, specifically more resistance turning right than left.

Triple Eight Race Engineering wildcard Zane Goddard moved up to third in the #888 Supercheap Auto Camaro with a 2:06.5577s just after the half-hour mark, as the field continued to amass laps.

That effort would prove the end of the relatively quick times, leaving a top three of Stanaway, Tander, and Goddard.

David Russell, partnering provisional pole-sitter Brodie Kostecki in the #99 Coca-Cola Camaro, was fourth having gone as quick as a 2:06.6596s.

Jayden Ojeda (#34 Camaro) ended up fifth and Truck Assist Racing team-mate Jaylyn Robotham sixth, although the latter missed the last 15 minutes of the session due to a reported clutch problem for the #35 Camaro.

Rounding out the top 10 were Tony D’Alberto (#11 Shell V-Power Mustang), wildcard Jake Kostecki (#7 Petronas Mustang), Whincup, and Warren Luff (#20 Toyota Forklifts Camaro).

The #56 Mustang which Fraser crashed heavily on the afternoon prior was back in action following an overnight rebuild, but was afflicted by power steering issues and vibrations.

Fraser’s co-driver Tyler Everingham would complete only seven laps, during the first half-hour, and was classified 24th all told on a 2:08.0845s.

Perkins ended up 26th at the end of the hour-long hit-out on a 2:08.4783s.

Practice 6 starts at 13:00, before the Top 10 Shootout from 17:50 (all times local/AEDT).

CLICK HERE for full Practice 5 results