Caruso/Fiore Nissan fastest in Sandown warm-up

The Nissan of Michael Caruso and Dean Fiore shaded the two Red Bull Holden Racing Team Commodores to top the Sunday warm-up for the Wilson Security Sandown 500.

The pair, who will start 11th this afternoon, led the way with a 1:08.86s set by Fiore during his stint in the middle of the 20-minute session.

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It was enough to finish 0.82s seconds clear of the Shane van Gisbergen/Matt Campbell Commodore, while the Jamie Whincup/Paul Dumbrell entry was also within one tenth in third.

Whincup and Dumbrell will start fourth, but the reigning champion and Porsche star Campbell will be down in 21st, after van Gisbergen was handed a two-place grid penalty for his practice clash with Fabian Coulthard.

Todd Kelly and Jack Le Brocq made it a pair of Nissans in the top four, while James Courtney and Jack Perkins’ Mobil 1 HSV Racing Commodore was fifth following an overnight engine change.

Prodrive Falcons filled the next two places with the Mark Winterbottom/Dean Canto entry and polesitter Cameron Waters/Richie Stanaway.

Waters had a spirited exchange with Coulthard in the closing stages, Coulthard finishing in 10th, one spot behind championship leader Scott McLaughlin in the sister Shell V-Power Racing Falcon.

The Tekno Autosports Commodore returned to the track after yesterday’s crash in the opening ARMOR ALL Race for the Grid with Jonathon Webb at the wheel, setting the 11th-fastest time.

The session started with a peculiar pitlane incident, the Brad Jones Racing Commodore of Nick Percat/Macauley Jones making low-speed contact with the Preston Hire Racing Commodore, as it entered the fast lane.

Neither car sustained significant damage and both completed the session, and the clash is being investigated by stewards.

The 161-lap opening leg of the PIRTEK Enduro Cup starts at 1:15pm.