Payne pips Waters, Brown in tight first Bathurst practice
Matt Payne beats Cam Waters, Will Brown in tight first practice
Top three covered by just 0.03s at Mount Panorama
Co-drivers to tackle Practice 2 later on Friday afternoon
The scene is set at Mount Panorama, with Matt Payne leading an ultra-tight start to proceedings at the Repco Bathurst 1000 in Practice 1.
Payne emerged quickest of all after an energised end to the 60-minute session, with Cam Waters and championship leader Will Brown within 0.04s of the Penrite Ford.
Cameron Hill was an impressive fourth ahead of Thomas Randle, with James Golding, David Reynolds, Chaz Mostert, Richie Stanaway and Bryce Fullwood rounding out the top 10.
Payne was well up from the quickest Practice 1 time from February's Thrifty Bathurst 500, a 2:07.9551s, but well down on the benchmark from last year's corresponding session, a 2:05.9653s, set on the Soft tyre.
Broc Feeney, who ended up 15th, clocked the first flying lap of the weekend with a 2:09.3856s, before Reynolds lowered the benchmark to the tune of 0.8s with a 2:08.5786s.
Brown (2:08.5921s) and Stanaway (2:08.4490s) continued to move the number, but not without trying. Reynolds locked up at Turn 2, while, Triple Eight wildcard rookie Cooper Murray also bowled a wide at Turn 1.
Feeney then reset the benchmark to a 2:08.1834s before both Triple Eight drivers handed over to respective co-drivers Jamie Whincup and Scott Pye to get a feel of the circuit.
All the while, Andre Heimgartner was forced into the lane with a suspected power steering issue despite holding down fourth with a 2:08.4784s, before quickly returning and improving to third with a 2:08.0654s.
Waters began to show pace, first with a 2:08.1007s before clocking a 2:07.7975s, joining Hill in the 2:07s with a 2:07.9638s.
The balance of the field came into the lane at the 28-minute mark, with Waters, Hill, Heimgartner, Feeney, Jack Le Brocq, Stanaway, Payne, Golding, Reynolds and Brown completing the top 10.
Into the second half of the session, Heimgartner returned with the fastest first sector, only the bowl a wide at McPhillamy and surf through the gravel trap. Mostert, meanwhile, ran long at Hell Corner and languished down the order, with teammate Ryan Wood making the same mistake.
With 12 minutes to go, Le Brocq fired to second with a 2:07.9507s. Then, teammate Hill went on with it, powering to the top with a 2:07.4695s, before Waters returned to the top with a 2:07.3307s.
Meanwhile, Mostert personal best with a 2:08.9410s, but was still 1.6s off Waters' overall session-leading pace heading into the final minutes.
Stanaway (2:07.6145s) and De Pasquale (2:07.8776s) moved to third and fourth, before Payne went fastest of all with a 2:07.2941s.
Heimgartner loomed to go faster, but understeered wide at the final corner. Brown went purple in the first two sectors, but slotted in behind Payne and Waters. Reynolds did the same and threatened to challenge top spot, but also fell away in the final sector to end up seventh.
Mostert improved with a 2:07.5619s to end up eighth, just 0.26s behind Ford rival Payne.
It was also an impressive recovery for Randle, who managed to set the fifth quickest time despite losing the first 30 minutes due to a faulty power steering pump.
The Bryce Fullwood/Jaylyn Robotham and Matt Chahda/Brad Vaughan cars recorded the most laps of the session with 20 each, with the Craig Lowndes/Murray wildcard rounding out the 26-car field.
There were concerns down at Dick Johnson Racing, with the Will Davison/Kai Allen entry sidelined for the final minutes of the session.
Co-drivers will return to the track for Practice 2 at 4:55pm AEDT.
