Allen beats Perkins in first Dunlop Series practice

Kai Allen has continued his strong form with the quickest time in opening practice at the Penrite Oil Sandown 500.

Eggleston Motorsport rookie Allen, who won the round in Townsville in July, edged Erebus Motorsport driver Jack Perkins by 0.0242s.

The 40-minute session featured two short stoppages, with Allen leading proceedings for much of the session.

Series leader Zak Best was first Ford home in his #17 Anderson Motorsport Mustang in third, and was just 0.1548s behind Allen.

Allen, Perkins and Best were the only drivers in the combined Super2 and Super3 field to set a time below 70 seconds, with Allen’s best a 1:09.8090s.

Cooper Murray made it two Eggleston Holdens in the top four, with Aaron Love and Zane Morse fifth and sixth ahead of Jay Hanson and Ryan Wood.

Aaron Seton was ninth, with Eggleston teammates Jordyn Sinni and Cameron Crick 10th and 11th.

Morse set the early running with a 1:11.4377s, with Perkins behind by just 0.0258s behind in his #70 Shaw and Partners Commodore, complete in tribute livery to father Larry’s 1993 Bathurst win.

Allen and Perkins turned up the wick as the session wore on, the former clocking a 1:10.2506s with Perkins turning in a 1:10.4200s ahead of Wood and Crick.

Murray moved the benchmark to a 1:10.1088s, just 0.0764s ahead of teammate Allen, with Best moving to third with a 1:10.3169s.

Perkins went faster again with the first 1:09s lap of the day — a 1:09.8332s — before the first red flag was flown.

After a short stoppage, Allen returned and laid down a 1:09.8090s to put 0.02s on Perkins, with Best, Murray and Morse the top five with 15 minutes remaining.

The only change in the final minutes was Love jumping Morse into fifth, with the top 10 drivers covered by 0.5s.

Cameron McLeod was the first Super3 driver home in 14th overall, just ahead of Super2 debutant Aaron Cameron, both aboard Nissan Altimas.

Fellow rookie Valentino Astuti, the 2022 Formula Ford champion, was 22nd overall in his Super3 MW Motorsport-run Altima.

Dunlop Series drivers will return to the track for Practice 2 at Sandown at 2:05pm AEST.