Wood quickest in Darwin as Feeney, Brown run off
Ryan Wood quickest in Darwin as Broc Feeney, Will Brown run off
WAU driver turns in fastest time late on after taking green tyres
Feeney, Brown among drivers to run off the road on dusty track
A late green tyre run has vaulted Ryan Wood to the top in Practice 1 at the betr Darwin Triple Crown, with speed and off-track excursions bookending Triple Eight's efforts.
Walkinshaw Andretti United driver Wood put nearly 0.3s on the field in the closing minutes of the session, with Broc Feeney, Will Brown, Andre Heimgartner and Cameron Hill rounding out the top five.
Several cars found the grass throughout the session, with Feeney and Brown encountering offs at Turn 1 at either end of the 30-minute hit out.
Ultimately, it was Wood who set the fastest time, although the two Red Bull Ampol Camaros set an early statement despite their offs, given Wood has extra tyres at hand.
Cars rolled out as the track went green, with ambient temperatures breaching 30 degrees. Brodie Kostecki's standing 1:07.8045s was quickly dropped by Hill (1:07.6242s) and Thomas Randle (1:07.6051s).
Just after jumping to fourth with a 1:07.6411, Feeney locked up and fired off off at Turn 1. Forced to abort his run, Feeney sat 11th through the opening 10 minutes.
As the balance of the field returned to pit lane, Heimgartner (1:04.4025s) led Hill, Brown, Richie Stanaway, Wood, Macauley Jones, Randle, Jack Le Brocq, Matt Payne and Nick Percat.
Feeney hit back with a 1:07.4977s to jump to third at the 12-minute mark, with James Golding finally setting a representative lap time through 13 minutes.
Heimgartner set about continuing his session-topping pace, but survived a scare heading into the final complex of corners. The #8 R&J Batteries Chevrolet slid and caught Heimgartner in a big oversteer moment.
With nine to go, Feeney went fastest with a 1:07.3238s, which held sway before Wood bolted on fresh tyres for a headline-grabbing run.
Brown sat second with a 1:07.3501s as mistakes crept in, the reigning champion spinning off at Turn 1. Percat and Kai Allen also hit trouble at Turn 1, with Heimgartner bowling a wide at the last corner.
A small grass fire at the Turn 1 run-off threatened to end the session early, but Wood's time held firm. Feeney, Brown, Heimgartner, Hill, Stanaway, Kostecki, Le Brocq, Cam Waters and Jones rounded out the top 10.
Of other notables, Payne and Chaz Mostert were 12th and 13th. Golding, the 2024 Saturday pole-sitter, was only 20th.
Friday's Supercars action will conclude with Practice 2 at 2:55pm local/3:25pm AEST.
