New surface leads to searing pace at 'out of control' Surfers Paradise
Record-breaking pace in opening practice on the Gold Coast
Resurfaced circuit leads to half the field breaking all-time practice/qualifying record
2025 Dunlop Soft tyre and relaxed kerb hop rules also contributing factors
The first ever Repco Supercars Finals Series got off to a rapid start in opening practice for the Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500.
Will Brown led the way for Red Bull Ampol Racing ahead of Ryan Wood and teammate Broc Feeney, however it was the lap times that were the talk of the town.
Brown's ultimate benchmark of a 1:09.2663 was a new Gen3 practice and qualifying record at Surfers Paradise, the previous marker being set by Matt Payne last year at a 1:10.1508.
The 2025-spec Dunlop Soft tyre has provided a noticeable pace increase throughout the 2025 Repco Supercars Championship, however that is not the only factor at play this weekend.
As noted in the Competitor's and Driver's Briefing Instructions, there has also been a noticeable change to the track year-on-year.
The report states: "Circuit changes since 2024 include; New road surface has been laid at the following locations Turn 4 through to Turn 6, Turn 11."
Drivers were also remarkably aggressive over the kerbs at the circuit's trademark chicanes, with the policing of kerb hops taking a similarly relaxed approach to 2024 as per the briefing notes.
The combined change of tyre and track surface, plus the aggressive kerb use, saw 16 drivers dip under Payne's 2024 marker, however it also saw more history made.
Half of the 24 drivers dipped under Jamie Whincup's all-time practice and qualifying record on the shortened Surfers Paradise Street Circuit, that time being a 1:09.9179 set in 2017.
Feeney was raving about the new track surface, especially at the Turn 4 hairpin. The increased grip could potentially open up plenty of overtaking potential, with the new surface finishing prior the Beach Chicane, which is one of the most important acceleration zones on the 2.96km circuit.
"Turn 4, I've never driven on a track that's so grippy in my life, and it's fantastic," said Feeney.
"It's so bloody fast through there, I couldn't believe it at the start, the times that I was setting. That corner is incredible."
The Turn 11 resurface is on a much shorter piece of circuit, and poses a different challenge as the track surface changes in the acceleration zone on Breaker Street.
It was at the bottom end of the circuit where Feeney nearly came unstuck in the dying seconds of the session, when he slapped the tyre wall at Turn 13.
"The rest of the track is very patchy, especially at Turn 11. It caught me out quite a few times because you get on the throttle on the good surface and I kept breaking traction, it took me a while to figure out why, but it was on that change to the old surface.
"That new stuff is incredible, but this place is out of control. You forget how crazy it is and it's lots of fun out there, you have little scrapes of the wall and moments every lap."
Practice 2 is set to begin at 3:25pm local time/4:25pm AEST.
