Golding fastest in Practice 2, Courtney involved in heavy crash

James Golding has continued a strong start to the MSS Security Melbourne SuperSprint for PremiAir Racing, topping the final practice session of the weekend.

Golding flew to a 1:47.1632s in the first half of a session that was interrupted by the first major incident of the weekend at Albert Park.

Just past the halfway mark the first red flag of the weekend came out after James Courtney had a heavy crash in the Blanchard Racing Team's #7 Mustang.

The 2010 champion was running 11th at the time when he lost the rear end on corner entry at Turn 5, slamming into the outside wall.

The damage to the Snowy River Caravans entry was extensive, with the left rear corner completely ripped out, and parts of the driveshaft scattered over the track, with BRT in a race against time to repair the car in time for the back-to-back Boost Mobile Qualifying sessions from 3:25pm.

At the beginning of the session, Will Davison (1:48.3354s) and Brodie Kostecki (1:48.3822s) formed a Shell V-Power Racing Team one-two, before Nick Percat (1:47.8899s) and Cameron Hill (1:47.9880s) put Matt Stone Racing on top.

Meanwhile, David Reynolds pinched his left front tyre heading into the fast Turn 9, and found the grass.

Through the first runs, Percat led Hill, with Davison, Kostecki, Thomas Randle, Richie Stanaway, Courtney, Cam Waters, Jack Le Brocq and Chaz Mostert behind, as Will Brown and Broc Feeney set about completing race runs.

After a quiet opening session for Brad Jones Racing, Jaxon Evans leapt into the top four, before Golding continued his strong Practice 1 form with his impressive marker that went seven tenths clear of Percat.

Golding's PremiAir Racing teammate Stanaway was also competitive after finishing second in this morning's session, moving into fourth on a number nine tenths away from the sister #31 entry.

Reynolds atoned for his moment at Turn 9 by jumping up to third, whilst Feeney had a huge scare at the same corner after losing the back end at the fastest part of the circuit.

The session went green after Courtney's accident with just shy of six minutes remaining, creating something of a shootout in the final two flying laps.

No one could top Golding's marker despite the track improving with time, Feeney the closest to the pin on a 1:47.2911s, ahead of teammate Brown, Percat, and Matt Payne rounding out the top five for Grove Racing.

Andre Heimgartner, Cooper Murray, Kai Allen, Reynolds, and Hill rounded out the top 10, whilst Chaz Mostert was buried down in 23rd after not making the most of his green tyre run in the final minutes.

“It's awesome driving around this track,” Golding said.

“Obviously early this morning the track was pretty slippery, and it was a different kettle of fish then.

“Made a couple of tweaks to the car, nothing too major, just letting the track come to us a bit, feeling really comfortable, and the time showed it.”

Supercars will return to the track for dual Boost Mobile Qualifying sessions from 3:25pm, which will set the grids for Race 4 and Race 5.

The first of four sprint races, the 19-lap Race 4, will commence at 5:50pm.