Pye paces wet/dry practice, rookie walks away from Chase crunch

Rain and a crash for rookie Harri Jones stole the Thursday headlines at the Repco Bathurst 1000, as Scott Pye atoned for his 2024 accident to end up fastest for Red Bull Ampol Racing.

Pye was the unlucky headline-maker 12 months ago with his accident at The Cutting, before turning it around to claim a podium with eventual champion Will Brown on the Sunday.

A year on, Pye ended Thursday with the fastest time, albeit by virtue of rainfall throughout the session at Mount Panorama.

It was Team 18 co-driver Jones who ended Thursday with the biggest headache, the Porsche Carrera Cup champion crashing the #18 DEWALT Chevrolet at The Chase.

Jones's accident was the second in as many minutes in the session, with Matt Stone Racing young gun Cameron McLeod grazing the tyre barriers at McPhillamy Park.

Showers had passed over Mount Panorama since the conclusion of Practice 1, but the session began in relatively dry conditions, albeit with winds and dark clouds.

Fabian Coulthard remained in the lane early as Walkinshaw Andretti United bled the brakes on the #25 Mobil 1 Optus Ford, which had been repaired after Chaz Mostert's earlier crash.

Pye opened proceedings with a 2:09.7576s, and quickly lowered the number to a 2:08.2368s. Tony D'Alberto (2:08.3708s) and Jamie Whincup (2:08.9012s) joined him in the 2:08s, before Triple Eight wildcard Zach Bates drew within 0.06s of the #1 Red Bull Ampol Chevrolet.

McLeod, driving Cameron Hill's #4 Supaglass Chevrolet, was first to strike trouble with an off at McPhillamy. The third-generation scorched through the sand, and made light contact with the tyre barriers.

The session was stopped just seconds later when Jones, driving Anton De Pasquale's DEWALT Chevrolet, hit a puddle of water and lost control exiting The Chase, sending him into the exit concrete wall. At the time, Pye had gone even quicker with a 2:07.5374s, with Todd Hazelwood second on a 2:07.9041s.

Jones had his head in his hands as trackside officials retrieved his Camaro, which sustained significant left-side damage in the hit, setting Team 18 up for a late night.

D'Alberto put his #17 Shell V-Power Ford on top with a 2:07.4740s when the session resumed, before Pye continued to light up the time sheets.

Pye (2:06.8395s) and David Russell (2:06.9856s) were first into the 2:06s, but a shower at the 22-minute mark forced the field back into pit lane.

With showers forecast on Sunday, a number of teams opted to hand their co-drivers some potentially vital wet-weather running. Others, however, opted for a risk averse plan and parked up.

Blanchard Racing Team, meanwhile, opted to keep their cars in the garage for the entirety of the session.

Several drivers pressed on as conditions improved, before the worsened with three minutes remaining. The run home wasn't without its heart-stopping moments, Brad Vaughan surviving a wild slide exiting The Dipper.

All told, Pye, Russell and D'Alberto rounded out the top three, ahead of Jayden Ojeda, Lee Holdsworth, Hazelwood, Bates, Whincup, Mark Winterbottom and James Moffat.

Supercars action resumes on Friday morning with Practice 3 at 10:05am AEDT, followed by Practice 4 at 1:05pm.

Friday's action concludes with the all-important Boost Mobile Qualifying at 4:10pm, which sets the running order for Saturday's Boost Mobile Top Ten Shootout. Live coverage of the Repco Bathurst 1000 can be found live on screens of the Seven Network, 7plus, Fox Sports and Kayo Sports.