McLeod breaks Super2 practice record in return to Ipswich
Cameron McLeod sets record pace in opening practice
20-year-old one of five drivers to dip under record that had stood for 13 years
Reigning champion Zach Bates second as he prepares for main game debut
Cameron McLeod has broken the Super2 practice and qualifying lap record that had stood for 13 years in the Dunlop Super2 Series' return to Queensland Raceway.
The 20-year-old topped Practice 1 at the Century Batteries Ipswich Super 440 with a 1:09.7420, beating the marker set by Scott Pye in 2012 at a 1:10.0444.
It continues a rich vein of form for the Queenslander, who was crowned the King of QR at a recent time attack event at the helm of a Nissan GT-R-powered Toyota 86.
Five drivers went under the former record held by Pye, with reigning Super2 champion Zach Bates finishing the session in second, just a tenth of a second behind before he makes his main game debut this weekend.
Early morning rain saw the 23-car field roll out on a damp circuit under grey skies, with initial times in the 1:17s on the cool track.
Despite the greasy conditions at the beginning of the session, the opening hit-out of the weekend ran without any red flag interruptions.
The first semi-representative times saw the Triple Eight duo of Jackson Walls and Ben Gomersall head the timesheets, with Walls the first to dip below a 1:12s on a 1:11.9975s.
Jarrod Hughes and Cody Burcher also appeared at the top of the running order, before Nash Morris was the first to break Pye's former record on a 1:10.0358.
Times tumbled further in the final five minutes, with Ayrton Hodson the first ever Super2 driver to set a sub-1:10s lap on a 1:09.9409s.
The Kiwi would end up third for the session behind McLeod and Bates, with Morris and series leader Rylan Gray rounding out the top five, also under lap record pace.
The top 10 was rounded out by Jobe Stewart, Lochie Dalton, Hughes, Bailey Sweeny, and Walls.
Practice 2 for the Dunlop Super2 Series begins at 12:55pm AEST.
