Hairpin headaches as Feeney tops first Tasmania practice

Drivers have been undone by Symmons Plains Raceway’s notorious hairpin, as Broc Feeney set the pace in opening practice at the Snowy River Caravans Tasmania Super 440.

As expected, the margins were incredibly tight around the 2.4km circuit, with Triple Eight star Feeney just 0.0017s quicker than Team 18 veteran David Reynolds.

However, the story of the 30-minute session was the number of mistakes up and down the field, with several drivers finding trouble at the Turn 4 hairpin.

While the session ran uninterrupted, many drivers were forced to stop and find reverse, with front left tyre locking proving an issue.

It was an even stranger story at Erebus Motorsport, with both cars pulled from the track after the incorrect drop gear had been installed.

Under sunny skies, Matt Payne was fastest after the opening laps with a 53.3058s, before drivers quickly dipped into the 51-second bracket.

Feeney opened up with a 51.9344s, before Cameron Hill (51.9314s) jumped ahead. Feeney went faster again with a 51.5268s, followed by a 51.3188s. Reynolds then went faster, albeit by 0.0058s with a 51.3130s.

At the 10-minute mark, Reynolds, Feeney, Ryan Wood, Andre Heimgartner, Brodie Kostecki, Will Davison, James Golding, Nick Percat, Hill and Macauley Jones rounded out the top 10, and were covered by 0.25s.

Kostecki’s path to sixth featured two offs at the hairpin, Anton De Pasquale, meanwhile, ran off sequence and set about setting his first competitive time, but also ran wide at the hairpin.

In the closing minutes, De Pasquale also dodged a bullet as he ran across the grass at gravel over the hump at Turn 1.

Drivers briefly returned to the track as teams worked through set-up changes, with some drivers pushing the limits. Notably, both Tickford Racing cars locked up into the hairpin.

Feeney jumped back to the top with a 51.3113s as drivers continued to strike trouble at Turn 4. Payne was caught out worst of all, finding the gravel before running off again.

As drivers banked laps of the track, the times remained the same towards the top, with Feeney fastest of all. Reynolds, who entered the weekend 21st in the championship, was just 0.0017s off top spot.

Championship leader Will Brown was 12th, with Cam Waters 14th, Chaz Mostert 17th and Payne 21st.

Friday's Supercars action in Tasmania will resume with Practice 2 at 3:00pm AEST.