Brown puts #888 back on top in first session of DNSW Sydney Test Day
Will Brown tops opening session of DNSW Sydney Test Day
2025 Bathurst winner Matt Payne, rookie Zach Bates round out top three
Chaz Mostert lead Toyota in 16th as GR Supras complete more shakedown running
2024 Repco Supercars Champion Will Brown has topped the opening session of the Destination NSW Sydney Test Day, held on the Druitt Circuit at Sydney Motorsport Park.
Having lingered at the front of the field for most of the day, Brown went right to the top in the #888 Red Bull Ampol Racing Ford on a 1:00.3458s with little more than an hour to go, just prior to the field being brought to a halt for practice starts.
After 10 minutes of practice starts, the field were released for the final hour for pit crews to rehearse using fuel churns, with the remaining hour effectively like a 'hot' session with a live pit lane.
As was the case in 2025, refuelling towers will only be used in the Ryco Enduro Cup and Repco Supercars Finals Series, with refuelling to be undertaken using fuel churns until the final round of the Repco Sprint Cup at Ipswich in August.
With teams focussing on pit stop procedure rehearsals in the final of the day, Brown was able to maintain his position on top, ahead of Penrite Racing's Matt Payne and rookie Zach Bates for Matt Stone Racing.
Reigning Bathurst winner Payne was 0.1622s behind the #888 Ford, while Bates was just over a quarter of a second off the pace as he led the Chevrolet contingent.
Blanchard Racing Team and PremiAir Racing also showed speed, getting both of their Mustangs and Camaros respectively into the top 10, while Anton De Pasquale finished the day in sixth for new Chevrolet homologation team Team 18.
James Golding survived a wild airborne moment to go fourth in his first session with BRT in a 1:00.6348s, while teammate Aaron Cameron went seventh on a 1:00.7644s.
PremiAir rookie Jayden Ojeda wound up fifth on a 1:00.6566s, with teammate Declan Fraser also planting himself into eighth on a 1:00.8611s.
It was a quiet day for Toyota, who spent the session focussing on shakedown runs as they build towards their official Supercars debut on Friday.
Reigning champion Chaz Mostert ended the day as the lead runner for the Japanese brand in 16th on a 1:01.1100s, while Andre Heimgartner was able to turn 20 laps in the final two hours after experiencing electrical gremlins in the first half of the day.
Brown's Red Bull Ampol Racing teammate, Broc Feeney, completed the most laps with 89 tours of the 2.8km circuit. The 2025 Repco Sprint Cup winner ended the day one place ahead of Mostert in 15th on a 1:01.1078s.
All 24 cars return on the full 3.9km Gardner Circuit tomorrow evening for Session 2 of the Destination NSW Sydney Test Day from 5:30pm to 9:30pm local time.
