Ojeda crash headlines Practice 2, AGP pecking order unknown
Jayden Ojeda crash headlines Practice 2, Melbourne pecking order unknown
Ojeda crashed out of final practice, just hours after pacing opening practice
Zach Bates second, Thomas Randle third, points leader Broc Feeney 11th
Thursday has turned sour for Practice 1 pace setter Jayden Ojeda, who crashed out of second practice at the Melbourne SuperSprint.
Just 90 minutes after pacing the first session of the weekend, Ojeda slid his Chevrolet into the barriers at Turn 5, triggering a red flag.
The session was suspended with little under 10 minutes remaining, with Blanchard Racing Team driver Aaron Cameron leading Matt Stone Racing rookie Zach Bates at the time of the stoppage.
With drivers robbed of a final pre-qualifying run, Cameron, Bates, Thomas Randle, Cam Waters, Kai Allen, James Golding, Matt Payne, Will Brown, Brodie Kostecki and Rylan Gray filling the top 10. Championship leader Broc Feeney was 11th.
Randle laid down a 1:48.2437s to put an early margin on his rivals, with Penrite Racing duo Allen (1:48.4740s) and Payne (1:48.6022s) slotting in behind.
Improving track conditions encouraged drivers to find the limits, and as is always the case in Supercars, that's what happened. Notably, in the first runs, Anton De Pasquale ran wide through the Turn 9/10 complex.
Bates kicked off the second runs with a 1:48.1773s, putting just 0.6s on Randle's erstwhile benchmark. Kostecki threatened to go faster, setting the quickest first and sectors, only to abort the lap after sliding around the final complex of turns.
At the halfway mark of the session, Cameron was first into the 1:47s with a 1:47.8110s, which was nearly 0.4s up the road on Bates' time.
With 10 minutes remaining, attention turned to Ojeda, whose crashed #31 PremiAir Camaro had come to rest at the exit of Turn 5. Replays showed Ojeda losing the rear on corner entry, with the Chevrolet clouting the exposed concrete wall with the front left of the car.
Officials declared an end to the session, confirming Cameron as the pace setter.
The BRT driver, while happy to end up on top, admitted on the broadcast that the true order remains unknown due to limited running and slippery track conditions.
The outcome sets the tone for what could be a wild afternoon of dual Boost Mobile Qualifying sessions, which will commence from 2:20pm local time. The two sessions will set the starting grids for Race 4 and Race 5.
