Matt Payne tops final practice session by over two tenths
Repco Sprint Cup contenders all to the fore
Several incidents spread throughout scrappy 25-minute session
Matt Payne has stamped his authority as the Repco Sprint Cup favourite with a commanding chart-topper in the second practice session at the Bosch Power Tools Perth Super 440.
In a session where the top contenders were rarely covered by more than half a tenth of a second, Payne put more than two tenths on the field as he looks to put one hand on the Sprint Cup title before the final sprint round in Ipswich.
After only managing to go 12th in Practice 1, Broc Feeney immediately jumped back to the top on a 55.9775s, which was quickly bumped off by Payne on a 55.8196s.
The pair went back and forth again, with Payne winning out on a 55.6229s to sit at the top until Anton De Pasquale punched out a 55.6117s with seven minutes elapsed.
Whilst Payne continued his strong run of form, Penrite Racing teammate Kai Allen had a big rear lose at Turn 1, and skated into the sand.
Entering sideways, the sand all but ripped the sill panel off the left hand side of the #26 Ford, with Allen returning to the pits for repairs, only to find Will Brown had overshot the Red Bull Ampol Racing garages and was parked in front of Allen's bunker.
That wasn't the only drama in the opening 10 minutes, Andre Heimgartner being turned around by Jack Le Brocq as the Brad Jones Racing driver backed off the throttle and attempted to enter pit lane.
Just past the halfway mark, Brodie Kostecki leapt to first in front of his home crowd, a 55.6056s pipping De Pasquale, before Payne went back to the top on a 55.6030s.
The #18 Camaro of De Pasquale was back on top shortly thereafter on a 55.5635s, whilst Chaz Mostert jumped the #1 Mobil 1 Optus Toyota into fifth, and within a tenth of the DEWALT entry.
Kostecki's rookie teammate Rylan Gray continued the trend of the rookies showing an impressive turn of speed, the #38 Ford setting a 55.5284s, which could've been beaten by Cooper Murray on a Super Soft tyre had Gray not baulked him at the final corner whilst entering pit lane.
When the final run commenced, there was weirdness on the run up the hill, as Jackson Walls fired off through the grass at Turn 3, whilst Ryan Wood and Allen clattered into one another at Turn 4 as their rivalry from Townsville continued.
When things settled down, Payne put down a huge statement with a 54.6661s, putting a whopping 0.2243s on the pack, which was headed by Feeney and Kostecki.
Thomas Randle and Cam Waters were fourth and fifth in a much more encouraging session for Tickford Racing, with Declan Fraser continuing PremiAir Racing's good day in sixth, Brown in seventh, then Jayden Ojeda, De Pasquale, and David Reynolds rounding out the top 10.
Supercars return to Motormall Wanneroo Raceway on Saturday for back-to-back Boost Mobile Qualifying sessions, beginning at 9:45am local time/11:45am AEST.
