Payne edges out Feeney in final Sandown practice

Championship leaders Matt Payne and Broc Feeney have come to the fore in the final practice session at the Penrite Oil Sandown 500.

The Ford rivals were closely matched at the end of 25 minutes, however it was points leader Payne who ended up with the upper hand for Penrite Racing.

Payne immediately went fastest on a 1:08.7069s in the opening laps, before going faster than the Practice 1 benchmark to move to a 1:08.6845s, with Brodie Kostecki 0.1726s back in second.

The timing sheets remained largely settled after the initial flurry of times, wth Cam Waters only rising to third inside the last 10 minutes, whilst Aaron Cameron and Thomas Randle also jumped into fourth and fifth.

Jack Le Brocq, having missed the first session after the incorrect drop gear was installed on his Matt Stone Racing Camaro, though he was immediately in the top 10 on speed, and looked set to go fastest before picking up a kerb strike at Turn 7.

Once again, several title contenders were well down the timing sheets ahead of final qualifying sims, with Chaz Mostert 14th, Will Brown 19th, and Anton De Pasquale 24th and last, though having pulled into the pits at the end of each lap he was on.

Inside the final minutes, there was plenty of movement on the timesheets, with Practice 1 pacesetter Ojeda launching back into the frame with a time good enough for second.

Jarrod Hughes and Andre Heimgartner also jumped into the top five, however Payne improved once again to finish the session fastest on a 1:08.5014s.

Once again, it was tight at the top, Payne chief title rival Broc Feeney just 0.0735s slower in second, whilst Cooper Murray backed up his Practice 1 pace in third, only 0.0825s off the ultimate pace.

Heimgartner was an encouraging fourth, and the best of the Toyotas for Brad Jones Racing, with James Golding fifth, and Ryan Wood in sixth.

De Pasquale leapt up to seventh late, and was the third fastest of the Finals Drivers. Will Brown was the next of the title contenders in ninth, ahead of Kostecki (10th) and Cam Waters (12th).

Chaz Mostert, meanwhile, was well back in 20th at the completion of 25 minutes, having continued to struggle with his gearbox gremlin from Practice 1.

Rain could potentially play a factor on Saturday, with Supercars action commencing with Boost Mobile Qualifying at 11:20am AEDT.