Le Brocq fastest, top four covered by 0.072s in Taupō
Jack Le Brocq fastest, top four covered by 0.072s in Taupō
Camaros draw first blood in Taupō, with Anton De Pasquale second
Points leader Brodie Kostecki third, 2024 champ Will Brown fourth
Jack Le Brocq has fired the first shot at the ITM NZ Double Header, going fastest in first practice at the ITM Taupō Super 440.
In the first competitive track running of two consecutive weekends of Supercars action in New Zealand, Matt Stone Racing driver Le Brocq ended up quickest through 25 minutes of practice.
Team 18 star Anton De Pasquale made it a Chevrolet 1-2, with championship leader Brodie Kostecki third. Le Brocq, De Pasquale, Kostecki and Will Brown were covered by just 0.072s.
The first session of the weekend got underway as sun poked through overcast skies, with drivers greeted with a dry track.
It was a far cry to the rainfall that hit the North Island on Wednesday, as well as predicted conditions on Sunday amid the threat of Cyclone Vaianu.
By virtue of leading the teams’ championship and holding the first two garages in pit lane, the Tickford Racing Mustangs of Cam Waters and Thomas Randle led the field to green.
Matt Payne opened up with a 1:27.6753s, with Kostecki, Will Brown, David Reynolds and Broc Feeney also jumping into the 1:27s. On his second lap, Waters moved to third, before teammate Randle went fastest with a 1:27.5786s.
Cooper Murray was first to strike trouble with a wide moment through Turn 9, running the #99 TotalEnergies Camaro through the grass. Aaron Cameron did the same just seconds later, before Jobe Stewart also bowled a wide in the closing minutes.
In a bizarre moment, Zach Bates picked up left rear damage to his #10 Bendix Camaro after a suspected run-in with James Golding through the last corner, prompting a return of serve by Bates into Turn 1.
Le Brocq moved the number to a 1:27.4637s through seven minutes, as the balance of the field came into pit lane. Randle, Payne, Wood, Brown, Mostert, Andre Heimgartner, Feeney, Golding and Kostecki rounded out the top 10.
With 10 minutes remaining, De Pasquale jumped to second, just 0.017s behind Le Brocq, with Kostecki moving to third. After a long stint in pit lane, Waters returned to the track in 14th, but quickly returned to the lane after catching a big snap of oversteer through Turn 9.
The session concluded just 15 minutes ahead of Practice 2, giving teams little time to refine their cars.
The final practice session of the ITM Taupō Super 440 commences at 2:30pm local time/12:30pm AEST.
