Broc Feeney has topped the second and final practice session of the Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500, setting the fastest time in a late flurry of qualifying simulations as championship rival Matt Payne was sidelined by a power steering failure.
Feeney delivered a benchmark lap of 1:09.4889 in the closing moments of the session to lead an all-Ford top four, with Cam Waters second, James Golding third and Kai Allen fourth.
The session began under sunny skies after the circuit dried considerably following the opening practice, allowing drivers to find significantly more pace, with times immediately around five seconds quicker than those recorded earlier in the day.
Brodie Kostecki was among the first to take advantage of the improved conditions, setting an opening benchmark of 1:11.4435 before David Reynolds became the first driver to dip below the 1:10 mark with a 1:09.9704.
With only 25 minutes of dry running available before Boost Mobile Qualifying, the field quickly pushed the limits around the Surfers Paradise street circuit – Payne and Waters both made contact with the top of the bundles around the beach chicane.
There was also trouble for Erebus Motorsport debutant Jarrod Hughes, who ran down the Turn 11 escape road on his first dry lap, while Jackson Walls made contact with the Turn 13 tyre wall, scuffing the left side of his Objective Ford.
At the halfway point, Walkinshaw Racing’s Toyotas occupied the top two positions, with Ryan Wood setting a 1:09.8689 to lead teammate Chaz Mostert by a tenth of a second.
More drama ensued halfway through the session when Payne returned to pit lane with half the session remaining after a power steering failure struck his #19 Penrite Racing Ford. The mechanical issue left his crew scrambling to repair the car, costing Payne valuable track time ahead of qualifying.
As the clock wound down, Allen made his move to the top of the timesheets with a 1:09.7336, giving the Finals contender a brief spell at the front before the closing-minute battle intensified.
Jack Le Brocq was next to improve, recording a 1:09.6858, before Feeney immediately responded with the fastest lap of the session, a 1:09.4889 that ultimately proved unbeaten.
Waters came closest to matching the Red Bull Ampol Racing driver’s pace, finishing just 0.0665 seconds behind, while Golding continued his impressive weekend with third after topping the opening practice session.
Allen and Le Brocq completed the top five, with Aaron Cameron, Mostert, Wood, Andre Heimgartner and Reynolds rounding out the top 10.
Away from the battle at the front, Red Bull Ampol Racing faced a race against time to get both cars on track, with Will Brown’s #888 Ford undergoing an engine change after the team discovered an issue with its crank angle sensor.
The session provided a crucial first opportunity for teams to assess their pace in dry conditions ahead of qualifying, with Feeney emerging as the driver to beat while Payne was left with repairs to complete before the next session.
Boost Mobile Qualifying will round out Friday’s action at 4:05pm local time (5:05pm AEDT).