The wet weather arrived for the final practice session before qualifying this afternoon and it was Red Bull Ampol Racing Team’s Shane van Gisbergen at the top of the timesheets.
Fastest in the earlier session, Will Davison replicated this feat to lead the opening stages on a 2m 35.451s. But van Gisbergen lowered the time to a 2m 31.992s as the session ended early due to Boost Mobile Racing by Erebus driver Will Brown found the wall prior to Reid Park.
Behind van Gisbergen was teammate Broc Feeney, while rounding out the top three runners was James Courtney in the Snowy River Racing Tickford Ford Mustang demonstrating his experience in the treacherous conditions.
A red flag was required after Todd Hazelwood buried the Matt Stone Racing ZB Commodore into the tyre wall at Griffins Bend.
This was the first of three incidents as Andre Heimgartner went off at The Chase in the R&J Batteries BJR ZB Commodore and the Team Blanchard Racing Ford Mustang of Tim Slade hit the wall at The Dipper.
When the session was started, it wasn’t long until the red flag was bought out again after Macauley Jones found the fence and beached his Brad Jones Racing ZB Commodore at The Chase.
In the next segment of green flag action, van Gisbergen and teammate Whincup in Broc Feeney’s ZB Commodore set their times, before Brown hit the wall at Reid Park putting an early end to the session.
There were also incidents for rookie Cameron Hill and Craig Lowndes at Murray’s Corner, but both were able to continue.
Behind the top three, Richie Stanaway was fourth in the Wildcard Boost Mobile entry from Brown, the first Shell V-Power Racing Team Mustang of Anton De Pasquale, Penrite Racing’s David Reynolds, Heimgartner, Will Davison and Lowndes.
Qualifying for the Repco Bathurst 1000 is scheduled for 4:05pm.