Photo: PRA

Chaz Mostert puts new Ford Falcon FG X on top in test shootout

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Chaz Mostert gave the new Ford Falcon FG X the best possible start of the 2015 V8 Supercars season by being fastest in the shootout of the SuperTest at Sydney Motorsport Park.

“It’s fantastic … everyone’s on the same brand new tyre, one lap to do the job and it’s good to be well inside the top 10 – further I front than we thought we would be,” said Mostert to v8supercars.com.au.

All drivers ran hard tyres during the test to get a first glimpse of the pace between teams in the first official test session of the year.

Last year’s runner-up Shane Van Gisbergen was second fastest, just 0.0087 seconds behind Mostert.

Holden Racing Team driver James Courtney claimed the final top three spot in third position, 0.0289 seconds behind Mostert.

Mark Winterbottom further proved the pace of the new Prodrive Racing prepared Ford Falcons by claiming fourth fatest time, just 0.0562 seconds behind his team mate.

Scott McLaughlin made it three different manufacturers in the top five by setting the fifth fastest time, two tenths from the top.

James Moffat was fastest of the Nissan Motorsport drivers in sixth position, not quite being able to repeat the pace of yesterday’s test sessions when the Kelly brothers claimed the top spots in all three sessions. Team mate Michael Caruso was excluded from the shootout session has he was too late exiting the pits for his lap.

Jason Bright claimed position seven ahead of Triple Eight Race Engineering driver Craig Lowndes in eighth position, just over six tenths of a second behind Mostert’s top time. Lowndes’ team mate and reigning champion Jamie Whincup was down in 12th position.

V8 Supercars returnee Marcos Ambrose managed 14th position in the DJR Team Penske prepared Ford Falcon FG X, 1.1 seconds from manufacturer colleague Mostert in position one.

Next up for the V8 Supercars field is the season premiere with the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide on March 1st.