Photo: Ford Performance Racing

David Reynolds leads Saturday’s FP6 at Bathurst

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Rod Nash Racing’s David Reynolds topped the time sheets in the final full practice session for this weekend’s Bathurst 1000km race, leading Triple Eight’s Jamie Whincup by 0.071 seconds.

All 29 cars made it out for the final official practice session for Sunday’s Bathurst 1000km, with the #17 Dick Johnson Racing Ford Falcon of Chaz Mostert and Dale Wood having been repaired overnight after their crash in FP5 on Saturday. The team set a few installation runs but never set a flying lap during the 50m session, and ended up 29th fastest, 4.7 seconds off the pace.

The #47 Erebus Mercedes C63 AMG of Tim Slade and Andrew Thompson also returned to the track a day earlier than scheduled, having been repaired over the last two nights by the Queensland-based team, having crashed out heavily in FP3 on Thursday. Slade’s best lap of 2:10.742 saw him ranked in 23rd position by the end of the session.

David Reynolds had set the first benchmark in the #55 Rod Nash Racing Ford Falcon, leading the way ahead of Tekno Autosport’s Jonathon Webb and Triple Eight’s Warren Luff, with Reynolds improving his time after just 15 minutes, breaking into the 2:08s with a time of 2:08.684.

That time was never bettered, though Jamie Whincup came close, setting a time of 2:08.755, the only other driver under 2:09 with just ten minutes to go.

Fabian Coulthard ended the session third fastest for Brad Jones Racing, with Shane Van Gisbergen setting the fourth fastest time for Tekno Autosports.

Will Davison was the second fastest of the Fords in fifth, just ahead of team-mate Mark Winterbottom.

Lee Holdsworth was the fastest of the Erebus Mercedes drivers, setting the seventh fastest time with Craig Lowndes in eighth in the second of the three Triple Eight cars.

Jonathon Webb in the second Tekno Holden and Garry Rogers Motorsport’s Scott McLaughlin completed the top ten.

The best placed Nissan was that of Michael Caruso, who ended the session in 14th position.

The next session is the Top 10 shootout, which takes place at 17:00 AEDT.