Lap record falls again in fifth practice for Mark Winterbottom
Mark Winterbottom broke the all-time V8 Supercar lap record at the Mount Panorama circuit in the final practice session before qualifying, the only driver to break the 2:05 barrier with a time of 2:05.9011.
While Ford’s future in the Championship is being debated this weekend, with rumours the manufacturer could be set to depart at the end of 2015, last year’s Bathurst champion clocked the best time around the circuit with over 20 minutes to go in the Ford Falcon FG.
Jamie Whincup came close in the Triple Eight Holden in the final minutes, but was still just three-tenths shy of Winterbottom’s time, with Scott McLaughlin then putting Volvo second just after the chequered flag was flown, just over two-tenths down on Winterbottom’s record.
The session was briefly red flagged early on after Todd Kelly’s Nissan Altima stopped with a mechanical issue but was able to return to the pits, meaning all 26 cars got laps in the final practice session ahead of qualifying.
David Reynolds was fourth in the Rod Nash Racing Ford Falcon, with Chaz Mostert fifth, with three of the four FPR-run cars in the top five positions.
Michael Caruso was the fastest Nissan in sixth, setting his best time right at the end of the session, with the Brad Jones Racing pair of Fabian Coulthard and Jason Bright seventh and eighth.
Shane Van Gisbergen was ninth in the Tekno Autosports Holden, while James Moffat completed the top ten for Nissan.
Qualifying for the Bathurst 1000km is next up at 15:00 AEST, which effectively sets 11th onwards and decides who goes in to tomorrow’s top ten shootout.
