Michael Caruso tops Bathurst warm-up for Nissan

Michael Caruso put the iconic liveried #36 Nissan Altima at the top of the time sheets for the morning warm up for the Bathurst 1000. Caruso set a time of 2:06.9792, one of only two drivers to dare venture into the 2:06s this morning in the 20 minute session.

Caruso’s warm-up time was just two-hundredths of a second shy of his qualifying time, which sees him start from 13th for today’s race.

The only other driver in the 2:06s was Ford Performance Racing’s Chaz Mostert, with a time of 2:06.9961 in the Falcon FG. Mostert starts the race 25th after being excluded from qualifying for overtaking Russell Ingall’s Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport Holden under the red flag on Friday.

Championship leader Jamie Whincup, who starts the race from 23rd after crashing out in qualifying was third fastest in the Triple Eight Holden, with David Reynolds, who will start 24th after being the first car to crash out in qualifying, fourth quickest.

James Courtney was fifth fastest in the sole Holden Racing Team Commodore entered for the race, with Lee Holdsworth putting one of the Erebus Mercedes in the top ten for the first time this weekend with the seventh fastest time, with Scott McLaughlin, starting third for today’s race, the quickest of the Volvos in 15th.

The 161 lap race gets underway at 10:30 AEST.