Mostert fastest in Supercars’ practice

Ed Jackson | March 4, 2022

Bathurst champion Chaz Mostert has sent an early warning to his Supercars rivals that his Mount Panorama pace was no fluke by topping the timesheets in practice at the season-opening Sydney SuperNight event.

The Holden ace clocked a fastest lap of one minute and 32.5356 seconds in damp conditions at Sydney Motorsport Park to finish ahead of Ford’s Cameron Waters (1:32.6060) and Holden’s Will Brown (1:32.6640) in Friday’s second practice run.

It’s a perfect start for Mostert after he dominated proceedings at last year’s Bathurst season finale, breaking the lap record on his way to pole position at Mount Panorama before combining with Lee Holdsworth for a statement win.

The Walkinshaw Andretti United driver himself was not so sure if the pace was an indication he’s got a similar rocket this weekend or if he just enjoyed the best of damp and slippery track conditions.

“For sure the stuff we learned at the end of last year we’ll continue to build on but it’s practice two here with a not very dry track,” Mostert said.

“We’ve been fast in the wet conditions before. 

“The car felt okay … still too early to say. It could just be track conditions why the car feels so good.

“We had a test day at Winton the other week and thought it was one of the worst Winton test days we’ve had so who knows if it was just track conditions today favouring us a little bit?”

The treacherous nature of the damp surface was revealed right at the end of the session when Ford star Anton De Pasquale, who had topped the opening 40-minute practice run earlier in the afternoon, skidded across the wet grass before coming to a halt well off the track.

De Pasquale’s slip and slide brought the session a premature halt with just over a minute remaining and was one of two red flags after Brad Jones Racing had a similar excursion in the muddy grass just 11 minutes in.

“The track conditions are pretty tricky for everyone,” Mostert said.

“I’m surprised not many other people had excursions. I think all the drivers did a fantastic job today.”

Defending champion Shane Van Gisbergen was sixth-fastest in the session with new teammate Broc Feeney 14th.

It’s teenager Feeney’s first appearance as the replacement for retired seven-time champion Jamie Whincup who has hung up his helmet for a headset to take over as Red Bull Ampol Racing’s managing director.

De Pasquale finished eighth in the classifications despite his late mistake while teammate Will Davison was just ahead of him in seventh as the championship’s big names made solid starts to the weekend.

The event continues on Saturday with qualifying and a top 10 shootout for pole position before a 77-lap race under lights from 7.10pm.

A second 77-lap race will be run on Sunday from 2.30pm.