Tander, Murphy blown away by best-ever laps

Garth Tander and Greg Murphy have been taken aback by their respective Bathurst bests.

Tander topped the first co-driver session at Mount Panorama on Thursday.

The four-time Bathurst winner laid down a time better than any single lap set in 2021 Bathurst practice.

Tander’s 2:04.135s was not only his best ever lap of Bathurst, but better than Will Davison’s morning flyer.

It was an impressive benchmark, although forecast rain could prevent drivers going any faster.

Cars have gotten faster in recent years, and track resurfacing has also played a role in quicker times.

For reference, Tander’s 2008 pole time was a 2:07.296s.

Tander’s speed came just hours after Shane van Gisbergen narrowly avoided a major crash.

Fast forward to the afternoon, and Tander proved the speed in the #97 Commodore was as hot as van Gisbergen hinted at.

Tander went as far to say there is even more speed in the car, but weather will ultimately determine that.

“I had no preconceived idea of lap time we were doing,” said Tander, who had the #97 to himself at last week's test day.

“The plan was always to run the tyres Shane ran, and bolt a new set on.

“It’s the first time ever they’ve ever given me green tyres in this car, four years it took me.

“The car hooked up really nicely, there’s so much more in it.

“Track’s fast… four-one, that’s the fastest I’ve ever been around here in a Supercar.

“We’ve still got some things to improve to make the car better.

“That was the base car, and we ran through three different options.”

On the other end of the scale was Murphy, who is making his first Bathurst start since 2014.

The 50-year-old has won Bathurst four times, and his 2003 pole lap, dubbed ‘Lap of the Gods’, is all-time.

Come Thursday, and Murphy wiped a second off his famous 2003 time with a 2:05.871s.

“Oh my goodness gracious,” said Murphy, who ended the session 22nd, some 1.7s off Tander’s benchmark.

“I’m enjoying it a little bit too much, actually.

“I keep training the brain to do things a bit differently.

“it’s just how good these things are under brakes, and how much speed you carry in on the trail.

“I kept telling myself not to brake so hard at the brake point I think is the point of no return.

“I got to have another run there at the finish, which was awesome, I kept trying to push the same theory.

“They hang on, you turn them in… my brain’s still trying to adjust to it.”

Beating his time from 2003 was just the first marker he had to achieve.

He did it almost immediately, and wouldn't have forgiven himself if he missed out.

“It was deadset bloody buried inside,” Murphy said of his ambition to beat his 2003 time.

“It would be horrid if I never managed to beat that.

“That time is almost exactly a second faster.

“I set a new goal now, I suppose. At that pace, the car feels very easy to drive."

Cars will return to the track on Friday for all-in Practice 3 at 10:10am local time.

Drivers will complete a fourth practice session at 1:00pm before qualifying at 4:15pm.