Mostert tops first Adelaide practice; Kostecki P9, SVG P22

Walkinshaw Andretti United star Chaz Mostert has picked up where he left off at the VAILO Adelaide 500 with the quickest time in a damp Practice 1 on Thursday.

The #25 Mobil 1 Optus Mustang driver, who was first and second in the two Adelaide races last year, set the fastest two lap times of the session.

Mostert clocked a 1:28.6140s to put 0.2588s on closest rival, Brad Jones Racing driver Andre Heimgartner (#8 R&J Batteries Camaro). Penrite Racing rookie Matt Payne (#19 Penrite Mustang) was third.

Championship leader Brodie Kostecki (#99 Coca-Cola Camaro) was seventh, with title rival Shane van Gisbergen (#97 Red Bull Ampol Camaro) only 22nd after a late trial on slick tyres.

The session was held under overcast and rainy skies on a day dominated by rainfall, but the same name remained a force in Adelaide as Mostert set the running.

Erebus star Will Brown (#9 Coca-Cola Camaro), who will join Triple Eight in 2024, was fourth ahead of Thomas Randle (#55 Castrol Mustang) and Mostert’s WAU teammate Nick Percat (#2 Mobil 1 NTI Mustang), who won the 2016 Adelaide 500.

Mostert was quick from the get-go, recording a 1:32.0732s before drivers quickly dove into the 1:31s. The times continued to tumble, with Brown on top with a 1:30.4615s after six minutes.

Mostert returned to the top with a 1:29.8109s ahead of Brown, who improved to a 1:30.1204s after the first runs. All the while, Kostecki and van Gisbergen were joined at the hip outside the top 10.

Payne was first into the 1:28s with a 1:28.9312s, before Mostert improved the marker to a 1:28.8881s.

Van Gisbergen rolled out on dry tyres in the final minutes, but was unable to fire a shot with the track still damp.

With four minutes remaining, Kostecki jumped to seventh with a 1:29.3851s, with Brown moving to fourth after recording the quickest first sector.

Mostert turned up the wick in the final two minutes and consolidated top spot with a 1:28.6140s, with Heimgartner moving to second with a 1:28.8728s.

Randle and Percat led Shell V-Power Racing Team duo Anton De Pasquale and Will Davison, with Kostecki 0.7711s off the pace in ninth ahead of two-time Adelaide 500 winner James Courtney (#5 Snowy River Caravans Mustang).

James Golding (#31 Nulon Camaro) was 11th ahead of Cam Waters, who was 12th in his Ken Block-inspired #43 Monster Energy Mustang).

Supercars will return to the track on Friday for Practice 2 at 12:35pm local time/1:05pm AEDT.

The run order for Saturday’s ARMOR ALL Top Ten Shootout will be decided in Qualifying at 5:35pm local time/6:05pm AEDT.