Pye beats Waters in first Gold Coast practice

Scott Pye has edged Cam Waters to top spot by 0.0868s in a truncated Practice 1 for the Repco Supercars Championship at the Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500.

The Team 18 driver clocked a 1:11.5577s midway through the session to beat Waters (#6 Monster Energy Mustang), with the session affected by passing showers and wind.

Pye, who will depart Team 18 at the end of the season ahead of a move to Triple Eight as a co-driver, was joined by Team 18 teammate Mark Winterbottom (#18 DEWALT Camaro) in the top five.

There were five Camaros and five Mustangs in the top 10, with the Gold Coast event preceded by a aerodynamic change to the Ford package.

The 30-minute hit out was suspended with seven minutes remaining due to kerb debris kicked up by Shane van Gisbergen at the first chicane. The session was later declared due to ongoing track repairs, leaving Pye’s #20 Hino Chevrolet Camaro atop the time sheets.

It was an interrupted session for Penrite Racing and Tickford Racing, with the Ford teams both suffering power steering issues.

David Reynolds pulled his smoking #26 Penrite Ford over at pit exit just after the session went green, with Thomas Randle (#55 Castrol Mustang) and Declan Fraser (#56 TRADIE Mustang) also delayed. Reynolds, Randle and Fraser didn't set a representative lap time.

Brad Jones Racing driver Andre Heimgartner, meanwhile, reported clutch issues and encountered two offs at the Turn 11 run-off. The #8 R&J Batteries Camaro driver, however, still managed to record the ninth best time.

Bryce Fullwood (#14 Middy's Electrical Camaro) opened the bowling with a 1:16.6524s once cars hit the track, with cars remaining in the lane as a shower passed over the track as the session went green.

Series leader Brodie Kostecki (#99 Coca-Cola Camaro) jumped to the top with a 1:14.5522s, before the times continued to tumble.

By the midway point, Will Davison (#17 Shell V-Power Mustang) was quickest with a 1:11.9315s, with Waters (1:11.8230s) and Pye (1:11.5577s) moving ahead shortly afterwards.

Waters improved to a 1:11.6445s before the session was suspended due to debris at the first chicane, with replays showing a strip being removed from the chicane area as van Gisbergen (#97 Red Bull Ampol Camaro) ran over the kerbs.

Van Gisbergen had just jumped to fourth ahead of Davison, with Winterbottom, Nick Percat (#2 Mobil 1 NTI Mustang), Chaz Mostert (#25 Mobil 1 Optus Mustang), Heimgartner and Matt Payne (#19 Penrite Mustang) rounding out the top 10.

Kostecki ended up 11th, with Broc Feeney (#88 Red Bull Ampol Camaro) 18th ahead of Anton De Pasquale (#11 Shell V-Power Mustang).

Repco Supercars Championship track action on Friday will conclude with Practice 2 at 3:30pm local time/4:30pm AEDT.