Tickford dominate disrupted opening Dunlop Series practice

Brad Vaughan has topped the opening practice session of the weekend in the Dunlop Series at the Repco Bathurst 1000.

Vaughan, who claimed his maiden win last time out at Sandown, set a 2:06.7795s to lead Tickford teammates Rylan Gray and Lochie Dalton in an impressive start to the weekend for the team.

Vaughan's time was eight tenths faster than Kai Allen's benchmark of a 2:07.5232s from Practice 1 at the season-opening Thrifty Bathurst 500.

The 20-car Dunlop Series field rolled out under a clear and sunny Bathurst sky for the first of two practice sessions to be held today.

Three new faces joined the reduced Dunlop Series field this weekend, with Jackson Rice and Jonathon Webb replacing Aron Shields and Cooper Murray respectively.

Bailey Sweeny also joined the Super3 fight in an Image Racing VF Commodore, joining the MW Motorsport Nissans of Cody Burcher and Thomas Maxwell.

The limits were being pushed early at Mount Panorama, with Zach Bates lucky to get away after having an almighty moment at The Esses that carried all the way to The Dipper.

Elliott Cleary wouldn't be so lucky, finding the wall at The Dipper to bring out the red flags just 10 minutes into the 40-minute session.

The session would resume with just over half the session remaining, with Bates having set the best of the initial flyers on a 2:07.2115s.

Super3 Series leader Burcher was the next to find the wall, smacking the concrete on the run to McPhillamy Park and bringing out the red flags for the second time.

There was enough time in between the first two red flags for Dalton to set the first 2:06 of the session at a 2:06.9838s.

The session resumed once again with just under 10 minutes remaining, and would run green for the balance of the session.

There would be close calls for Max Vidau and debutant Jackson Rice at Hell Corner, Vidau running up the escape road and Rice brushing the wall after surfing through the gravel.

Bates would be the best of the non-Tickford cars in fourth, ahead of Erebus Motorsport's Jobe Stewart, and Image Racing's Jarrod Hughes.

Rounding out the top 10 were Vidau, series leader Kai Allen, Aaron Cameron, and Mason Kelly.

Allen survived a moment of his own on his final lap when he tapped the wall at the exit of The Cutting.

Thomas Maxwell was the fastest of the Super3 runners in 15th outright on a 2:08.3428s, one and a half seconds off the outright pace of Vaughan.

The Dunlop Series returns to the track for Practice 2 at 2:45pm AEDT.