Allen opens Sandown account in tight Practice 1

Super2 points leader Kai Allen has set the fastest time in the opening Dunlop Series practice session at the Penrite Oil Sandown 500.

The Eggleston Motorsport driver set a 1:09.5666s in his Coca-Cola Commodore to repeat his chart-topping performance in the corresponding session last year.

This weekend, the reigning Super2 champion will be completing Sandown double duties for the first time, teaming up with Will Davison on Sunday in a Dick Johnson Racing Mustang.

The opening practice session of the weekend ran without interruption in dry but cool conditions in suburban Melbourne.

Erebus Motorsport’s Jobe Stewart was the first to break the 1:10s barrier on a 1:09.9580s, quickly usurped by Bates on a 1:10.7772s.

Allen’s 2023 Practice 1 benchmark of a 1:09.8090s was quickly beaten in a fast session, Bates improving on his next flying lap with a 1:09.7772s.

Jack Perkins, who will drive in Sunday’s 500km Supercars race alongside James Courtney, was the next to appear at the top of the tree on a 1:09.7228s.

Then the reigning champion stamped his authority on proceedings, putting just over a tenth of a second on Perkins with a 1:09.5931s before setting what would remain the ultimate benchmark with around half of the 40-minute session remaining.

Bates would remain second, ahead of Stewart who jumped back ahead of Perkins, with Aaron Cameron rounding out the top five only 0.0962s off the pace of Allen.

The top ten was rounded out by Cooper Murray, Mason Kelly, Jordyn Sinni, Brad Vaughan, and Cameron McLeod, with the top ten all within half a second of the benchmark time.

Cameron, Murray, Vaughan, and McLeod will also be completing double duties this weekend, with all bar Murray making their Supercars debuts on Sunday.

It wasn’t all smooth sailing for Vaughan, who returned to the paddock with damage to his Tickford Mustang at the conclusion of the session, as did his Tickford teammate Lochie Dalton.

Thomas Maxwell was the fastest of the Super3 competitors in his MW Motorsport Nissan, finishing in 16th outright on a 1:10.4753s.

There are two debutants in the Dunlop Series field this weekend, Aron Shields finishing 22nd in the Matt Chahda Motorsport Commodore and Antonio Molluso finishing 24th and fourth of the Super3 cars in his FG Falcon.

Practice 2 for the Dunlop Series at Sandown will begin at 2:05pm this afternoon.