Thursday Talking Points: Boundaries pushed as Courtney winds back the clock
The 2024 VAILO Adelaide 500 kicked off with a single 30-minute practice session on Thursday afternoon for the 24 Repco Supercars Championship drivers.
Whilst there may not be a real form guide from the opening session on a circuit that will continue to evolve, there were still some talking points to come out of the first session of the championship weekend.
Supercars.com takes a look at some of the key talking points from the opening day of the VAILO Adelaide 500.
Old dogs have their day
Amid the growing shift towards youth in the Repco Supercars Championship, the established stars of the sport can still pack a punch on their day. That was evident today as James Courtney went quickest after what has been a troubled year for Blanchard Racing Team, with David Reynolds second and Will Davison fourth. Courtney in particular has always excelled on the streets of Adelaide, with his last of 15 career victories coming after a stunning late race battle with Jamie Whincup in 2016. Reynolds is another acknowledged street circuit master, with his last win coming on the Gold Coast last year, whilst Davison was the 2012 Adelaide 500 winner. All have had difficult seasons to date, and would love to end 2024 on the top step of the podium and upset the 2024 form guide.
Pushing the limits
It was a bad day to be a front bumper or a Turn 1 tyre bundle on Thursday in Adelaide, as drivers immediately pushed the limits through the Senna Chicane. Several drivers pounded the tyre bundle on the inside of Turn 1, with Brodie Kostecki needing to replace a front chassis rail overnight, Nick Percat launching his Camaro's grille skywards, and Anton De Pasquale dislodging the left-hand side of his front bumper. The tyre bundle wasn't the only part of the Senna Chicane to be tested, as kerb strikes immediately became a talking point at Turn 2, and will continue to be a talking point throughout the balance of the weekend. Whilst there weren't any close calls at Turn 8 today, expect that to change as drivers hunt for any margin they can gain in qualifying.
End of year surprises
Behind Courtney, there were a couple of surprise names that appeared up towards the pointy end of the field. Although he brought out the session's only red flag after losing his grille, Percat finished third and was extremely encouraged by the immediate pace of his Bendix Camaro, with Matt Stone Racing teammate Cameron Hill not far behind in ninth. It was quiet start to the weekend for the title contenders, with Will Brown and Broc Feeney sixth and 13th respectively, whilst the same could be said for Tickford teammates Thomas Randle and Cam Waters in 11th and 12th. After showing strong pace in the last three events, James Golding was another surprise name down the order in 21st. Whilst there could be different practice programs at play, the real litmus test will be qualifying tomorrow afternoon at 5:30pm local time/6:00pm AEDT.
