Wildcards impress, Camaros dominate co-driver practice

Scott Pye has topped a tightly contested opening co-driver practice session at the Penrite Oil Sandown 500, with the top five covered by 0.08s.

Pye emerged on top after a frantic final run to the chequered flag, with Declan Fraser, Dylan O'Keeffe, James Moffat and Cooper Murray all within 0.09s of top spot.

Murray and fellow wildcard driver Brad Vaughan, rivals in Super2, impressed to fifth and ninth ahead of Lee Holdsworth and Todd Hazelwood.

Moffat and Holdsworth were the only Ford drivers in the top 14, with the latter the quickest for the balance of the session.

The 30-minute hit-out began with a brief Safety Car procedure test, with co-drivers given the opportunity to understand the new-for-2024 system.

Once the session went green, Pye opened proceedings with a 1:10.6353s, before Holdsworth set an early statement with a 1:10.1406s. The 2021 Bathurst winner went on with it, keeping the Mobil 1 Optus Ford on top with a 1:09.5250s and 1:09.3107s.

Hazelwood (1:09.3191s) and Jayden Ojeda (1:09.5593s) made it an Erebus two-three ahead of Michael Caruso (1:09.5631s), Fabian Coulthard (1:09.6614s), Jamie Whincup (1:09.6655s) and Pye (1:09.8659s).

The early pace of rookie Vaughan, aboard the Matt Chahda Motorsport wildcard, was impressive; through 15 minutes, Vaughan was 10th, ahead of fancied Ford drivers Moffat (11th) and Tony D’Alberto (12th).

As drivers and teams got into race runs, Murray moved the Triple Eight wildcard from 14th to eighth with 11 minutes remaining, ahead of Tyler Everingham in Thomas Randle’s Castrol Ford.

Amid long runs, Moffat jumped to third with a 1:09.3218s, with Ojeda (1:09.4963s) and Fraser (1:09.5361s) also improving.

With two minutes remaining, O’Keeffe powered the Bendix Camaro to top spot with a 1:09.0811s, before Fraser gapped the field with the first 1:08s of the session, a 1:08.9178s.

Jordan Boys, who was wearing Jones’ helmet due to a radio issue, moved the Pizza Hut Camaro to third before Whincup (1:08.9447s), Murray (1:088398s) and Moffat (1:08.9262s) jumped ahead.

Pye then went fastest of all, albeit by 0.0780s over 2022 Super2 champion Fraser, with O'Keeffe 0.0785s from top spot. Moffat (0.0864s) and Murray (0.0877s) were just behind, with Whincup 0.1049s down in sixth.

Boys, Jaylyn Robotham, Vaughan and Holdsworth rounded out the top 10, with 17 drivers within a second of Pye's time.

Friday’s Supercars action will conclude with Practice 3, for all drivers, at 3:40pm local time.