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Practice report

Bathurst 1000: McLaughlin lowers Mount Panorama lap record

Scott McLaughlin beat his own Mount Panorama lap record with a rapid 2m03.772s in the third practice session for the Bathurst 1000.

Scott McLaughlin, DJR Team Penske Ford Mustang

Scott McLaughlin, DJR Team Penske Ford Mustang

Supercars

The runaway series leader came into the day as the only driver to have lapped the famous circuit under the 2m04s barrier, thanks to his famous Shootout lap, a 2m03.831s, from 2017.

With the front-running primary drivers well into the mid-2m04s in this morning's opening practice, qualifying simulations were expected to yield something special in the evening session.

And that's exactly what happened, McLaughlin doing the fastest ever Supercars lap around Mount Panorama with a 2m03.772s – despite only running two green tyres on the right side of the car. 

“You’re hanging on over the top now, it’s unbelievable the grip of the cars and I think everyone is having a full dip,” said McLaughlin.

“The second last corner, I dropped a wheel there. That was a moment and a half because I kept my foot into it. I’m an idiot, I’ve got to remember it’s Thursday!

“There’s a little bit here and there, the green side of the car felt alright, so the left-handers were pretty good, but the right-handers it’s still a little bit loose.

“We’ll tune it up overnight and throw a set of greens on it tomorrow and see, if it doesn’t rain.”

A total of four drivers have now broken the 2m04s mark thanks to that session, Jamie Whincup ending up 0.15s shy of McLaughlin with a 2m03.932s.

Tickford Racing pair Cam Waters and Will Davison made it into the threes as well, the former with a 2m03.949s and the latter a 2m03.991s.

Practice continues with an hour-long co-driver session starting at 8:25am tomorrow.

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Third practice results:

Cla Driver Car Time
1 New Zealand Scott McLaughlin
France Alexandre Prémat
Ford Mustang GT 2'03.7728
2 Australia Jamie Whincup
Australia Craig Lowndes
Holden Commodore ZB 2'03.9327
3 Australia Cameron Waters
Australia Michael Caruso
Ford Mustang GT 2'03.9490
4 Australia Will Davison
Australia Alex Davison
Ford Mustang GT 2'03.9918
5 Australia Chaz Mostert
Australia James Moffat
Ford Mustang GT 2'04.0622
6 Australia Lee Holdsworth
Australia Thomas Randle
Ford Mustang GT 2'04.0673
7 New Zealand Fabian Coulthard
Australia Tony D'Alberto
Ford Mustang GT 2'04.1348
8 New Zealand Shane van Gisbergen
Australia Garth Tander
Holden Commodore ZB 2'04.150
9 Australia Anton De Pasquale
Australia Will Brown
Holden Commodore ZB 2'04.3315
10 Australia Rick Kelly
Australia Dale Wood
Nissan Altima 2'04.4975
11 Australia Tim Slade
Holden Commodore ZB 2'04.5245
12 Australia James Courtney
Jack Perkins
Holden Commodore ZB 2'04.5398
13 New Zealand Andre Heimgartner
Australia Bryce Fullwood
Nissan Altima 2'04.6028
14 Australia Mark Winterbottom
New Zealand Steven Richards
Holden Commodore ZB 2'04.7099
15 Australia James Golding
Richard Muscat
Holden Commodore ZB 2'04.7188
16 Australia Garry Jacobson
Australia Dean Fiore
Nissan Altima 2'04.7546
17 Australia Nick Percat
Australia Tim Blanchard
Holden Commodore ZB 2'04.8205
18 Australia Todd Hazelwood
United States Jack Smith
Holden Commodore ZB 2'05.1352
19 New Zealand Richie Stanaway
New Zealand Chris Pither
Holden Commodore ZB 2'05.2452
20 Australia Scott Pye
Australia Warren Luff
Holden Commodore ZB 2'05.2683
21 Switzerland Simona de Silvestro
Australia Alex Rullo
Nissan Altima 2'05.7410
22 Australia Macauley Jones
Australia Dean Canto
Holden Commodore ZB 2'05.8574
23 Australia Jack Le Brocq
Australia Jonathon Webb
Holden Commodore ZB 2'07.1521
24 United States Alexander Rossi
James Hinchliffe
Holden Commodore ZB 2'07.2281

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