Symmons Plains Supercars: McLaughlin fastest in damp practice
Scott McLaughlin topped a weather-affected final practice session in Tasmania, leading Shane van Gisbergen and Will Davison.
Scott McLaughlin, Team Penske Ford
Daniel Kalisz / Motorsport Images
With conditions continually improving across the 45 minutes, after the track was drenched by a downpour right before the session was initially supposed to start, times dropped dramatically in the final 10 minutes as drivers switched to slick tyres.
DJR Team Penske driver McLaughlin was one of the last to emerge from the garage for a crack on the slick, making up 20 spots to go second fastest with a 51.875s with just under a minute to go, before improving to a 51.633s on his final lap to knock van Gisbergen from top spot.
Van Gisbergen had gone fastest with a little over five minutes to go with a 52.365s, before continuing to lower the benchmark to a 51.889s – the first time in the 51s – and then settling on a 51.803s.
Will Davison made his move even later that McLaughlin, jumping into third with a 51.827s right at the flag. That demoted Fabian Coulthard to fourth, while Cam Waters edged Prodrive teammate Chaz Mostert with a late lap of his own.
David Reynolds improved on his final lap to end up seventh fastest, ahead of James Moffat and James Courtney, while Jamie Whincup was just 10th quickest.
There were no Nissans in the Top 10, Michael Caruso the best-placed Altima in 13th after going off at the hairpin and causing a red flag during the early wet running.
Craig Lowndes, who was fastest in the wet conditions, slipped all the way back to last as he failed to make the best of the improved conditions at the end.
Cla | # | Driver | Car | Time | Gap |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 17 | Scott McLaughlin | Ford Falcon FG-X | 51.6333 | |
2 | 97 | Shane van Gisbergen | Holden Commodore VF | 51.8034 | 0.1701 |
3 | 19 | Will Davison | Holden Commodore VF | 51.8274 | 0.1941 |
4 | 12 | Fabian Coulthard | Ford Falcon FG-X | 51.8870 | 0.2537 |
5 | 6 | Cameron Waters | Ford Falcon FG-X | 51.9253 | 0.2920 |
6 | 55 | Chaz Mostert | Ford Falcon FG-X | 51.9464 | 0.3131 |
7 | 9 | David Reynolds | Holden Commodore VF | 52.0048 | 0.3715 |
8 | 34 | James Moffat | Holden Commodore VF | 52.0803 | 0.4470 |
9 | 22 | James Courtney | Holden Commodore VF | 52.1109 | 0.4776 |
10 | 88 | Jamie Whincup | Holden Commodore VF | 52.2146 | 0.5813 |
11 | 8 | Nick Percat | Holden Commodore VF | 52.2323 | 0.5990 |
12 | 33 | Garth Tander | Holden Commodore VF | 52.2928 | 0.6595 |
13 | 23 | Michael Caruso | Nissan Altima | 52.2968 | 0.6635 |
14 | 18 | Lee Holdsworth | Holden Commodore VF | 52.3226 | 0.6893 |
15 | 7 | Todd Kelly | Nissan Altima | 52.3255 | 0.6922 |
16 | 14 | Tim Slade | Holden Commodore VF | 52.3973 | 0.7640 |
17 | 15 | Rick Kelly | Nissan Altima | 52.4682 | 0.8349 |
18 | 99 | Dale Wood | Holden Commodore VF | 52.4800 | 0.8467 |
19 | 56 | Jason Bright | Ford Falcon FG-X | 52.5570 | 0.9237 |
20 | 21 | Tim Blanchard | Holden Commodore VF | 52.6024 | 0.9691 |
21 | 5 | Mark Winterbottom | Ford Falcon FG-X | 52.6686 | 1.0353 |
22 | 2 | Scott Pye | Holden Commodore VF | 53.0370 | 1.4037 |
23 | 78 | Simona de Silvestro | Nissan Altima | 53.4788 | 1.8455 |
24 | 3 | Taz Douglas | Holden Commodore VF | 53.5271 | 1.8938 |
25 | 62 | Alex Rullo | Holden Commodore VF | 53.6671 | 2.0338 |
26 | 888 | Craig Lowndes | Holden Commodore VF | 54.0889 | 2.4556 |
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