Queensland Raceway was a showground for the stars of the future in 2013 – and Friday practice at the Coates Hire Ipswich 400 was no different.
Two of last year’s race winners topped the final practice, with Volvo’s Scott McLaughlin recording a 1min09.725 lap in the dying seconds of the session in his Valvoline-backed S60.
Just 0.038sec behind him was Ford Pepsi Max Crew’s Chaz Mostert, who won his first V8 Supercars race at this circuit.
Completing the top three was Nick Percat, HHA/Walkinshaw Racing’s rookie, just 0.085 seconds off McLaughlin.
The three have all had success at the circuit in the Dunlop Series as well, with Percat taking out the round in 2011, Mostert in ’12, and McLaughlin having recorded a race win in ’11.
Shane van Gisbergen – a seasoned competitor in V8 Supercars, at just 25 years of age – was fourth in the session, with Russell Ingall, Mark Winterbottom, the day’s early fast man Will Davison, Jamie Whincup, James Courtney and Fabian Coulthard inside the top 10.
Others to note include Craig Lowndes, the first Nissan Michael Caruso in 12, Jason Bright 14 and Garth Tander 16.
Click here for full session results.
Back-to-back qualifying kicks off at 11.25am tomorrow at Queensland Raceway.
