The quick Kiwi – who drives with David Wall in the #34 – set a 1min12.2X lap on soft Dunlop tyres to top Paul Dumbrell in the 30-minute session.
“I’m not too sure who else was on softs, I think there were a few of us but at the end the GRM Volvo was spot on. It was at the last two rounds too, unfortunately we just didn’t get to show it,” he said.
“I think we’re in pretty good shape – didn’t know I was at the front of the field until I drove in.”
Pither has been billed a mover in the silly season, with the regular Dunlop Series driver looking for a seat in the main game for 2016.
The session was interrupted by a red flag with nine minutes to go, with debris having to be retrieved from turn four.
Oliver Gavin struck trouble hitting the wall and smashing the front of the Repair Management Australia Racing Commodore.
“I just got a bit too much kerb on the right and it flew me straight into the wall.”
Jack Perkins finished third in the #22 Holden Racing Team Commodore, stepping back into the co-driver sessions with the return of James Courtney.
His Bathurst co-driver Russell Ingall had his first steer of the Pepsi Max Prodrive FG X and while he ended the session 20th, though he reportedly ran on just one set of hard tyres throughout the session.
The next session is again for co-drivers only, with one final all in session at the end of the day.
