Photo: Red Bull Ampol Racing

Jamie Whincup on top in opening practice, Shane van Gisbergen unphased despite injury

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Jamie Whincup has signalled his intent ahead of this weekend’s races at Sandown Raceway after the Triple Eight driver went fastest in opening practice for the second Supercars round of the season.

Going fastest in the dying moments of the 30 minute long session, the seven-time champion found himself at the top of the timesheets when the chequered flag flew, comfortably showing himself as the pace-setter on a 1:08.0707.

Setting out to show that his injury wouldn’t slow him down, Shane van Gisbergen put in the first quick flying lap of the session, his 1:08.5061 on par with the fastest lap of opening practice from the 2019 Sandown 500. The Triple Eight driver headed into the garage shortly after to report his injury wasn’t causing any pain, meaning he could soldier on for the rest of the session.

Tim Slade put himself towards the top end of the order as the fastest Ford entrant most of the way through the session, the Blanchard Racing Team car having been built between rounds after crash at Bathurst wrote off the team’s primary chassis. Slade sat as high as fourth for a majority of the session, proving the team’s speed at Bathurst was no fluke.

A busy final few minutes saw Todd Hazelwood go fastest for Brad Jones Racing but the young South Australian was soon toppled by Slade, the #3 Mustang getting to the top of the order ahead of Tickford Racing’s James Courtney and the Triple Eight car of Whincup.

Whincup then vaulted himself to the top on an 1:08.0707, a time which kept him in the top position for the rest of the short session and  just ahead of Tickford Racing’s Cam Waters who finished the session in second with Slade notching up third.

Tickford ended up having all three of their cars in the top ten with Courtney and Jack Le Brocq both ending the session in the top half of the field. The only Ford drivers to not make the ten were the Dick Johnson Racing cars of Anton de Pasquale and Will Davison, each having relatively quiet sessions.

Practice two is set to begin at 1130 local time, preceding qualifying at 1345 before the first of the three races, getting the green flag at 1645.