KIWI NOT COMPLACENT AFTER SUPER SESSION

ANDRE Heimgartner will not be resting on his laurels, despite topping the second practice on day one at the NTI Townsville 500.

The 27-year-old New Zealander backed up his second place on the lap times in the morning session at Reid Park on Friday to post 1min 13.419sec to top the times ahead of Cameron Waters and Repco Supercars Series leader Shane van Gisbergen.

But while he was happy with how his car performed on the hard tyres on the first day in North Queensland, Heimgartner said there was plenty for the Brad Jones Racing team to work on ahead of today’s Top 10 Shootout if they are to secure a victory in the two races in Townsville this afternoon and on Sunday.

“It’s too early to tell,” Heimgartner said of the Holden Commodore’s pace over the first two sessions.

“You need to have more than just a fast car over one lap.

“That’s been our weakness, especially in the last two rounds.

“We just haven’t been able to hang on to podium positions because of the race pace and that’s something we must work on.”

Waters, who won at Reid Park last year, said crowds might not get too excited in the early stages of the two 88-lap races, with teams only allowed one set of soft tyres. Both practices were carried out on hard-tyre compounds on Friday, and Waters said the races could be predictable until the later stages.

“I don’t think we will see a lot of passing on the hard tyres,” he said. “It’s pretty sketchy on the brakes and hard to ask a lot more from it. The car’s not going to give it to you.

“It is what is, but then when you get the softs on, then that’s when you will see the race probably come alive.”

Kiwi star van Gisbergen agreed, adding: “I think it will be a bit boring until someone puts on the soft tyres at the end.

“It will be about whoever is brave enough to put them on early.”

Van Gisbergen looked good in the first practice session.

There was a delay, with officials forced to make repairs to manhole damage at turn two.

But after the 20-minute hiatus, van Gisbergen, who has won eight times in North Queensland, carried on his love affair with the Reid Park circuit to post the fastest time.

He set the benchmark early in the 20-minute session on a perfect day. On his third lap, van Gisbergen posted a lap time of 1:13.6883 which held firm for the session.