Holden driver lights up Sydney SuperNight 300 qualifying Chaz sets fierce pace
DISCO balls, neon party lights and all out speed – welcome to the Sydney SuperNight.
Supercars revved up the action in spectacular style last night when Chaz Mostert lit up Sydney Motorsport Park to win the first V8 practice session under floodlights in Australia since 1997.
With a disco ball hanging in pit-lane and LEDs strapped to the undercarriages of the V8s, the Ford driver crashed Scott McLaughlin and Shane van Gisbergen’s championship party in a blistering 40minute session.
Blazing out under lights for the first time in his career, Mostert clocked 1min 28.85sec at the death to leave runaway title leaders McLaughlin (fifth) and van Gisbergen (ninth) in the dark.
“That was really cool,’’ Mostert said. “I felt really quick out there. It is probably the fastest I have ever felt in a Supercar. I was flashing through bits of light in the dark, it was a very cool thing.
“I am really looking forward to the big race. It will be very exciting and we will just have to wait to see how I go in qualifying.’’
Mostert set the early mark at 1min 30sec. But the Tickford driver was soon topped by campaigner Rick Kelly, 1 Chaz Mostert (Ford) 1:28.8546 2 Scott Pye (Holden) 1:29.0592
3 Mark Winterbottom (Ford) 1:29.3060
4 Rick Kelly (Nissan) 1:29.3130
5 Scott McLaughlin (Ford) 1:29.3539
6 Nick Percat (Holden) 1:29.4149
the Nissan driver out to continue his strong form by bagging points at SMP this weekend.
Red Bull Holden Racing driver van Gisbergen was the first of the contenders to set a time when he went 1:29.47 to dump Kelly to second.
Mostert showed he had 7 Jamie Whincup (Holden) 1:20.4531
8 James Courtney (Holden) 1:29.4559
9 Shane Van Gisbergen (Holden) 1:29.4786
10 David Reynolds (Holden) 1:29.4886
genuine speed by reclaiming the fastest time on his last lap.
“I get to go to bed happy tonight,’’ Mostert said.
“I will sleep well. It is a lot better to go to bed when you have finished at the pointy end. Tomorrow is the business end with another practice and qualifying.’’
With some sections of the track almost completely in the dark, Mostert said tonight’s 300km night race would prove a challenge.
“There is a lot to learn out there at night because all those things you see can be visually confusing,’’ Mostert said. “This weekend will be really tough.’’
Out to hit back after being edged out by Red Bull’s van Gisbergen last start, McLaughlin finished in fifth with a time of 1:29.35.
The championship leader declared his first night racing experience in a V8 was “the coolest thing’’ he’d ever done.
“That was wild,’’ McLaughlin said.