Driving around The Bend proves tricky

ADELAIDE: They were warned they would be driven around The Bend.

Still, it came as a surprise yesterday when Supercars series leader Scott McLaughlin ‘‘looked like a Gumby’’ as some of the biggest names came unstuck at the category’s newest track — The Bend in South Australia.

Ford gun McLaughlin was among those who ran off the $A110 million track in opening practice before seventime series champion Jamie Whincup and Holden legend Craig Lowndes were the highprofile scalps in yesterday’s second 45minute session.

When the dust settled — literally — on yesterday’s practice, overall fastest was Shane van Gisbergen, who clocked a lap of 1min 48.74sec in the second session ahead of Whincup and Holden’s local hope Tim Slade.

The Bend is making its Supercars debut and certainly lived up to its name, featuring 18 turns on the 4.95km track — not that any of the drivers had to be reminded.

The signs were ominous in the opening session when McLaughlin was one of the bigname victims, coming off at several turns to finish 18th fastest.

‘‘It was loose. I had so many offs. I looked like a Gumby,’’ McLaughlin laughed.

McLaughlin holds an 89point lead over van Gisbergen, who enjoyed a Tailem Bend track stint driving a McLaren in the Australian GT race in April.

The Bend, an hour outside Adelaide, is the first permanent track unveiled on the Supercars circuit since Ipswich’s Queensland Raceway in 1999. It has multiple layouts, the longest being 7.7km, making it the second longest permanent race circuit in the world behind only Germany’s legendary Nurburgring.

The maiden The Bend SuperSprint round features a 120km race today before tomorrow’s 200km finale. — AAP