Veteran Reynolds Shows His Pace at Sandown
Supercars veteran David Reynolds has emerged as the early pace-setter at the Sandown 500, setting the fastest time in Friday's practice sessions while championship contender Chaz Mostert proved he's still very much in the fight.
Reynolds blitzed the 3.1km Sandown circuit with a scorching lap of 1:08.523 during the second practice session, edging out Mostert by just seven-hundredths of a second in what promises to be a tightly contested weekend of racing.
Championship Battle Heats Up
While Reynolds topped the timesheets, all eyes were on the championship battle with Walkinshaw Andretti United driver Chaz Mostert showing impressive form. The recent Gold Coast 500 double winner continued his strong momentum, securing second position in both practice sessions.
Mostert's performance is particularly significant given his recent surge in the championship standings, where he now sits in second place behind sprint cup champion Broc Feeney. Feeney himself showed solid pace with fourth fastest in practice two, just behind Team 18's Anton De Pasquale.
The day's opening session saw De Pasquale edge out Mostert for top honours, demonstrating the competitive nature of the field heading into the weekend's crucial races.
Manufacturer Battle and Technical Challenges
The long straights at Sandown are expected to play to the strengths of the Chevrolet Camaros, with their straight-line speed advantage potentially giving them an edge over the Ford Mustangs. This theory is supported by recent history at the Melbourne circuit.
Of the last 12 races at Sandown, Ford has only managed one victory when Will Davison triumphed back in 2022. Mostert did his best to buck this trend as the fastest Ford driver in practice two, with fellow finalist Cam Waters the next best Mustang in eighth position.
Reigning Supercars champion Will Brown finished seventh fastest but was denied an opportunity to improve his time when he went off at the challenging turn four as the session concluded.
The historic Sandown circuit presents multiple challenges for teams and drivers:
- Forecast showers throughout the weekend
- Varied track surfaces requiring careful tyre management
- Hard braking zones that will test car setup
Among the other drivers still in championship contention, Thomas Randle was 13th fastest, Matt Payne 15th, and his Grove Racing teammate Kai Allen one place further back.
In his first outing as a full-time Supercars driver, PremiAir Nulon's Jayden Ojeda showed improvement throughout the day, finishing 22nd in the first session before climbing to 12th fastest in practice two.
Drivers return to action on Saturday with the first qualifying session scheduled for 11.50am AEDT, followed by the top-10 shootout and the opening 250km race. The weekend's two races will see the seven remaining championship contenders cut to just four, setting the stage for a dramatic conclusion to the Supercars season.
