Ryan Wood’s Mustang. Image: InSyde Media
All 27 Endurance Cup entries shared the track for the compulsory test ahead of The Bend 500 and Bathurst 1000 events, providing crucial practice for co-drivers and pit crews.
It was primary driver Wood, though, who set the day’s fastest time – clocking a 1:08.8415s inside the final half an hour of running.
Wood is this year teamed with fellow young gun Ojeda, who moved to WAU following a standout 2024 endurance campaign with Erebus Motorsport.
“It’s a nice way to end our week here at QR. I really know my way around here now. It’s nice to wrap up today on top,” Wood told Speedcafe.
“It was cool to see Juice [Ojeda] in the car for the first time and have a look at his data and what he does behind the wheel.
“I’m pretty excited to get to Tailem Bend and see if we can repeat this form in the enduro season.”
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The #888 Zach Bates/Craig Lowndes wildcard Camaro ended the afternoon second fastest, 0.3183s adrift of Wood’s best.
While Bates competed in the weekend’s Ipswich Super440 as a wildcard, the day provided crucial mileage for Lowndes ahead of the enduros.
“For me it feels like at home, like getting back on the bike again,” said Lowndes.
“I know this place really well but it’s also nice to get back into the car again and get back used to your eyes with all the steering wheel buttons, what we’ve got to operate over the course of the next two races, everything that’s in a Supercar and not in the other cars I’ve been driving.”
Rounding out the top five were the Camaros of Andre Heimgartner/Declan Fraser and Broc Feeney/Jamie Whincup and the Mustang of Brodie Kostecki/Todd Hazelwood.
As one of only two tests for the season, the day wasn’t all about endurance preparation.
“I think it was well overdue for us just to try and get some answers to some things,” said Heimgartner.
“So you never want to say that you’ve fixed anything, or you’ve made great progress, because often things don’t translate. You sort of Jinx yourself.
“But I think it’s been a good day to work through a few questions we’ve had.”
There were just two red flags during the day, both for cars beached in the gravel trap at Turn 3.
Zak Best bunkered the #3 Blanchard Racing Team Mustang during the morning, while Harri Jones found trouble aboard the #18 Team 18 Camaro in the early afternoon.
Cam McLeod repeated the trick at the very end of the session, which required the #4 Matt Stone Racing Camaro to be extracted from the Turn 3 gravel after the chequered flag.
The Fullwood/Vaughan Camaro struck engine trouble. Image: InSyde Media
It had been an early end to the day for the Bryce Fullwood/Brad Vaughan Brad Jones Racing Camaro, which spent the last two and a half hours in the garage following engine failure.
The Supercars Endurance Cup will kick off with The Bend 500 on September 12-14, before the Bathurst 1000 on October 9-12.
Results from the afternoon session. Note the driver in the car at the end of the session is listed.
