Kostecki tops Ipswich practice as Brown’s bad luck continues Brodie Kostecki on track during Supercars practice for the Ipswich Super440. Image: InSyde Media

The Triple Eight Race Engineering Ford Mustang was sixth-fastest in Practice 1 and 0.2560s off the pace but failed to complete a flying lap in Practice 2.

Brown, who was shifted into Triple Eight’s spare chassis for QR, noted an issue at the start of Practice 2 and returned to the pit lane where the team diagnosed the issue.

“It feels like it’s done a gearbox or something internal, to be honest, said Brown on the Supercars broadcast.

“I gave some explicits as to what I think is wrong with it and I think that’s what’s wrong with it.

“When we went out on the start of this run, I did a downchange and it made a really bad noise.

“They wanted to do a change in the front and then when we went back out, it was making a really harsh knocking noise.

“It was like someone was under there with a hammer. It won’t be good.”

Practice 2 was the fastest of the two sessions as drivers and teams simulated Saturday’s qualifying.

Walkinshaw TWG Racing’s Chaz Mostert led the lion’s share of the session in his Toyota Supra until the death but ultimately ended up third.

All told, it was Dick Johnson Racing’s Brodie Kostecki who was fastest on a 1:08.7032s, which put him two tenths clear of Triple Eight’s Broc Feeney.

Matt Payne (Grove Racing) was fourth while Anton De Pasquale was the best of the Camaro contingent in fifth for Team 18.

Kai Allen (Grove Racing), Cooper Murray (Erebus Motorsport), James Golding (Blanchard Racing Team), Thomas Randle (Tickford Racing) and Ryan Wood (Walkinshaw TWG) completed the top 10.

Practice 1 was topped by Allen, whose 1:09.6254s put him 0.0243s clear of Feeney.

Declan Fraser was third for PremiAir Racing ahead of Payne and rookie Rylan Gray (Dick Johnson Racing) who made the most of his extra set of tyres.

The top 10 was completed by Brown, De Pasquale, Randle, Mostert and Reynolds.

After a relatively tidy start to the day’s running, Triple Eight’s Jackson Walls sent his Ford Mustang skating across the gravel trap out of Turn 2 just a few minutes into Practice 2.

The session was stopped six minutes in when Aaron Seton locked up into Turn 3 and buried his Matt Stone Racing Camaro in the gravel trap.

With just over three minutes to go in Practice 2, Heimgartner reported an issue in the front end with his Toyota Supra.

Qualifying for Race 1 of the weekend gets underway on Saturday at 10:00am AEST.

Results: Repco Supercars Championship Century Batteries Ipswich Super440, Practice 1

Pos
Num
Driver
Team
Car
Lap
Diff
Gap

1
26
Kai Allen
Grove Racing
Ford Mustang GT
1:09.6254

2
88
Broc Feeney
Triple Eight Race Engineering
Ford Mustang GT
1:09.6497
0.0243
0.0243

3
777
Declan Fraser
PremiAir Racing
Chev Camaro ZL1
1:09.6976
0.0722
0.0479

4
19
Matthew Payne
Grove Racing
Ford Mustang GT
1:09.8156
0.1902
0.1180

5
38
Rylan Gray
Dick Johnson Racing
Ford Mustang GT
1:09.8677
0.2423
0.0521

6
888
William Brown
Triple Eight Race Engineering
Ford Mustang GT
1:09.8814
0.2560
0.0137

7
18
Anton De Pasquale
Team 18
Chev Camaro ZL1
1:09.9009
0.2755
0.0195

8
55
Thomas Randle
Tickford Racing
Ford Mustang GT
1:09.9049
0.2795
0.0040

9
1
Chaz Mostert
Walkinshaw TWG Racing
Toyota GR Supra A90
1:09.9183
0.2929
0.0134

10
20
David Reynolds
Team 18
Chev Camaro ZL1
1:09.9781
0.3527
0.0598

11
17
Brodie Kostecki
Dick Johnson Racing
Ford Mustang GT
1:09.9887
0.3633
0.0106

12
3
Aaron Cameron
Blanchard Racing Team
Ford Mustang GT
1:10.0307
0.4053
0.0420

13
6
Cameron Waters
Tickford Racing
Ford Mustang GT
1:10.0506
0.4252
0.0199

14
7
James Golding
Blanchard Racing Team
Ford Mustang GT
1:10.0518
0.4264
0.0012

15
15
Bayley Hall
Team 18
Chev Camaro ZL1
1:10.1019
0.4765
0.0501

16
5
Ben Gomersall
Tickford Racing
Ford Mustang GT
1:10.1214
0.4960
0.0195

17
2
Ryan Wood
Walkinshaw TWG Racing
Toyota GR Supra A90
1:10.1323
0.5069
0.0109

18
99
Cooper Murray
Erebus Motorsport
Chev Camaro ZL1
1:10.1603
0.5349
0.0280

19
8
Andre Heimgartner
Brad Jones Racing
Toyota GR Supra A90
1:10.2255
0.6001
0.0652

20
30
Aaron Seton
Matt Stone Racing
Chev Camaro ZL1
1:10.2369
0.6115
0.0114

21
14
Cameron Hill
Brad Jones Racing
Toyota GR Supra A90
1:10.2419
0.6165
0.0050

22
11
Jackson Walls
Triple Eight Race Engineering
Ford Mustang GT
1:10.2517
0.6263
0.0098

23
31
Jayden Ojeda
PremiAir Racing
Chev Camaro ZL1
1:10.2756
0.6502
0.0239

24
9
Jobe Stewart
Erebus Motorsport
Chev Camaro ZL1
1:10.3236
0.6982
0.0480

25
4
Jack Le Brocq
Matt Stone Racing
Chev Camaro ZL1
1:10.3283
0.7029
0.0047

26
96
Macauley Jones
Brad Jones Racing
Toyota GR Supra A90
1:10.4736
0.8482
0.1453

27
10
Zach Bates
Matt Stone Racing
Chev Camaro ZL1
1:10.8157
1.1903
0.3421

Results: Repco Supercars Championship Century Batteries Ipswich Super440, Practice 2

Pos
Num
Driver
Team
Car
Lap
Diff
Gap

1
17
Brodie Kostecki
Dick Johnson Racing
Ford Mustang GT
1:08.7032

2
88
Broc Feeney
Triple Eight Race Engineering
Ford Mustang GT
1:08.9223
0.2191
0.2191

3
1
Chaz Mostert
Walkinshaw TWG Racing
Toyota GR Supra A90
1:09.0833
0.3801
0.1610

4
19
Matthew Payne
Grove Racing
Ford Mustang GT
1:09.1193
0.4161
0.036

5
18
Anton De Pasquale
Team 18
Chev Camaro ZL1
1:09.1577
0.4545
0.0384

6
26
Kai Allen
Grove Racing
Ford Mustang GT
1:09.2756
0.5724
0.1179

7
99
Cooper Murray
Erebus Motorsport
Chev Camaro ZL1
1:09.2895
0.5863
0.0139

8
7
James Golding
Blanchard Racing Team
Ford Mustang GT
1:09.3032
0.6000
0.0137

9
55
Thomas Randle
Tickford Racing
Ford Mustang GT
1:09.3039
0.6007
0.0007

10
2
Ryan Wood
Walkinshaw TWG Racing
Toyota GR Supra A90
1:09.3188
0.6156
0.0149

11
777
Declan Fraser
PremiAir Racing
Chev Camaro ZL1
1:09.3205
0.6173
0.0017

12
6
Cameron Waters
Tickford Racing
Ford Mustang GT
1:09.3303
0.6271
0.0098

13
31
Jayden Ojeda
PremiAir Racing
Chev Camaro ZL1
1:09.3503
0.6471
0.0200

14
4
Jack Le Brocq
Matt Stone Racing
Chev Camaro ZL1
1:09.3537
0.6505
0.0034

15
20
David Reynolds
Team 18
Chev Camaro ZL1
1:09.4743
0.7711
0.1206

16
9
Jobe Stewart
Erebus Motorsport
Chev Camaro ZL1
1:09.4891
0.7859
0.0148

17
3
Aaron Cameron
Blanchard Racing Team
Ford Mustang GT
1:09.4957
0.7925
0.0066

18
5
Ben Gomersall
Tickford Racing
Ford Mustang GT
1:09.5165
0.8133
0.0208

19
38
Rylan Gray
Dick Johnson Racing
Ford Mustang GT
1:09.5614
0.8582
0.0449

20
10
Zach Bates
Matt Stone Racing
Chev Camaro ZL1
1:09.5660
0.8628
0.0046

21
11
Jackson Walls
Triple Eight Race Engineering
Ford Mustang GT
1:09.6833
0.9801
0.1173

22
15
Bayley Hall
Team 18
Chev Camaro ZL1
1:09.7308
1.0276
0.0475

23
14
Cameron Hill
Brad Jones Racing
Toyota GR Supra A90
1:09.8444
1.1412
0.1136

24
30
Aaron Seton
Matt Stone Racing
Chev Camaro ZL1
1:10.1044
1.4012
0.2600

25
8
Andre Heimgartner
Brad Jones Racing
Toyota GR Supra A90
1:10.3171
1.6139
0.2127

26
96
Macauley Jones
Brad Jones Racing
Toyota GR Supra A90
1:10.7737
2.0705
0.4566

27
888
William Brown
Triple Eight Race Engineering
Ford Mustang GT
No time