Title favourites on form at Hampton Downs ahead of fifth round
Friday testing for the penultimate round of the Bridgestone GR86 Championship saw all the title protagonists setting or near the pace.
Three test sessions during the day – held in warm and sunny conditions on the National specification circuit at Hampton Downs – saw Josh Bethune top the first session, from Cooper Barnes and leading rookie Chris White.
Championship leader Hayden Bakkerus was next up followed by his chief rival in the points chase, Hugo Allan. Justin Allen in his rebuilt car was a couple of places further back, but on the pace from the start.
White topped the second session ahead of the latest Aussie to sample the championship – Jack Westbury. Bethune was there again in third ahead of Tauranga’s Hayden Lines. Allen, Bakkerus and Allan were locked together but further down the order in ninth, tenth and 11th.
White was there again in the third session, suggesting he may be a force this weekend, though his advantage over Bethune was just 15 one hundredths of a second. Justin Allen was third fastest, Allan fourth and Lines fifth. Bakkerus wasn’t far off the front in tenth, while Cooper Barnes and Harry Townshend both completed their days with strong performances.
The entire field was covered by just over seven tenths of a second throughout the day, emphasising how remarkably close the inaugural championship is.
A second new driver for the final two rounds, Mac Templeton, settled in nicely too, quickly getting the hang of his GR86 and setting times close to the outright pace.
Action over the race weekend begins with qualifying on Saturday morning.
