Scott McLaughlin tops Supercars practice
Defending series champion Scott McLaughlin has hit back to finish fastest at practice ahead of qualifying for the Supercars opening round in Adelaide.
The Ford gun appeared to begin the day behind the eight ball after experiencing power steering problems in his new Mustang at Thursday's practice, finishing a distant 12th.
But McLaughlin's garage worked overtime to ensure the Kiwi came out swinging early on Friday.
He topped the practice session ahead of Holden rivals Jamie Whincup and Shane van Gisbergen in a lap time of one minute, 20.39 seconds.
He left it until the last moment of the 30-minute session to finish 0.15 of a second ahead of seven-time series champion Whincup.
Just half a second separated the top six drivers on the 24-strong grid.
Whincup's Holden teammate van Gisbergen is aiming to become the first driver to win five straight races on Adelaide's tough street circuit.
All eyes are also on the Mustangs which have replaced Falcons in all six Ford teams this season.
It marks the first time since 1990 Mustangs have been sighted on the grid.
Another practice session will be held from 1520 AEDT in what are expected to be sweltering 40 degree temperatures, reaching up to 70 degrees in the cars.
A twilight qualifying session will be held at 1855 AEDT for the season's opening race.
A 250km race will be held on Saturday and Sunday.
Australian Associated Press