Team 18 drivers Scott Pye and Mark Winterbottom had an encouraging day after Practice 1 and 2 at Hidden Valley Raceway for the BetR Darwin Triple Crown.

In Practice 1, Winterbottom finished third fastest behind the wheel of the DEWALT Racing Chevrolet Camaro, with a competitive lap time of 1:06.6681. Pye ended the first hit out in 12th position with a 1:06.9600, while less than a second separated the entire field, underscoring the incredibly tight nature of the series. 

Winterbottom continued to progress in Practice 2, finishing 13th fastest with a 1:06.5763, as Pye delivered an equally strong lap with a 1:06.6086 to finish 15th. The times in Practice 2 were closer again, with only seven-tenths of a second separating the full grid. 

Both drivers alongside the team applied encouraging setup changes throughout the day to optimise the performance of the Team 18 Camaros ahead of Qualifying and Race 13 tomorrow.

Saturday’s action kicks off with an action-packed three-part knockout Qualifying session at 11:30am, followed by Race 13 of the 2023 Repco Supercars Championship at 3:25 pm, with live coverage available on Channel 7, Fox Sports, and Kayo.

RESULTS & QUOTES

Mark Winterbottom, driver #18 DEWALT Racing Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

Practice 1: 3rd (1:06.6681)
Practice 2: 13th (1:06.5763)

“Today was a pretty good day. We were very good in Practice 1. We had a good quali-pace car and rolled out really strong and stayed up there for that session, but Practice 2 I thought we had a really good race car but dropped our speed a bit, so we just have to combine the two.

“We definitely improved a weakness in the car that I haven’t liked all year, so that’s been a really positive thing today and if I can get the combination of the two of what we rolled out with and what we finished with and just make it all work, I think it’s going to be a jet.

“It was sort of an up and down day, but actually really good overall. We’re now visiting an area of the car that was probably de-tuned throughout the year, chasing a certain aspect of the car and now we’ve got to revisit it again.”

Scott Pye, driver #20 Hino Racing Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

Practice 1: 12th (1:06.9600)
Practice 2: 15th (1:06.6086)

“I think after today we’re in a decent position heading into tomorrow, but for sure we’re looking for some pace in the car where we’re lacking a little bit of turn that we’ve got to try and find without affecting the drive or the tyre life. 

“It’s a real fine balance around here between getting a car that’s good over one lap and still having a car that’s good for a race distance, but I think today we learnt a lot.

“We’ll have a think overnight and try and work on a few of the things that we think need improving and then hopefully put a good lap together for myself tomorrow and find ourselves in the top 10.”