Whincup/Dumbrell sweep all four practice sessions at Gold Coast 600 as crash leaves Bright in doubt
TEAM BOC's Gold Coast 600 weekend has been thrown into disarray after co-driver Andrew Jones crashed Jason Bright's car heavily, on a practice day where Jamie Whincup and Red Bull were peerless.
V8 Supercars
October 21, 201
Jones wasn't injured but took fault for the crash, admitting he bounced the car over too much of the kerb at the entry of the chicane.
"We're told not to use any kerb and we'd be monitored closely," Jones said, "[but] the co-drivers are absolutely murdering the thing.
"I arrived there the first time using a lot of kerb and it didn’t land as nicely as I hoped..."
The impact is serious enough to have forced the team into making emergency repairs, planning to repair the car on a jig at a chassis specialist at Yatala, north of the circuit.
With no guarantees the car will be repaired in time for qualifying and racing tomorrow, the incident may have dashed Bright and Jones' already slim Enduro Cup hopes.
The top of the time-sheets had a familiar look across all four sessions, Red Bull's No.1 Commodore posting the fastest lap regardless of whether it was Whincup or co-driver Paul Dumbrell at the wheel.
A last-lap flyer from Whincup ensured a perfect sweep of the day, ahead of Holden Racing Team's James Courtney.
Salvaging a bad day for Brad Jones Racing, David Wall was third fastest in the final session, ahead of Bottle-O Racing's David Reynolds and Norton Hornets Nissan driver Michael Caruso.
The day ended poorly for Bathurst winner Mark Winterbottom, the newly-re-signed Ford pilot brushing his Falcon against a concrete wall late in the session, ending it down in 22nd.
Fellow title contender Craig Lowndes also had a rough day, cracking the top ten just once.
The cars will next hit the track on Saturday for qualifying and the Top Ten Shootout, ahead of the first of two 300 kilometer-long races.
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