The Stone Brothers Racing all-Kiwi driver pairing of Shane van Gisbergen and John McIntyre set the quickest lap time of the day during practice for this weekend’s Phillip Island endurance round of the Australian V8 Supercars.
McIntyre, a two-time NZV8 champion, and van Gisbergen, who currently holds fourth in the V8 Supercars Championship, took turns to complete laps during each of the three practice sessions. The duo was consistently in the top three as changeable weather made conditions tricky for the 31-strong field.
“The car was fast all day whatever the conditions,” says the Nelson-based McIntyre. “I started the third session and handed over to Shane who nailed it in the last moments of today’s final practice to record the fastest time all day of 1 minute 32.79 seconds.
“This gets us off to a flying start for a big weekend, so we’re rapt.”
McIntyre is paired with van Gisbergen in SBR’s #9 SP Tools Racing Falcon for the L&H Phillip Island 500 endurance race which runs on Sunday 12 September.
The team has two practice sessions, two qualifying sessions and two qualifying races on Saturday, before Sunday’s 113-lap race starting at 1:35pm, Australian time.
