Whincup edges title rival Lowndes in practice for the Gold Coast 600
Triple 8 Holden's title contenders Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes set the pace in practice for this weekend's Gold Coast 600 in Surfers Paradise
The pair also enjoyed the fastest international team-mates, as four-time Champ Car champion Sebastien Bourdais and triple WTCC champion Andy Priaulx - who scored a podium during last year's visit - finished top of the pile.
Times improved across the four practice sessions, with Whincup able to work his way down to a 1m12.0546s - edging out Lowndes by exactly one hundredth of a second.
The pair currently lead the championship, with Lowndes edging ahead of Whincup when the latter suffered electrical problems at Bathurst.
"Obviously Bathurst was a great disappointment," Whincup said, "but we showed great times today. You need everything to go for you to win races, that's what it is all about."
The pair were followed home by Will Davison (Stone Brothers Ford) and Tim Slade (Rosenberg/SBR Ford), Davison taking third by just 0.008s.
Shane van Gisbergen (Stone Brothers Ford) finished fifth fastest ahead of Bathurst winner Garth Tander (Triple 8 Holden), Greg Murphy (Kelly Holden) and the FPR Ford of Mark Winterbottom, who set the pace in the first practice session.
Bourdais, sharing with Whincup, set a 1m12.4089s to finish more than seven tenths clear of the international field. His lap would have been good enough for eighth among the full-time V8 drivers.
"It has been a great day for me," Bourdais said. "Jamie is very fast and I am doing my best to help him. I don't want to tempt fate, but I would love to go back with a surfboard."
Priaulx, partnering Lowndes, was his nearest challenger, his best effort a 1m13.0990s which put him six hundredths clear of Simon Pagenaud, who partners Lee Holdsworth in the #33 Garry Rodgers Holden.
Helio Castroneves, sharing with Tim Slade, finished fourth ahead of Oliver Gavin and Richard Westbrook (partnering Murphy and Todd Kelly respectively in the #11 and #7 Kelly Holdens).
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