International/Guest driver, WILL POWER/No.6 Dunlop Super Dealer FPR Falcon FG, was the fastest driver in the third of four V8 practice sessions Friday on the streets of Surfer’s Paradise. The V8 Supercar Series is the feature in this weekend’s Armor All Gold Coast 600 races. Power, runner-up in the 2010 IndyCar Series by five points, topped the charts near the end of the 40-minute session, which was stopped for a red flag. All three of the practices so far had one red flag. Power’s lap was 1:13.4205 seconds around the 2.96 km/ 1.839 mile circuit, newly configured this year. Previously the circuit had been 4.49 km/2.789 miles.
Practice Three was an open session, so there was a mixture of Primary and International drivers. Second through fifth were ANDREW JONES/No.8 Team BOC Holden Commodore; STEVE OWEN/No.1 TeamVodafone Holden Commodore VE; International driver SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS/No.19 Dick Johnson Racing Ford Falcon FG; and International Driver RYAN BRISCOE/No.22 Toll Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore VE.
International Driver HELIO CASTRONEVES/No.47 Wilson Security Racing Ford Falcon FG got out after his crew beavered away to repair the damage Castroneves inflicted in the previous session by hitting the Turn 11 tire wall. He turned 16 laps and was twenty-fifth fastest.
International Driver SCOTT PRUETT/No.30 Gulf Western Oil Racing Holden Commodore VE was able to get his first laps in his car, which had been crunched in the first session by the Primary driver, NATHAN PRETTY. Pruett was last of the 29 drivers, with eleven laps.
The sun had reappeared and the breeze picked up. In the shade it was cool, but in the sun it was nice and warm.
The red flag for this session was JONATHON WEBB/No.19 Dick Johnson Racing Ford Falcon FG after he hit the wall and was towed in. His International driving partner is Bourdais.
Power’s teammate, STEVEN RICHARDS set the fastest lap of 1:20.0720 in the first Practice Session, and it held through the third session.