Kai Allen tops Bathurst practice as Ford receives altitude-adjusted engine
Kai Allen set the fastest lap in Thursday's Bathurst 1000 practice sessions, while Ford teams received a new engine package to address power loss at high altitude.
During Thursday's practice at Mount Panorama, Grove Racing driver Kai Allen posted the quickest time of the weekend, completing a lap in 2:05.5460 and beating the nearest rival by more than three-tenths of a second. Supercars announced that all Ford competitors will run a revised engine for the Bathurst 1000 after barometric pressure tests showed a loss of power at altitude. The new engine, created by Triple Eight Race Engineering, has been approved for this weekend only, leaving Toyota and Chevrolet units untouched.
Six of the ten fastest cars were Fords, with Chevrolet driver Jayden Ojeda finishing second and reigning champion Chaz Mostert the fastest Toyota in 17th place. Grove Racing also faced a setback when Matthew Payne was called into the garage early due to a power-steering fluid spill. Additional practice sessions are scheduled for Friday before qualifying.
