Ojeda tops time sheets in Practice 1

Young gun Jayden Ojeda has topped a weather-interrupted opening practice session for the 2023 Hi-Tec Oils Bathurst 6 Hour this morning at Mount Panorama.

Commencing late following a lengthy morning red flag for fog on the Mountain, the session was run on a wet but drying circuit and was broken up by several red flag periods for vehicle recoveries.

As a result Ojeda’s 2m53.3986s best came on his sixth of just 7 laps completed in the session.

Ojeda will share a BMW M4 with Simon Hodges this weekend and the pair topped the overall and Class X (Ultimate Performance) runners this morning.

Second outright and first in the A1 (Extreme Performance, Forced Induction) class was experienced GT racer Brett Hobson aboard his RAM Motorsport Mercedes AMG A45, the hot hatch revelling in the conditions thanks to it’s all-wheel-drive grip.

Third outright and second in A1 was the Hadrian Morrall / Tyler Mecklem Mitsubishi Lancer EVO, while former race winner Beric Lynton was fourth in his BMW M3. Ben Kavich had the job of steering the GWR / Breast Cancer Trials M2 Competition and was fifth, with Cameron Crick sixth in his Mitsubishi.

The giant-killing Mazda 3 MPS of Jake Camilleri – always handy in the rain – was an outstanding seventh outright and first of the Class C runners.

Bathurst’s Inwood duo topped class B1 in their all-wheel-drive Subaru to finish eighth outright while Tony Levitt was first of the A2 runners aboard his Mercedes AMG, and ninth outright.

Rounding out the top 10 was Coleby Cowham in his Ford Mustang GT.

Class D was led by the Mitch Maddren / Lachlan Bloxsom Toyota 86 (32nd outright) while Cam Beller topped the Class E runners in his Mazda, scored in 44th outright.

57 of 58 cars took to the circuit in practice one, though six cars were unable to set a lap time.

A second, one-hour practice session will be held later this evening at Mount Panorama ahead of qualifying tomorrow and Sunday’s six-hour enduro.

RESULTS: Practice 1