Ford driver Cam Waters has topped the opening practice session for the Bathurst 1000, and in an extraordinary co-incidence, recorded the exact same time as he did in the corresponding session last year.
Waters stopped the clocks in 2:05.0233, a fraction quicker than 2014 champion Chaz Mostert, with Will Davison third.
James Courtney, Mark Winterbottom and Tim Slade rounded out the top six, in a relatively incident-free opening session.
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But it was Waters’ time that was the most remarkable moment of the session.
“Check this out, this is absolutely ridiculous,” Neil Crompton said in commentary.
“Last year, practice one, Waters, 2:05.0233.
“Cam Waters has just duplicated the exact same time, to the fourth decimal point, that he did at the same time last year.
“That’s ridiculous.”
Mark Skaife, a six-time winner of the race, was equally dumbfounded.
“Unbelievable. Never seen anything like it. That is extraordinary,” he said.
Macauley Jones hit problems after just five minutes, pulling over in his smoking Holden as he made the climb out of The Cutting.
Initial suspicions centred on the engine, although it was later revealed to be a power steering issue.
Practice 1 times:
1. Cam Waters/James Moffat (Ford) – 2:05.023
2. Chaz Mostert/Lee Holdsworth (Holden) – 2:05.107
3. Will Davison/Alex Davison (Ford) – 2:05.139
4. James Courtney/Thomas Randle (Ford) – 2:05.368
5. Mark Winterbottom/Michael Caruso (Holden) – 2:05.398
6. Tim Slade/Tim Blanchard (Ford) – 2:05.411
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