'Balls up': Supercars champ in high-speed Bathurst crash

Reigning Supercars champion Scott McLaughlin's team will have some work ahead of them after a nasty crash in Bathurst 1000 practice.

McLaughlin had flown around Mt Panorama earlier in the day but hit trouble in the dying stages of the session when he lost control of his Ford Mustang.

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The Supercars champion already put together the fastest lap on Friday, but was intent on pushing his Shell V-Power car to the limit.

The 27-year-old was on track to better his previous best lap as he let rip down the back half of the iconic Bathurst race track.

However, McLaughlin lost control of the car and spun out, slamming into a wall with less than two minutes left of the one-hour session.

"I just ballsed up the downshift and then that was all it was," McLaughlin said.

"You're using the engine braking so much that as soon as you miss one you're out of the groove - that's all I did.

"I tried to half-recover it but as soon as I parked the bottom arm out I was a bit of a passenger.

The accident gives McLaughlin's team some repair work to do before Friday afternoon's qualifying session, however, the driver was confident the damage wasn't top extensive.

"I think it will be all right. The car is super racy, oh my God. It felt mega," McLaughlin added.

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Holden young gun Bryce Fullwood produced the second-quickest time, followed by Ford veteran Lee Holdsworth in third.

After claiming both practice sessions on Thursday, rising Tickford star Cameron Waters came in fourth.

His co-driver Will Davison earlier showed why he is still one of the leading Supercars drivers after a scintillating first session on Friday.

Left without a full-time drive following his 23Red team withdrawing from the championship due to the impacts of COVID-19, Davison has been parked for most of 2020.

But in teaming up with Waters at Mt Panorama, the pair have a serious shot at taking out the great race.

A two-time Bathurst 1000 winner, Davison finished in front of Holden veteran Garth Tander, while Ford drivers Dale Wood, Tim Slade and Michael Caruso completed the top-five.

In an eventful first-up Friday practice, two red flags were raised after Jayden Ojeda and Jordan Boys came off track in separate incidents.

Most co-drivers enter the season finale without taking the wheel of a Supercar this year after the traditional lead-up enduro events were cancelled.

with AAP

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