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Veteran Supercars driver Lee Holdsworth, who is partnered with Chaz Mostert, is allowing himself to dream of a maiden Bathurst 1000 win in his 18th attempt.
Popular Supercars veteran Lee Holdsworth is excited by what he describes as his best chance to win the Bathurst 1000.
After stepping away from full-time driving this year, Holdsworth is partnered with Walkinshaw Andretti United ace Chaz Mostert for his 18th attempt at the Great Race.
Holdsworth was quickest in Thursday's co-driver practice session at Mount Panorama, after Mostert came in second-fastest in P1.
The 38-year-old's best finish in the Bathurst 1000 was third back in 2009 with Michael Caruso.
Holdsworth performed strongly in last year's 161-lap race, but with 2014 winner Mostert in the main seat, the pair are shaping as contenders.
"It's exciting because this is probably my best chance yet to get up the top and get some glory around here," Holdsworth said.
"It's been a long week, we've been here since Saturday so you don't want to exert yourself too early.
"It's a completely different mindset for me being a co-driver, I'm just trying to relax and take it all in."
Holdworth was all smiles, but it was a day of carnage for Brad Jones Racing pair Macauley Jones and Chris Pither.
Pither crashed their Commodore with less than two minutes remaining in P2.
Jones himself had power-steering troubles in the first few minutes of Thursday's first session as smoke billowed from his vehicle.
A red flag was raised after Jones stopped on the track, with the session halted for eight minutes.
The car was patched up, but the damage done in the dying stages by Pither might prove tricky for Brad Jones Racing engineers to fix.
Last year's Bathurst 1000 runner-up Cameron Waters enjoyed solid support from co-driver James Moffat.
Waters picked up where he left off at Bathurst last year when he claimed pole but finished behind Triple Eight pair Shane van Gisbergen and Garth Tander in the Great Race.
Ford ace Waters completed an impressive first-up drive to edge out Mostert.
Moffat then backed Waters' earlier efforts by finishing second in P2.
The Tickford Racing driver has had a mixed season, winning three races to be fifth in the championship standings.
Red Bull Ampol legend Jamie Whincup, who is again paired up with fellow great Craig Lowndes, placed 11th in practice in his final event as a full-time driver.
Lowndes briefly had the quickest time in the co-driver session, but ended up sixth.
There will be two more practice sessions on Friday, before Saturday's top-10 shootout.
After last year's Bathurst 1000 was severely impacted by COVID-19, crowds are back at the regional NSW town in big numbers.
