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George Miedecke set the early benchmark for Touring Car Masters at the 2026 Repco Bathurst 1000, topping Thursday's opening practice at Mount Panorama with a lap of 2:17.197. The 20-minute session gave 31 TCM entries their first opportunity to turn laps on the 6.2-kilometre circuit ahead of the great race weekend, with Adam Garwood finishing second on 2:17.474 and Steve Johnson third on 2:18.052. This report was updated on 9 October 2026.
Miedecke, at the wheel of the #85 machine, saved his best for the final part of the session. His 2:17.197 came on lap seven of a seven-lap stint, indicating he was building toward the lap rather than chasing an early flyer. It was enough to hold off Garwood by 0.277 seconds, with the #02 car completing eight laps and also setting its best on lap seven. Garwood's extra lap of running could prove valuable; more data on this circuit is rarely a disadvantage.
Johnson rounded out the top three in the #33, setting a 2:18.052 on lap six of six. The son of five-time Bathurst winner Dick Johnson, he is one of the most recognisable names in Australian touring car racing, and he looked at ease during the session's opening exchanges. Behind him, Scott Cameron (2:18.680, #95) and Andrew Fisher (2:19.163, #09) completed the top five.
The margins tell their own story: less than two seconds covered second through fifth. All five front-runners posted their quickest laps between laps six and seven, which suggests the track was coming in as rubber went down and drivers were hitting their stride. In a 20-minute practice, that kind of convergence at the front is a strong hint of how close qualifying could be.
Notably, the fastest three cars were separated by just over 0.8 seconds, and the top five by barely more than a second and a half. On a circuit where lap times are measured in the 2:17s, those margins are effectively nothing - one mistake, one traffic encounter or one gust of wind at the top of the Mountain can flip the order entirely.
The most eye-catching name in the top ten was Andre Heimgartner. The Supercars Championship race winner, who drives for R&J Batteries Racing in the main game, was sixth in the same squad's TCM entry, lapping at 2:19.644. For a driver whose day job involves modern lightweight machinery, stepping back into a classic touring car and sitting within 2.5 seconds of the pace is a strong early effort. Heimgartner completed eight laps, matching Garwood for the most running among the front group, and will have gathered plenty of useful data.
Cam Tilley took seventh on 2:19.765, while Nick Ross (2:22.160), Danny Buzadzic (2:22.221) and Angus Fogg (2:22.298) filled out the top ten. Fogg's placing was notable given he completed only four laps before setting his best mark - the #11 clearly had more in reserve, and his later laps may have been hindered by traffic on a busy circuit.
The middle of the field shaped up as the most congested part of the order. Marcus Zukanovic (2:23.662), Dave Casey (2:24.112) and Brayden Phillips (2:24.144) were covered by less than half a second, while David Hender, Jim Pollicina and Lance Hughes traded times in the 2:24 bracket throughout the session. With 31 cars circulating, traffic was always going to be part of the story, and several drivers in this group may have had their best laps interrupted by slower machinery ahead.
Further back, Tony Quinn, Paul Kelly and Rod Cannon ran in the 2:26-to-2:28 range, with Jeremy Hassell and Peter Burnitt just behind in the 2:31s. Quinn is a well-known motorsport identity and collector, and his appearance on the TCM grid adds to the series' blend of professional racers and enthusiastic owners. At the tail of the field, Hamish Frew, Jordan Cox, Mark Duggan, Martin Riseley and David Schramm lapped in the 2:33-to-2:49 bracket, while Adam Williams completed seven laps in the #75 but recorded no official time.
The spread from first to last stood at more than 32 seconds - a reminder of the variety that makes Touring Car Masters one of the most popular support categories at Bathurst. The series brings together restored Group C and Group A-era touring cars, from classic Holden and Ford battles of the 1970s and 1980s to later generations of Australian touring car racing. For many fans, the sound and spectacle of these machines on the Mountain is a highlight of the 1000 weekend in its own right. Thursday's session was also the first chance for these historic machines to be seen in anger ahead of the main events.
Practice at Mount Panorama is traditionally an unreliable guide to race day. Teams use the session to shake down cars, test set-ups and get drivers re-acquainted with the circuit's blind crests, high-speed kinks and brutal camber changes. Thursday's running was no exception - several front-runners, including the top three, completed shorter stints than their rivals, suggesting the priority was consistency rather than outright speed.
The timing of Miedecke's best lap also deserves context. He set it on his final lap of the session, which means he was unable to back it up with a second flying lap. Garwood, by contrast, had an extra lap of data in hand when he set his time. Johnson completed even fewer laps. When qualifying arrives, with drivers needing to nail a single clean lap, the gaps at the front could tighten further.
For the midfield, the immediate goal is rhythm rather than lap time. With race laps at Bathurst typically slower than qualifying runs, and with tyre strategy and pit stops in play, positions 10 through 20 are likely to reshuffle substantially once real racing starts. Several drivers in that band were already posting competitive sector times, and a fresh set of tyres could change the picture in qualifying.
Mount Panorama is notoriously tough on machinery. The 6.2-kilometre lap includes long uphill climbs, high-speed descents and heavy braking zones, and the cars will be punished for every mistake. In that context, Thursday's practice was as much about survival as speed. Completing laps without incident is often more valuable than setting a headline time, which explains why several experienced teams appeared to prioritise mileage over outright pace.
For the TCM regulars, Bathurst represents one of the few rounds where the category shares the stage with the Supercars Championship's biggest event. The spotlight brings added pressure, but also the chance to showcase historic racing to a massive audience. Thursday's practice gave the field a first chance to find a comfortable balance on the Mountain, and the early signs are that the racing will be tight.
The 2026 edition of the Bathurst 1000 weekend will see Touring Car Masters action continue across the event, with more practice, qualifying and races on the Mountain. As always with TCM, the emphasis will be on close racing rather than outright records, and Thursday's opening session has already provided the ingredients: tight margins at the front, a deep and varied field behind, and big-name drivers mixing it with committed privateers.
If practice form is anything to go by, Miedecke heads the list of favourites, but Garwood, Johnson and Heimgartner are all within striking distance. TCM has a habit of delivering surprises at Bathurst, and this year's field looks as competitive as any in recent memory. The next session will start to separate the genuine contenders from the early pacesetters.
