TRANS Am rookie Chase Hoy walked away from a qualifying session-ending crash at Symmons Plains Raceway, as reigning series champion Todd Hazelwood claimed the $1,000 Trico Pole Award.

Hoy ran wide coming onto the pit straight, hit the barriers, and came to rest in the middle of the circuit, with the cleanup cutting the 10-minute-long session short by 4 minutes.

The Holinger Racing squad now face an uphill battle to return the Mustang to the circuit this weekend.

The session started in sensational circumstances, with the top 16 cars from practice slowly crawling around the circuit, trying to find clean air on the 2.41km long layout.

Hazelwood, however, was quick out of the gates to claim the top spot for the session in his brand-new TFH Racing Mustang.

James Moffat (LMCT+ Mustang) will line up from second for the opening race this afternoon after topping practice, just ahead of Nathan Herne (BlueGold Industries Mustang) and rookie sensation Lachlan Evennett (CAMM Racing Mustang).

Starting fifth will be Jordan Cox (Schaeffler Mustang), ahead of Jack Smith (SCT Logistics Mustang), who topped the opening leg of qualifying for cars that were in the lower half of this morning’s practice session.

Out of position seven will be Garry Rogers Motorsports Mustang driver Tom Davies, then Ben Gomersall (Unit Racing Mustang), Ben Grice (All American Drivelines Mustang), with local favourite Adam Garwood (Garwood Motorsport Mustang) rounding out the top ten.

Michael Coulter in the Turps Tippers Mustang was relegated to the pits for much of the session with a mechanical issue, and will line up at the tail of the 32 car field.

Next on the agenda for the Trico Trans Am Series at Symmons Plains Raceway is the opening race of the season from 4:20pm, with the action being broadcast on SBS and Kayo.