Broc Feeney has shaken off the Tasmanian cold and brought the heat to Darwin after clocking the fastest time in Friday's opening practice session of the Triple Crown.
Feeney, who scored his third victory of the year last month at the Tassie Supersprint, went four one hundredths of a second faster than David Reynolds in windy conditions and sweltering heat in the top end.
Only fourth tenths of a second separated the top 10 drivers in Friday's opening 30-minute practice session, with another to follow later in the afternoon.
Shell V-Power Racing's Will Davison and Anton De Pasquale both had solid starts at Hidden Valley Raceway with the pair having won five of the last six races around the 2.9km circuit.
Both are chasing a maiden win in 2023, as are the new Gen 3 Ford Mustangs.
All 12 races have been won by Chevrolet Camaro drivers since the new Gen 3 models entered the competition.
Championship leader Brodie Kostecki was eighth fastest with teammate Will Brown just outside the top 10.
The Erebus Motorsport drivers have podiumed at every event since Newcastle's season opener and tallied at least one win between them across four separate events.