Holden driver Paul Dumbrell has set the fastest lap yet at the Gold Coast V8 Supercars event in a practice session reserved for co-drivers.

Dumbrell, who is partnered with six-time V8s champion Jamie Whincup for the Gold Coast event, clocked a best lap of one minute and 11.2680 seconds in the third of four half-hour practice runs on Friday.

Championship leader Mark Winterbottom’s co-driver Steve Owen was second in the session with a 1:11.4014 while Ford’s Marcos Ambrose came third with a 1:11.4231.

Ambrose’s fast lap as the clocked ticked over to zero came after his co-driver Scott Pye had posted the fastest time of the opening session of the day.

Pye, who is battling a broken rib sustained earlier this month at the Bathurst 1000, remains uncertain over whether he’ll be able to race out the weekend.

He’ll take confidence from Ambrose’s pace with the Tasmanian likely to get more time in the driver’s seat this weekend than expected due to Pye’s injury.

Holden’s Jack Perkins was fourth.

Perkins is partnered with James Courtney, who is making his return from the serious rib injury sustained in a freak accident at the Sydney Motorsport Park event in August.

Friday’s action ends with a fourth and final practice run at the 2.98km Surfers Paradise street circuit from 3.05pm AEST (1605AEDT).