Percat leads charge of stunning Adelaide fightbacks
Nick Percat’s shock podium in the VALO Adelaide 500 opener was one of several remarkable fightbacks on Saturday.
Percat finished behind Chaz Mostert in a Walkinshaw Andretti United one-two in Race 33.
The 78-lap race saw the top two in the points — Shane van Gisbergen and Cam Waters — both caught out.
The topsy-turvy affair was also affected by fuel strategy, which influenced the final order.
After 78 laps, seven drivers in top 10 had started the race outside the 10.
Percat raced from 20th to second, Brodie Kostecki 13th to fourth, and Tim Slade 12th to fifth.
Behind them, Mark Winterbottom jumped from 21st to sixth, Will Davison 15th to seventh, and Broc Feeney 17th to eighth.
The retiring Lee Holdsworth, who finished 10th, started 11th.
It was a particularly stirring result for Percat, who grew up in Adelaide.
Mostert and Percat are racing a 1990 Holden Racing Team tribute livery, and helped the team to its 188th win in Commodores.
Percat also scored his first podium with WAU, and first with new engineer Adam Austin, who took over the #2 on the Gold Coast.
“That’s the coolest thing I’ve ever been involved in,” Percat said.
"For me watching this race as a young kid, and being a tragic HRT fan.
“Yeah, those last four-five laps, I was like, ‘This is actually unbelievable, I’ve watched this as a fan, climbing a tree to see these kinds of moments as a kid’.
"I thought with the strategy we were running [we] might’ve snuck into the back of the 10.
“If it was just a green race, because once we pitted on lap 5 when I came back out the pace was pretty good.
"As it all unfolded and I figured out what was happening pretty quickly when I had to come back in straight away for fuel to make sure I got all the fuel in.
"I thought to myself, ‘There’s not a chance half these cars are going to have the correct fuel in them’.
"I just wanted to keep the car clean and tidy and look after the tyres knowing that I’d be in a good position.
“It was just a credit to the team to read the play."
Cars will return on Sunday for ARMOR ALL Qualifying at 11:00am local time.
The 12:05pm Shootout will complete the grid for the 2:45pm Race 34.
