Hill reacts to missing Supercars Finals by three points
Cameron Hill missed out on a Finals spot by just three points
Hill held provisional Finals spot until Townsville, finished fifth in Bathurst
Kai Allen snuck in, Hill finished level on points with Andre Heimgartner
A maximum of 3125 points were on offer before Bathurst for drivers to make The Finals, and Cameron Hill fell short by the barest of margins.
The Matt Stone Racing driver raced to a brilliant fifth in Sunday’s race alongside rising star Cameron McLeod, clinching Matt Stone Racing’s best Great Race finish.
However, in a cruel twist of fate, it still wasn’t enough for the Canberran to reach The Finals, with Penrite Racing rookie Kai Allen sneaking in.
Many drivers had stories to tell over Finals drama — Anton De Pasquale crashed, Ryan Wood had an engine issue, Allen was hit three times and missed a kangaroo, and Andre Heimgartner was overtaken on the final lap.
Amid the chaos was Hill, who drove a measured race and recovered from a 15-second penalty — awarded after McLeod hit Zach Bates — to fall just 7.7s short of victory. Had Wood retired from the race, Hill was in.
"We faced plenty of adversity throughout the 161 laps, including a 15-second penalty. But when it mattered, we were in a good position and the car was really strong,” Hill wrote in a post-event blog.
"It was special to record both mine and the team’s best-ever result in Bathurst. Cammy McLeod did a great job in the car, the crew were outstanding all weekend.
“It was unreal to have so many supporters come through the garage and cheer us on. It really means a lot.
"And while it is disappointing to miss out on the Finals by just three points, I couldn’t be prouder of what we achieved as a team.
"There are always a million ‘what-ifs’ when you come so close, but this result shows how far we’ve come and what we’re capable of.”
It was a bitter footnote on what has been another breakout season for Brad Jones Racing-bound Hill, who after winning in Melbourne and holding down a top 10 spot, dropped out in Townsville.
He arrived in Bathurst 51 points down on the 10, with teammate Nick Percat 37 down. Percat was ruled out early with an engine issue, with MSR’s hopes resting on Hill.
While it wasn’t meant to be, Hill was proud to reel off a Shootout-to-fifth performance.
"To finish inside the top five at Bathurst is something I’m incredibly proud of,” Hill added.
"If you told me at the start of the week that we’d make the Shootout and finish top five, I'd have said that sounds damn good to me."
