Team 18 'gutted' over late De Pasquale issue
Anton De Pasquale dropped from sixth to 18th in final five laps
A battery issue denied De Pasquale and Team 18 crucial points
De Pasquale 12th in standings, David Reynolds 18th
A devastating battery voltage issue denied Anton De Pasquale and Team 18 crucial points on what was a bruising afternoon in Perth.
After a string of six straight finishes no higher than 17th, De Pasquale returned to the top 10 on Saturday, and was sitting eight in the closing laps.
That became sixth when James Golding and Ryan Wood collided, before an issue reared its head in the #18 DEWALT Chevrolet in devastating fashion.
A battery issue, which had presented itself 20 laps earlier, finally led to a drama that dropped De Pasquale out of contention.
Where a welcome top six was on the cards, De Pasquale crawled home 18th and one lap down.
"Unfortunately my car broke down. Very not far from the end which is unfortunate because we were sitting pretty good from where we were the day before, it was a really good rebound,” De Pasquale said.“
Unfortunately, don't have anything to show for it, but proud of everyone for digging deep and finding another path to get speed out of the car. Looking good for Darwin.”
The result would have put De Pasquale back into the top 10, and Team 18 ahead of Brad Jones Racing into seventh in the teams’ championship, something which sat poorly with Team Principal Adrian Burgess.
David Reynolds spared the team’s blushes, finishing seventh.
“We're a little bit gutted we didn’t jump another [pit bay],” Burgess told Supercars’ Cool Down Lap podcast.
“Poor old Anton was driving a cracking race and we lost the alternator on lap 44, so we're managing an ever declining battery voltage situation.
"If the Safety Car hadn't have come, then you know, we would've survived. But the thing just died two laps to go and we wobbled home, went from sixth to 18th in the last two laps, so we gutted for that.”
De Pasquale and Reynolds are 12th and 18th heading to Darwin on June 20-22.
