'Motorsport is a cruel sport': How Heimgartner silenced demons in emphatic win

Confidence is everything in elite sport.

Take Reece Walsh's dazzling run through last year's NRL Finals, Mitchell Johnson's fearful Ashes campaign in 2013-14, even the famed Mamba Mentality of the late Kobe Bryant.

All athletes who were bursting with confidence, and put it to good use to decimate any opponent in front of them.

When the confidence isn't there, it can be hard to rediscover. That's where Andre Heimgartner was in 2025.

A giant-killer who was always knocking on the door of the top 10 since joining Brad Jones Racing in 2022, Heimgartner found himself fighting tooth and nail just to secure a top 10 berth in the inaugural Finals Series.

Through 999km of the Repco Bathurst 1000, he was there, the all-important 10th place. And then, it was ripped away within sight of the chequered flag.

To run salt into the wound, his only podium finish of the year came just a fortnight later on the Gold Coast.

“It’s no secret as a team we haven't been where we wanted to be the last couple of years,” Heimgartner said.

“When you're soul-searching and really pushing hard and trying to make little gains, and you're not seeing it, it's obviously pretty tough.

“Brad puts his heart and soul into the business in every aspect and he's very involved. So to see us get some results is really cool for him and it's a good relief for everyone involved.”

Said results have come in a hurry this weekend in Tasmania, as BJR's brave new era with Toyota exploded into life.

At a venue where BJR has traditionally performed strongly, Heimgartner delivered arguably his greatest day as a Supercars driver, capped off with a stunning breakthrough.

After qualifying fourth and finishing fifth in Race 14, the #8 Toyota was in a league of its own in Race 15, dominating from pole position.

Just the third win of Heimgartner's career, it was a statement of intent from the 30-year-old, who drew the ire of Cam Waters after a collision in Taupō, Waters unsubtle in declaring Heimgartner a "B-grade driver".

That wasn't far from the Kiwi's mind after he claimed pole earlier in the day: "I took Cam Waters' advice, and started to be more like an 'A' driver."

Just hours later, and he put together a performance that only the absolute best of the best can piece together. It was a performance that even he wasn't sure he would ever achieve.

“There's periods there where you don't think it's going happen or it seems so far from happening,” Heimgartner said post-race.

“The middle of last year was pretty tough up until the Gold Coast. Just missed out on the Finals.

“You go through your ups and downs, and hopefully you can have more ups than downs. But, motorsport is a cruel sport sometimes, and it's very, very competitive at the moment.”

On-track action resumes on Sunday with Boost Mobile Qualifying at 11:35am AEST.