The plan which reaped Heimgartner a podium
Andre Heimgartner says Brad Jones Racing’s bold strategy gamble in Perth was planned.
Heimgartner scored his first podium for BJR in Race 11 on Sunday.
The 26-year-old crossed the line fourth, but was elevated following a time penalty for Cam Waters.
BJR ran Heimgartner long and stopped him for four fresh tyres on lap 29 of 46.
The balance of the field ran a quicker two- or three-tyre stop.
A late Safety Car helped Heimgartner continue to carve from seventh to effective third in six laps.
The podium sandwiched a trio of top 10s for the Kiwi, who made the bold plan work.
“[Four tyres] was something we had planned from the outset,” Heimgartner told Supercars.com.
“We knew that race was going to be the hottest one of the weekend.
“Saturday night in cool conditions and the final race on Sunday was in the afternoon.
“We thought the tyre degradation would be enough to get a yield on the four tyres.
“I was able to drive accordingly at the start of the race, went long and pitted, and got some luck too.”
The #8 R&J Batteries Commodore loomed large in Anton De Pasquale’s mirrors, but Heimgartner had to settle for third.
Heimgartner vaulted from 18th to 13th in the points over the course of the weekend.
It came after difficult weekends in Tasmania and Melbourne, with Heimgartner impressing in Sydney.
“It was cool on the restart knowing I had fresh tyres,” he said.
“We got into a good position and grabbed a trophy.
“It was good to pick a few guys off, but the car speed wasn’t quite good enough to get Anton.
“We maximised what we could and got a trophy, which was great.”
BJR’s next assignment is at Winton Motor Raceway across May 20-21.
The team will test at the Victorian circuit next Tuesday.
For Heimgartner, securing a podium for the team marked a relief after two tough rounds.
“It’s good this early in the relationship with BJR to get a podium,” he said.
“To get it out of the way this early is a relief; it gives everyone a boost, everyone works so hard.
“You can tell that everyone was energised and pumped now.
“We could tell the potential was there; hopefully there’s more to come."
