Townsville Challenging for Percat
Coates Hire Racing driver Nick Percat experienced the highs and lows of motorsport in the Porsche Carrera Cup at Townsville on Sunday.
In the second of three 14-lap races Percat and reigning champion Craig Baird resumed their battle from yesterday with Baird claiming the win from Percat and Warren Luff.
Unlike yesterday, Luff beat Percat off the line and the pair battled for many laps until Percat got the upper hand. The battle for second allowed Baird to build a commanding lead, setting the fastest lap of the race, on lap 14, on his way to the chequered flag.
All three drivers appeared in the dedicated V8 Supercars endurance season co-driver session on Friday at the Sucrogen Townsville 400 – Percat is set to pair Tony D'Alberto in the Team HIFLEX Commodore over three flagship events. Percat won the Bathurst 1000 with Garth Tander in 2011.
Rounding out the top five were Michael Patrizi and Steven Richards, in a repeat of Saturday's race one result.
The field lined up for the third and final 14-lap race of Round Four of the Carrera Cup Australia Championship.
Once again Baird stormed away from the field to record another win and extend his Championship lead.
After finishing second to Baird in the first two races, Percat's race didn't go to plan. After a good start, Percat, Baird and Luff were all over each other through the first few corners of the opening lap. Then Percat struck trouble after lightly touching Warren Luff and retiring from the race with radiator damage.
Percat's retirement allowed Warren Luff to score his best result of the weekend in second, while Steven Richards claimed his first podium of the round in third, after an intense battle with Michael Patrizi who had to settle for fourth. Fifth was Shae Davies.
After climbing from the Coates Hire Porsche 911 GT3 Nick Percat said: "The second race was good for us. Luffy (Waren Luff) and I had a great dice and I eventually got past him for second position.
"The third race was very disappointing, especially as I got a good start, but we will regroup and come back stronger at the next round."
The next event to feature the Porsche Carrera Cup will be the Winton 360 V8 Supercars event, at Winton Raceway in Victoria from August 23-25.
