EXCLUSIVE – PERCAT QUITS BRAD JONES RACING

Despite having an ongoing agreement in place, Nick Percat will leave Brad Jones Racing at the end of the 2021 Supercars championship.

The South Australian, who was only confirmed on a new multi-year deal with BJR in July, is expected to take over Bryce Fullwood’s seat at Walkinshaw Andretti United to drive alongside Chaz Mostert in 2022.

Although not confirmed officially Andre Heimgartner, sensationally released from his deal with Kelly Grove Racing only days ago, will replace Percat at BJR.

When the re-signing was announced on June 30, Brad Jones told AUTO ACTION that keeping Nick Percat at BJR simply made sense.

“Nick fits perfectly with the team, we have a great relationship. We have been together for a really long time now and I am looking forward to him being the team leader at BJR and doing what he does.”

At the time, Jones acknowledged there had been approaches to Percat about his services from other teams but revealed he had moved quickly to lock him away.

“We did a deal quite early in the year. I am in no doubt other people were talking to him, but he is doing a great job for us, and I didn’t want to lose him,” Jones continued.

But Percat recently made it clear to Jones he had changed his mind about staying on at BJR, following approaches by other teams.

Back in June, when the re-signing was confirmed, Percat was buoyant about the future with BJR and expressed confidence in the team’s ability to be competitive in the new Gen 3 era.

“We have just extended it (contract) for next year.” Percat told AUTO ACTION when the new agreement was announced.

“With Gen3 there’s potential there, because generally when there’s been a change in rules or car, the engineers at BJR do a very good job.

“The Gen3 project will be pretty exciting because it takes away a few elements that your Triple Eights and DJR might have over us.”

After two years with WAU, Fullwood, with the substantial backing of Middy’s bolstering his case, is expected to land at Tickford Racing in 2022.

The 2019 Super2 champion would take the place of Jack Le Brocq, whose struggle for pace has been well documented.

Fullwood is even more attractive to Tickford because it is believed to have lost most of its NTI/Truck Assist backing, which is currently the naming rights sponsor of Le Brocq’s Ford Mustang.

Tickford, which expands back to four cars in 2022, has Thomas Randle locked in, Cam Waters about to be confirmed in a new deal and wants to retain James Courtney and his Boost backing.

AA understands NTI was interested in staying at Tickford as a naming rights backer if it could lure Percat.

The only way that could now happen is if Waters made a shock move to WAU, allowing Percat into a Tickford seat. This scenario is dismissed as simply wrong by sources close to Tickford and Waters.

Increased NTI backing could now flow to WAU, with which it already has a small deal.

However, the third team with NTI backing. Matt Stone Racing will also be in there pitching for bigger bucks.

The rumours Percat was on the move started circulating within weeks of his new deal with BJR being announced.

Neither Brad Jones or Percat returned calls from AA.

With Heimgartner in and Percat out, BJR still has three seats to confirm for 2022, although Jack Smith seems likely to stay.

At Team 18 Scott Pye is still yet to be confirmed, although team owner Charlie Schwerkolt insists it’s a formality.

MSR has yet to confirm the return of either Zane Goddard or Jake Kostecki and also wants to add a third car. Veteran Lee Holdsworth has been linked to this seat, as well as joining BJR.

Percat aged 32 has raced with Brad Jones Racing since 2017 and together have scored two victories, the South Australian currently the South Australian sits eighth in the championship.

The former Formula Ford champion won the Bathurst 1000 on debut with Garth Tander. He finished fourth in the Super2 Series on two occasions before ending the 2013 Australian Carrera Cup Series as the runner-up.

Percat made his full-time Supercars debut in a fourth Walkinshaw racing car in 2014 before moving to Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport for two seasons.

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