HEIMGARTNER TO REUNITE WITH SPORTS SEDANS AT SMP
By Timothy Neal
Date posted: 30 August 2022
Brad Jones Racing driver Andre Heimgartner will again switch Supercars for the Precision National Sports Sedans this weekend at SMP, for Round four of the series on September 2-4.
Heimgartner will drive an Aston Martin DRS9 in the huge field of 38 entrants, and will also be competing for the perpetual Des Wall Trophy in Sunday’s race three: a trophy struck in the honour of Des Wall, a past national champion and long time Sports Sedan stalwart who lost his life to cancer ten years ago.
AUTO ACTION spoke with Steve Bugatto, Duggan Family Racing team manager, who talked about Heimgartner driving the car and their desire to win the Des Wall Trophy.
“We’ve all agreed that we want the Des Wall trophy, it’s going to be tough competition, but we’d all love to win it. I think it’s a trophy we’d all want in our cabinet,” said Bugatto.
Heimgartner has already raced in the Mark Duggan owned Aston Martin at Phillip Island back in round one in March, where he notched a podium third in race one, as well as claiming a win in 2021 at Wakefield Park: a drive that Bugatto helped orchestrate.
Heimgartner in the Duggan Family’s Aston Martin DRS9 racing against Jordan Curuso and Steve Tamasi at Phillip Island in March 2022
“We’re really looking forward to the weekend and Andre can’t wait to get back in the car. He’s really excited, and we’re all looking forward to seeing what she can do around Eastern Creek,” Bugatto continued.
“We’ve been trying to get Andre back in the car for a while, and we’re trying to finalise a deal where we can have him in the car for a whole national season, if we possibly can.
“If it happens next year that it doesn’t clash with the Supercars events, we’d love to run him for the whole championship, but that’s all Supercar dependent of course.”
The series is currently led by Jordan Curuso over Steve Tamasi with two rounds left to run, with only 19 points separating the pair.
The National series will also share the grid with the NSW Sports Sedans with three races featuring over the Saturday and Sunday, with Sunday’s race three hosting the Des Wall Trophy, where the entire field will drive an extra honorary formation lap in memory of the 2009 National Champion.
For more of the latest motorsport news pick up the latest issue of Auto Action.
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