Home hero Heimgartner wins emotional Taupo epic

The first Supercars race at Taupo will live long in the memory after some wet and wild drama led to Kiwi Andre Heimgartner giving BJR a breakthrough victory with a stunning drive.

Auckland’s own Heimgartner mastered the wild weather to get an emotional success on home soil ahead of the two DJR Mustangs.

In the first fully wet Supercars race from start to finish since The Bend in 2022, the #8 Camaro led home Will Davison and Anton De Pasquale by 1.1s, while Kiwi rookie Ryan Wood produced a great drive to fourth.

Other special performances were produced by Richie Stanaway, who flew from 23rd to sixth, while James Golding had a similar rise to seventh.

Ford flyers Cam Waters and Chaz Mostert were both in race-winning positions at different points, but their dreams were dashed in dramatic ways.

Waters started from pole but was caught up in some startline chaos with Tim Slade. Despite the drama he still recovered to eighth.

Mostert was all over the back of Heimgartner for much of the race, only for his right rear wheel to go off after the final stop.

However, all eyes were on Heimgartner as he walked on water to produce a win for the ages.

It was his first win in three years since The Bend 2021, 90 races ago and first in four for Brad Jones Racing since Sydney Motorsport Park in 2020, 118 races ago.

“I am a bit speechless and can’t believe it,” Heimgartner said.

“It was quite slippery and at turn 9 I slid a few times.

“I always love racing in the wet.

“It is great for Brad. He put faith in me a couple of years ago and we have been chipping away.”

Lights out and chaos

Tim Slade and Cam Waters take each other out off the start at Taupo. Image: Peter Norton EPIC Sports Photography

In a near replica of the infamous 2017 Singapore Grand Prix, pole man Waters’ victory hopes were wiped out just metres off the line.

Slade got a great getaway from the second row and tried to thread his way between Brown and Waters.

But at the same moment Brown moved across the track to cover, causing contact between Slade and Waters, forcing both the Monster Mustang and PremiAir Nulon Camaro careering into the inside wall.

Further up the road at turn 1 both Payne and Feeney rotated, while many others were forced to scatter.

Yet again, the early drama saw a Triple Eight driver lead the way with Brown in control ahead of Heimgartner, Mostert, Hill and Davison, while Slade’s and Waters’ promising races were destroyed at the earliest moment.

Unlike Melbourne, Waters was able to escape from the front-running incident and crawled away in the back of the field with steering damage.

Slade was shattered his best starting position for a year went to waste.

“Just super disappointed,” Slade said.

“The team has been awesome and I hate to see it end that way.

“Got a terrific start and tried to go through the gap and the gap closed.

“In hindsight I could have gotten out of the throttle and follow the car in front of me but you are a racer and I had a really god start, went for a gap that was there and then it wasn’t.

“It is unfortunate.”

Pit problems 

Matt Payne spun at turn 1. Image: Peter Norton EPIC Sports Photography

The race restarted on lap 4 and Hill and Mostert fought for third as the field tiptoed their way through the twisty first sector for the first time.

But within a few corners Hill had lost fourth to the fast-starting Davison and was under pressure from behind.

Reynolds and Le Brocq were the biggest movers, having risen seven spots each to ninth and 14th respectively.

Payne’s battles continued as he lost a number of spots on lap 6 and slumped down to 21st.

Brown had built a 2s lead within a handful of laps but the returning Safety Car wiped that advantage out on lap 8.

Bryce Fullwood was running eighth and battling side by side with Hill, but a tag from Le Brocq sent the #14 spinning 180 degrees at turn 11.

Due to Fullwood being stuck in the middle of the long left hander the Safety Car returned and even more drama occurred in the pit lane as everyone took the chance to complete a compulsory stop.

Two parked Penrite Racing Mustangs created chaos, leaving Kostecki with nowhere to go and contact was made with Payne when the reigning champion tried to rejoin the lane.

Meanwhile, BJR showcased its Pit Stop Challenge skills to send Heimgartner in front of Brown and snatch the lead after a 5.2s stop.

Kiwi in control 

The soaked crowd went wild as Heimgartner led the field away from the restart on lap 12.

Contact between Brown and Mostert at turn 9 allowed Heimgartner to pull a second of breathing space.

The fight for second was not over until Mostert snatched the spot at turn 4.

Just a handful of laps later Brown was relegated to seventh after the Mustangs of Davison, Wood, De Pasquale and Randle snuck by between turns 4 and 5.

Reynolds and Courtney had both charged more than 10 places to be inside the top 10, but their hard work was destroyed when they tangled up at turn 1 on lap 14.

Kostecki made a big lunge on Reynolds and could not stop his Camaro in time and speared Courtney into a spin, while the Team 18 Camaro was the innocent bystander and got stuck behind the Ford. The reigning champion was swiftly handed a 15s penalty.

Although Heimgartner was in control, Mostert was on the charge and he slashed the BJR driver’s lead by lap 19.

The pair ran nose to tail across the next 20 laps but Heimgartner held firm under immense pressure, while Davison and Wood were also in combat for third.

Although the race had settled down from the wild start, there were still countless door to door skirmishes up and down the pack, highlighted by Payne punting Reynolds wide.

Mostert’s dream rolls away

Chaz Mostert crawls without a rear right wheel. Image: Peter Norton EPIC Sports Photography

Mostert had applied the blowtorch to Heimgartner all the way until lap 40 when both leaders completed the final compulsory stop.

As the way driver rejoined in front of Davison it appeared their battle was going to resume at the back end of the race, but within a lap the wheels fell off Mostert’s pursuit of victory.

Before the out lap was complete the #25 started getting swallowed up by rivals and as it crossed the line to begin lap 41 the right rear tyre was out of place.

The tyre finally parted company coming out of turn 4 and for good measure Mostert kicked his own loose wheel at the following corner. Thankfully the speeding wheel hit a barrier and came to rest.

The WAU team were unsure why the tyre suddenly came loose with no apparent problems when completing the tyre change.

“We will have to get it back here and see what happened,” said WAU team principal Carl Faux.

“There were no reports from the guys with the wheel not going on squarely or tight.

The right rear parts company from Chaz Mostert’s Mustang. Image: Fox Sports

“Chaz was doing a lap and then called it as he was going down to turn 1.”

The moment let Heimgartner off the hook and he soon enjoyed a 4s lead over the two DJR Mustangs.

It became a fight for survival as drivers tried to make it home in the docile conditions.

To give BJR further joy, a late mistake from Mark Winterbottom allowed Jaxon Evans to secure a first ever Supercars top 10.

After soaked but sensational opening race at Taupo, the possibilities are endless as the field does it all again to chase the Jason Richards Memorial Trophy across 60 more laps tomorrow.

Image: Peter Norton EPIC Sports Photography

Taupo Super400 Race 7 results

Taupo Super400 schedule (all times AEST)

Friday, April 19

Practice: 1: C. Mostert 1:26.4937 2: M. Payne +0.0318 3: W. Davison +0.0508

Saturday, April 20

Qualifying Race 7: 1: M. Payne 1:27.9684 2: A. De Pasquale +0.0940 3: C. Mostert +0.1669

Top 10 Shootout: 1: C. Waters 1:34.7415 2: W. Brown +0.5011 3: A. Heimgartner +0.5374

Race 7 (60 laps): 13.05

Sunday, April 21

Qualifying Race 8: 08.45

Top 10 Shootout: 10.25

Race 7 (60 laps): 13.05

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Podcast: We’re going to Taupo… Tow Paw… Whatever. Supercars is back!

After a break that feels like months, the Supercars Championship is back and headed across the ditch to Taupo in the middle of the North Island. And yes, Brodie Kostecki will be there! As will the rain.

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