Percat full of praise for MSR

By Thomas Miles

Date posted: August 17, 2024

Victory for Nick Percat in the Tasmania SuperSprint opener was truly a team win with strategy, execution both in the pits and on the track pivotal to the success.

Percat’s second victory in 2024 was just as memorable as the special breakthrough at Albert Park, but there was no luck needed on this occasion.

After jumping Brodie Kostecki at the start, the #10 settled into third for the first stint and critically managed to stay in touch with leaders Broc Feeney and Cameron Waters.

As Waters and Feeney battled in traffic and pitted on laps 27 and 28 respectively, the MSR driver pressed on an extra lap.

In addition to being fast in clean air, MSR masterfully completed the overcut by completing a two-tyre stop in just 3.8s, which was more than a second better than their rivals.

This released Percat in the lead, but there were still 28 laps left and he had to contend with a fast-finishing Chaz Mostert.

But with not just the race, but personal pride also at stake, Percat held off his former teammate to complete a special day the MSR crew will never forget.

Percat quickly labelled it as a team win, with the crew’s year-long work inspired by the experienced Paul Forgie paying off.

“It is very special. We are a small team but have a lot of heart,” Percat said.

“Matt (Stone) said at the start of the year the car and crew are good but we just need to work on our pit stops.

“That is what they have done all year so it is a credit to Forgie.

“He has been around for a long time and showed the crew how to properly put the gun on and they have been practicing everyday in the workshop.

“The category is so close now so you need everything you can get and without that pit stop we would never have won.

“We have very good leaders and the belief is unbelievable.

“I said at the Grand Prix, we are just crawling and starting to jog.

“We are not there yet to knock on the door of Triple Eight every weekend but when we get it right we can do amazing things.”

Percat admitted as Mostert picked off both Waters and Feeney he did fear the WAU star could snatch the win, but enjoyed the battle.

“When I came through 6-7 I saw his car and I was like ‘argh that is Chaz’ so I knew I had to do a good lap and maintain the gap,” he recalled.

“Then he caught a bit on the next lap and on the last one I was a bit more conservative under brakes to make sure I didn’t bowl a wide.

“He is such a fierce racer and is never going to give up.

“We used to have battles like that in Super2 and Formula Ford so it was fun to do that again.”

To complete the celebrations for MSR, teammate Cameron Hill secured a second best result of sixth.

Image: Mark Horsburgh

Tasmania SuperSprint schedule

Practice 1: 1: D. Reynolds 51.1376 2: J. Golding +0.1061 3: J. Le Brocq +0.1628

Practice 2: 1: R. Stanaway 54.4551 2: C. Waters +0.0520 3: C. Mostert +0.0716

Qualifying: 1: B. Feeney 50.9884 2: C. Waters +0.0820 3: B. Kostecki +0.0873

Race 17: 1: N. Percat 2: C. Mostert 3: B. Feeney

Practice 3: Sun 10.20-10.40

Qualifying: Sun 12.40-13.30

Race 18: Sun 15.05 (55 laps)

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Percat full of praise for MSR

In addition to being fast in clean air, MSR masterfully completed the overcut by completing a two-tyre stop in just 3.8s, which was more than a second better than their rivals.

“It is very special. We are a small team but have a lot of heart,” Percat said.

“The category is so close now so you need everything you can get and without that pit stop we would never have won.

Percat admitted as Mostert picked off both Waters and Feeney he did fear the WAU star could snatch the win, but enjoyed the battle.

“He is such a fierce racer and is never going to give up.

Tasmania SuperSprint schedule

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