Nick Percat used his head, hands and knees to somehow overcame a grave power steering issue to fend off the DJR Mustangs and score a sensational podium on Saturday at Albert Park.
Percat was in the thick of the action in a dramatic Race 6 of the Melbourne SuperSprint, battling the Bulls and having a sniff of the win before finding himself keeping some charing ponies behind on the final lap.
Hopes of silverware appeared grave for the MSR driver when the power steering let go on the final lap.
Suddenly the #10 Camaro went from fighting for the lead to smoking and struggling to hold onto the podium.
Many thought Percat was done when Kostecki passed him at Turn 11, but the MSR driver hit back to snatch the position after three corners of hard, but fair racing.
Percat was thrilled to give MSR a further piece of silverware from Albert Park and paid credit to Will Davison and Brodie Kostecki for allowing him to race them to the chequered flag.
The MSR veteran also revealed he even had to use his legs to combat the power steering drama.
“The last lap through (turn) five it clearly let go and thought ‘holy hell, what do I do here?’ Percat said.
“I have long legs so I could hold my knee on the wheel through the high speed sections to survive.
“If that happened to me when I was 14th, I would have been in the gravel trap, but when you are racing against champions and good drivers that does not happen.
“They were really good to race. Brodie is a true racer so when I blocked hard he did not turf me.
“I did not expect to over and under him to be honest, that was quite fun and then I used a bit of a berm in the last corner to turn.
“That is the difference. There is a bit of respect.”
Having passed Feeney and applied the pressure on Brown during the early stages of the race, Percat felt he harboured victory hopes, but admitted the power steering dramas slowed him down as early as the Safety Car brought out for Cooper Murray.
“It started to get hot under the Safety Car going at 60 km/h, but I was hunting clean air,” he said.
“It was a little bit intermittent after that and I wanted to race these guys hard.
“When Broc did that move I could not really do anything because I was not sure I would have proper assistance when I got to one.
“The plan was to attack them and have a really cool race but it was more about getting some clean air.
“I still had to push like crazy.”
But Percat is simply pleased to be on the podium as he did not want to guess at what position he would have finished had the time certain race gone an extra lap.
“I would have either of been in the gravel or 16th or something,” he said.
“Even through the last corner it was very convenient Brodie was alongside me as he helped me turn.
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