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Percat buys history-making car

Supercars driver Nick Percat has bought the car that helped him make Australian motor racing history.

Nick Percat

Nick Percat

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Driving a Sonic Motor Racing-run Mygale SJ07A, Percat pieced together the most successful season in the history of the competitive Australian Formula Ford Championship back in 2009, breaking a swathe of records on his way to the title.

That included 12 wins, 20 podiums from the 23 races, his final margin over now Formula E driver Mitch Evans 72 points, with Supercars race winners Scott Pye and Chaz Mostert in third and fourth.

More than a decade later Percat has now tracked down and bought that particular Mygale, and is set to take delivery in the coming weeks.

"We're all very attached to cars that we win in," Percat told the Parked Up podcast.

"But this one, it's actually got a bit of history to it in Australian motor sport. It won the most races in Australian Formula Ford history and got the most pole positions and most points scored during a year and fastest laps. All that sort of things.

"I'm going to put it back to my full No Fear colours, how Sonic ran it. I spoke to [Sonic boss] Mick Ritter recently and said 'this is what I want to do' and he's keen, he reckons he's still got a few bits and pieces from that car because when we sold it after we were done with it a few little tricky things came off the car that Sonic had engineered.

"We have to put the front rockers on and the pushrods, give it a lick of paint and a service – but it's actually in very good condition. I'm excited. It should be here next weekend."

According to Percat the car has done very little racing since that 2009 season, with just some state series outings and a handful of practice days and its cycled through various owners.

"It stayed at Sonic for a year and a half after I raced it," he explained.

"Then it went to a guy who was planning to race it, but I think he was too broad in the shoulders to fit in a Formula Ford. So he drove it once for twice.

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"And then it went to the owner that currently has it in Sydney and he's used it twice as well. So since I last drove it, it's probably only done 10 events or practice days.

"I've seen the photos, it's still got my custom brake pedal that I made when I was working at Sonic so I could actually get my foot in the pedal box. It's still got the witness marks on the chassis from when I canoed it a few times. So it's the right car!"

Percat plans to put the car back into service, the four-time Supercars race winner keen to drive it himself – wearing his original race kit – as well as hosting a test day for some friends before the car undergoes its restoration.

"I've still got the championship winning helmet, that's sitting in the cabinet at Sonic," he said. "The race suit is literally in my office, as are the boots.

"I'm just going to rock up at Winton for a test day with Sonic. I'll probably do that before I spend the time and money making it all back to brand new.

"There's a few of my mates that have driven karts before who never actually got to drive a race car, they never actually got the chance to step up due to not having the backing and even drive a Formula Ford. And they always dreamed of doing it.

"So I think I'm going to actually put on a little day with them and give them all a skid. If we tear of a corner off the thing, honestly it's had worse happen to it. I think it would be pretty cool."

His biggest dilemma is where he'll keep it, given he lives in an apartment in Melbourne.

"I haven't got to that detail yet," he laughed.

"I was talking to Greg Woodrow, who used to be the Mygale importer, and I said 'do you know where my Mygale is?'. So it's actually thanks to him, he's the one that found it for us. Maybe I'll convince him to give me some space.

"Or I'll just get rid of my road car and park it in the basement at my apartment!"

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Edition

Australia