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Australia

Percat pushed over the line at Bathurst

Nick Percat says he was pushed across the line at the finish of the Bathurst 1000, an empty fuel tank almost robbing him of an unlikely podium finish in Australia’s biggest race.

Nick Percat, Cameron Mcconville, Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport Holden

Nick Percat, Cameron Mcconville, Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport Holden

Dirk Klynsmith

Podium: winners Will Davison, Jonathon Webb, Tekno Autosports Holden, second place Shane van Gisberge, Alexander Premat, Triple Eight Race Engineering Holden, third place Nick Percat, Cameron Mcconville, Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport Holden
Nick Percat, Cameron Mcconville, Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport Holden
Nick Percat, Cameron Mcconville, Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport Holden
Podium: third place Nick Percat, Cameron Mcconville, Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport Holden
Nick Percat and Cameron Mcconville, Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport Holden
Nick Percat and Cameron Mcconville, Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport Holden

Percat is no stranger to fairytale Bathurst finishes, having won the race on debut back in 2011 alongside Garth Tander at the Holden Racing Team.

This year’s achievement was just as big, Percat and comeback co-driver Cameron McConville combining to finish third – subject to the Triple Eight appeal – for the minnow LD Motorsport squad.

However, it almost didn’t happen. Percat revealed after the race that he was so marginal with fuel that his Commodore actually cut out on the final lap of the race, and that it took a bump from fourth place finisher Cam Waters to actually get him across the line.

“We started off pretty bad. I was on the radio complaining that the thing was not enjoyable to drive,” explained Percat.

“Once I got back in after Cam’s double stint, the track had come to us a lot, the car was really fast, I was actually able to run with Fabian [Coulthard] and Will [Davison] and all those guys comfortably. I thought ‘if we need to pass them we probably can here’. So it was really good when we were at full race speed.

“At the end, it was the same as everyone – fuel saving. Cam Waters actually pushed me across the line, so I’ll thank him for that one later.

“[The car] coughed at the kink in The Chase, went sideways under brakes, and then suddenly barked up again on the exit. I had enough of a squirt to get over the hill, then a bit of holding the brake a bit longer than he wanted me to at the apex of the last corner.

“He gave me that little bump, and we’re on the podium.”

It’s been a remarkable year for the struggling LD Motorsport squad. Despite ongoing sponsorship woes, the team fell on the right side of bizarre weather to win the season-opening Clipsal 500 (Percat’s home race), and has now added a Bathurst podium to its honour roll.

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Edition

Australia