Sydney: Hi-Tec Oils Racing weekend summary

MCNALLY ONE OF MANY CAUGHT BY TURN EIGHT IN SYDNEY

Hi-Tec Oils Racing driver Mark McNally was one of many drivers caught out at the treacherous Turn 8 at the Sydney Telstra 500 at the Sydney Olympic Park street circuit today.

McNally was keen to end the season with a solid finish aboard the #16 Hi-Tec Oils Holden Commodore and with the rate of attrition in today's race, even reaching the chequred flag was a difficult task.

Unfortunately for the West Aussie he understeered into the tyre wall on the exit of Turn 8, damaging the Hi-Tec Oils machine and ending his race on lap 48.

James Courtney won today's race at the Sydney Telstra 500 ahead of Michael Caruso and Mark Winterbottom, making it three Sydney-born drivers on the podium of the first ever Sydney street race, which drew 184,856 over three days.

WHAT MARK HAD TO SAY ...

Mark McNally - #16 Hi-Tec Oils Holden Commodore:

"I haven't done a Clipsal 500 before so I'm not too sure how this race compares to that," said Mark McNally.

"But in terms of being physical I only did today's race and not yesterday's. I felt pretty good in the car so I think it was more just the track catching everyone out.

"I don't know if the track was breaking up or if the track had some issues. The car had a bit of understeer in most places, but Turn 8 it wasn't something visible, you didn't go through there and say 'I have just run over this and that's why I have understeered'.

"It happened to me twice and it ended my race. We just went in there, turned the thing in and just had nothing.

"There was no 'I might not make it' moment, I was just straight off into the tyres. It has caught everyone out. I wasn't alone going into Turn 8. It was probably the corner that claimed the most people.

"It's a bit disappointing. All we had to do was finish to get a good result with everyone else not finishing. But you get that and it sums up the year really."

-credit: h-tor