WAU backing Percat amid tough run

Percat, who joined the team at the start of last season, has endured a tough run in WAU colours.

The Bathurst 1000 winner has struggled to match teammate Chaz Mostert for much of that time, the highlight of a tough 2022 campaign for Percat a second on the Saturday in Adelaide.

The move to Gen3 hasn't yielded a marked turnaround for Percat, although he was able to out-qualify Mostert on the Saturday in Perth last time out.

Still, he sits 25th and last in the points heading into this weekend, while Mostert is second in the standings.

There have been contributing factors to that, though, such as a wheel bearing failure that led to a DNF in Newcastle.

He then racked up another no-score at Albert Park when he was one of two drivers to suffer from an engine fire.

Speaking ahead of the Tasmania SuperSprint, WAU team principal Bruce Stewart played down suggestions that Percat is under any pressure from the team.

"I think it's been pretty clear with, whether it's been a wheel bearing or a fire, that the gods haven't reflected beautifully on Nick this year," said Stewart.

"We back his talents and tenacity and he's in a great space. We're excited about what's coming forward."

Percat is thought to be out of contract at the end of the current season which could potentially leave him vulnerable should his form not improve.

However as it stands Stewart is in no mood to speculate on the team's driving line-up beyond the current campaign.

"It's [Tasmania], it's May, it's early days," he said. "Eyes forward, let's just do the best job we can and leave those kinds of conversations until later in the year."

WAU has expanded its talent pool this year with the formation of an academy-style programme.

That has seen the team return to the second-tier Super2 series with Zach Bates and Ryan Wood, the latter having clean-swept the recent Perth round.

The team is also running an entry in Toyota 86s for workshop apprentice and promising young driver Matt Hillyer.