WALKINSHAW Andretti United team principal Bruce Stewart was left flummoxed by a rare mechanical issue that hampered Nick Percat’s 300th Supercars Championship race.
Starting his milestone occasion on Sunday afternoon from 14th on the grid after being deployed to tow Mostert during qualifying, a loose brake pad pedal forced Percat into an extended pitstop to rectify the matter on Lap 13 of 42.
He spent roughly an extra 23 seconds in pitlane, resigning him to 23rd at the chequered flag.
“It was a very unusual issue. I’ve never heard of it happening,” Stewart told V8 Sleuth.
“It got a little loose and before it became a safety issue we had to bring Nick in and tighten it. He lost a lot of time in the pitstop.
“That was unfortunate because even at the end of the race on 29-lap-old tyres he was in the top five or six cars lap after lap and that was extraordinary.”
Percat’s previous milestones had netted big results: taking third place at the 2016 Bathurst 1000 for his 100th race and victory at Sydney Motorsport Park in 2020 for his 200th.
Nevertheless, Symmons Plains was the second straight round where Percat all but matched teammate Chaz Mostert through qualifying.
Although pace is still lacking overall for WAU, there are signs that Percat can give the team a proper two-pronged attack once it gets on top of its Mustangs.
“He has done a very good job this weekend amongst some trying circumstances and our belief remains in that he is a talented driver,” Stewart said of Percat.
“We have just got to all put the package together and with him to get the best result.”
WAU is fourth in the teams’ championship with the Darwin Triple Crown next on the agenda in mid-June.