Podiums possible for Percat: HRT boss

Toll Holden Racing Team managing director Craig Wilson says that rookie endurance driver signing Nick Percat can assist Garth Tander’s V8 Supercars Championship quest, stating that podium finishes are not out of the question.

Percat was today confirmed as Tander’s team-mate for Phillip Island and Bathurst, while Tander’s former partner Cameron McConville will drive with reigning V8 Supercars Champion James Courtney.

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Tander, currently third in the V8 Supercars Championship, has been mentoring Percat for the past few years, and after driving for the Walkinshaw Racing organisation in the Fujitsu V8 Series, Wilson feels that Percat is not only ready for the task, but capable of scoring a big result.

“We are really pleased to announce Cameron McConville and Nick Percat as co-drivers for James Courtney and Garth Tander for this year’s endurance events at Phillip Island and Bathurst,” Wilson said.

“I think it is great to have consistency in our driver line up with Cameron joining the Toll Holden Racing Team again and to have fresh new talent in Nick, who will be a great match-up for Garth Tander.

“We believe both driver combinations are capable of being on the podium at both this year’s events and we are looking forward to these significant races.

“Nick is gaining considerable racing miles in the Fujitsu V8 Supercars Series, in which we believe he is doing a fantastic job, and Cameron back racing regularly in the V8 Ute Series is also a bonus.”

Percat won the Australian FFord Championship in 2009 and set the record for the most ever race wins in the junior open wheeler category with 22 victories.

Driving for Walkinshaw Racing, Percat made his V8 Supercar debut in the Fujitsu development series in 2010, finishing the year fourth overall. He made his V8 Supercars main series debut at last year’s L&H 500 Phillip Island, co-driving with Andrew Thompson in the Bundaberg Red/Walkinshaw Commodore.

This year, Percat is again contesting the Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series for Walkinshaw Racing, driving the Coates Hire Commodore. He won the opening round of the championship in Adelaide and sits eighth in points after two rounds.

As an aside, it will be the first time that Tander has entered a V8 Supercars endurance race with a team-mate who is taller than him!