From Driver's Seat to Disney Date

To get fans revved up about the Tyrepower Tasmania 400, Launceston City Park is hosting a free screening of Disney Pixar’s Cars 2 tomorrow night.

Families are encouraged to come down and see their favourite animated cars on-screen – before seeing their favourite V8 Supercars on-track next weekend.

Rookie Nick Percat will host the night, and next week unveil his Holden Commodore's new livery, debuting at the Tasmania round.

“I’m really looking forward to getting on track at Symmons Plains and meeting all the fans in Tassie,” Percat said.

“V8 Supercars is all about families, so we’re hoping to see a strong turnout tomorrow night and at the track next week.

“What better way to get kids excited about the racing than watching their favourite moments from Cars 2?”

The Clipsal 500 Adelaide marked Percat’s first event as a full-time driver in the main game, and the young South Australian put in a strong showing in the final race there, though an error cost him a potential podium finish.

Percat was battling the front-runners in the 250km dash, but when dicing with Shane van Gisbergen in the closing stages tapped the wall and ended his run at the front.

However, he knows there’s plenty of improvement to be made and is hopeful of a top 10 showing this season.

“I’ll tidy up my driving – I’ve got heaps to learn,” Percat told v8supercars.com.au. “If I can just tidy up a few one per centers that’ll equal a big percentage of my driving.

“One mistake for the weekend – it was the only scratch I put on it, turns out that was quite a big scratch! But it’s all good.”

Percat finished the four Rolex Australian Grand Prix support races mid-pack, but currently sits at the bottom of the points standings after mechanical issues, a points penalty for contact with Michael Caruso and his late race error.

“We should have been running in the top 10 all weekend, but we had a few little problems,” he said of the season opener.

But both he and new team boss Adrian Burgess took more positives than negatives away from the weekend and Percat’s showing in the top 10.

“The good thing for Nick is he’s shown people he has got the speed. The team never had any doubt – we know he’s good, that’s why he’s in one of our cars,” Burgess said. 

“He’s got to learn, bond with the guys and the team around him – it’s different being a co-driver to being full-time driver.”

Fans can meet Percat tomorrow night at the free Disney PIXAR Cars 2 Moonlight Screening at Launceston City Park at 7.15pm.

The Tyrepower Tasmania 400 is free for children under 14 years of age attending with an adult.