High praise for WAU crew after rapid rebuild

Bruce Stewart and Nick Percat have praised Walkinshaw Andretti United mechanics for the miracle turnaround of the damaged #2.

Percat was an innocent bystander in the start-line crash in Race 22.

Thomas Randle, who was collected by Andre Heimgartner, veered into the path of Percat.

Randle and Heimgartner were taken to hospital and later discharged.

Percat’s #2 NTI Mobile 1 Commodore suffered left- and right-side damage, and pulled over at Turn 1.

WAU had two hours to repair the car, and mechanics worked feverishly to get the job done.

Not only was the car repaired, but Percat was allowed to start on the grid for Race 23.

He rewarded WAU with a fine drive to ninth, and team boss Stewart was in awe of the turnaround.

The likes of Matt Stone Racing (Tasmania) and Tickford Racing (Darwin) were forced into similar situations earlier this year.

“It’s funny how adversity, and those kind of moments, binds the team,” Stewart told Supercars’ Cool Down Lap podcast.

“It was just so good to see everyone working together.

“Any kind of niggles from earlier, all gone. It was a single-minded focus to get it done.

“You don’t want to go through those situations, they suck.

“But equally, bloody hell… it’s the kind of thing that brings everyone together.”

Percat charged from 15th to finish one place behind teammate Chaz Mostert.

Mostert was given a time penalty for a clash with Will Davison.

It came after Mostert scored podiums in Races 21 and 22, WAU’s first since he won in Darwin.

Percat hailed the safety of the cars following the crash, with Randle and Heimgartner to revert to spare chassis for Sandown.

"They worked like crazy to get the Mobil 1 NTI Racing No. 2 back out there,” Percat said of his mechanics.

“They are superstars.

“Nice to fight back into the 10 today in the wet, the car was really good.

“We got caught up in a few battles that probably cost us being further up but that’s racing.

"Hopefully Tom and Andre are all good, that was a pretty scary one to start the day.

“There was just no where for me to go to avoid it. Credit to the safety of these cars though."

The 2022 season will resume at Sandown on August 19-21. Purchase your tickets now.