Top 10 performances of 2021: Part 1

Not all great performances happen at the front, and that was certainly the case in 2021.

The 30 races in the 2021 Repco Supercars Championship provided some excellent action.

From dominant runs from pole, to desperate fight-backs through the field, drivers put on a show this year.

Supercars.com has picked out the best performances of 2021, starting with the first five of our top 10.

10) Will Brown, Darwin Race 12 (22nd to 4th)

Through the chaos of the Darwin opener emerged Brown, who nearly pinched a maiden Supercars podium despite starting from 22nd. The gain of 18 positions was one of the biggest of the season.

9) Tim Slade, Townsville Race 17 (19th to 4th)

The Blanchard brains trust executed some smart strategies in 2021, and Slade put the race pace of the CoolDrive Mustang to the test in a brilliant Townsville charge. Slade started 19th for the WD-40 Townsville SuperSprint opener, but an early stop and smart pace had him within a sniff of a trophy.

8) Nick Percat, Tailem Bend Race 9 (26th to 5th)

After a shocking qualifying, Percat played the long game in changeable conditions. The Brad Jones Racing ace started dead last, but kept pace throughout the pit cycle to emerge with a chance at an unlikely podium.

7) Andre Heimgartner, Bend Race 9 (1st to 1st)

It took 161 races, but Heimgartner finally broke through with victory in Tailem Bend. It was a dominant day for the Kiwi, who first soared to pole before keeping his nose clean in changeable conditions. He was so dominant, that he still had margin despite being hit with a penalty for an unsafe release following his stop.

6) Cameron Waters, Townsville Race 19 (1st to 1st)

Having first denied Shane van Gisbergen at The Bend, Waters was forced to do it again in Townsville. This time, he had to hang on after benefiting from a mid-race Safety Car, with van Gisbergen trying everything to break through at the death.