Feature: Percat’s ascendancy

We look at the progress of one of V8 Supercars potential new stars in first-time Bathurst winner Nick Percat, as the 23-year-old heads into his third year in the Development Series.

2011 was a season of two halves for Nick Percat, but not in the conventional manner. While the lanky 23 year old from Adelaide endured a disappointing season in the Fujitsu Development Series for older V8 machinery, yielding no race wins and only 6th in points, he was simultaneously catapulted into the spotlight when partnering 2007 champion and three-time Bathurst 1000 winner Garth Tander to victory on his first attempt at the majestic Mount Panorama circuit.

Percat’s famous win has seen him become only the second rookie in history to win on the mountain after Jacky Ickx achieved the feat in 1977, and this unprecedented career momentum means he is understandably favourite to win the development series in 2012.

The winner of the 2009 Australian Formula Ford championship began his second Fujitsu season in controversial style on the streets of Adelaide in March, punting Triple Eight’s Andrew Thompson off the road before charging back up the order from the resultant penalty to finish third and win the round. Further contact with Paul Morris at Perth (which resulted in Tander having to serve as an impromptu bodyguard for his young charge) was followed up by a first lap collision with Jack Perkins at Ipswich, and incidents with Chaz Mostert and Tim Blanchard at Sandown, the latter resulting in a 25 point penalty.

The final Fujitsu race of the season at Homebush epitomised his up and down season, wresting the lead from champion Thompson before himself being overhauled by second generation driver Perkins when his wet weather tyres deteriorated on the drying track. Yet despite his frustrating season in the #222 Walkinshaw Racing Holden, Percat’s head was in the right place, and he was able to prove his doubters wrong when the chance arose to prove his stock during the endurance rounds of the main series.

Percat is proof that form in the junior categories is not everything, and does not necessarily reflect what will be achieved at the highest level. You only have to look at Japanese F1 idol Kamui Kobayashi to recognise this fact: not much was expected of Kobayashi when he made his Grand Prix debut in Brazil 2009 for Toyota, having suffered a couple of miserable seasons in GP2 and a lowly ranking of 16th in ’08 and ’09. But he grasped his F1 opportunity with both hands, refusing to be intimidated by new champion Jenson Button and as they say, the rest is history; Peter Sauber liked what he saw, and gave Kamui the platform to display his talents on a permanent basis. Comparisons can be drawn too with 19 year old NASCAR poster boy Trevor Bayne, who back in February won the jewel in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series crown – the Daytona 500 – before he had won a round of the NASCAR Nationwide Series.

Similarly, while Percat’s two years in the development series have yet to produce a win, his first foray onto Mount Panorama – the daddy of them all – reaped the rewards that some drivers try their whole careers to achieve: the late Jason Richards, NASCAR rising star Marcos Ambrose and Brad Jones, who for instance finished on the podium 6 times, never won at Bathurst in their accomplished V8 Supercar careers.

The V8 endurance season began at the fast and furious Philip Island circuit, but started in disaster for Percat, unable to start the race from his front row grid slot when the car failed to select first gear. But despite having to start from pit road, he managed to carve his way through the field to sixth without putting a scratch on the car by the time Tander took over, en route to an eventual fourth place (which would have been a podium had Tander not made a rookie-like mistake on cold tyres).

Of course, the pairing went even better at Bathurst, taking what has since become a famous, landmark 200th win for the Holden Racing Team. Although Tander widely took the plaudits for holding off 5 time winner (and Philip Island victor) Craig Lowndes by a scant 0.29 seconds at the flag in the closest finish Bathurst has ever seen, it was the consistent opening stints from Percat which put the #2 Holden in the winning position.

The contrast between the two men watching their partners duke it out in the closing stages couldn’t have been greater. Lowndes’ partner Mark Skaife is a true legend of the sport, a semi-retired 6 time winner at Bathurst, and 5 time champion, who has been doing the rounds in the V8 Supercars (formerly the Australian Touring Car Championship) before Percat was even born. Until Bathurst, Skaife had won each of the three enduros that he had competed in alongside Lowndes, including both endurance events in 2010.

The youngster’s Bathurst debut also made similar ripples in the sport to that of Lowndes, whose Bathurst debut although falling short of a win, had also stunned the touring car establishment in 1994, when he pulled off an incredible around the outside pass on John Bowe at Griffins Bend. However unlike the veteran Lowndes, who, having taken the title fight with Jamie Whincup to the final round is without a doubt at the top of this game, Percat will only continue to get better. As such, he has inked a deal with his long time backers at Walkinshaw Racing for another crack at the Development Series title, which will give him the grounding in consistency that he needs.

“Nick has been a part of the Walkinshaw Racing family for almost five years now and re-confirmed our confidence in him with his stunning drive at Bathurst alongside Garth,” said team manager Ryan Walkinshaw upon signing the contract earlier this week.
“He is a level headed and talented young driver who has a promising future in V8 Supercars. We look forward to further developing his skills and preparing him for his entry into the V8 Supercars main series in a couple of year’s time.”

Percat is in the unique position of being a star of the moment as well as being a star of tomorrow. With a seemingly guaranteed ride alongside Tander to defend the Peter Brock Trophy, which many of his peers in the development series would give an arm and a leg for, Percat has the air about him of a man who knows that time is on his side.

“Jumping straight up into the main series after the Bathurst success obviously had some appeal, but ensuring I work through a thorough apprenticeship and by being patient at this stage of my development should reap benefits when I do make the next step.”

Favorite to win the Development Series in 2012, and with a guaranteed ride in a top-line car for the enduros, the future looks rosy for Nick Percat. Adding his victory on the mountain to his CV, it would take a brave man to bet against him making the move to the top flight permanent in the near future.

Although Percat still has work to do to iron out his inconsistency, as long as his swashbuckling style continues to win him fans among the ranks of V8 Supercar team managers, Australia’s next biggest thing will find no trouble at all in finding the ride he needs to continue rewriting the history books.

By James Newbold