Andre Heimgartner has stunned at Sydney Motorsport Park after blitzing the field in torrential conditions aboard his #7 Ned Racing Mustang. The Kelly Grove Racing driver made the most of wet conditions on Sunday morning to be fastest in wild conditions, seizing provisional pole position for the final race of the four-week Sydney showdown.
“We showed our wet weather pace, and it was great to get provisional pole, but we still have some work to do on outright pace ahead of Bathurst,” said Heimgartner. “There are some positives to take from the four weeks here in Sydney, but we still have some progress to make.”
The 2021 Beaurepaires Sydney SuperNight saw Races 29 and Race 30 planned, with Saturday evening’s Race 29 the last under lights before Sunday afternoon’s battle. The format saw both longer 64-lap races include two compulsory pit-stops, with the return of refuelling and more personnel allowed in pit-lane to assist.
Drivers also had to use two Dunlop tyre compounds in each race; a faster super-soft and a slower, more durable hard tyre to bring even more variables in strategy for the weekend – before serious rain made things even less predictable.
Saturday
Qualifying and Race 29
Andre returned to a previous set-up for the Sydney Motorsport Grand Prix layout, where he’d achieved his career-first Pole Position in 2020, with the threat of rain bolstering his chances to get into the Top Ten Shootout after previously qualifying fourth-fastest for Race 25.
Dry qualifying for Saturday’s Race 29 didn’t see any rainfall, however, with Andre starting 19th for the evening’s 64-lap 250km race, with barely a second between second and 20th-placed cars across the field.
Race 29 once again saw brooding clouds with several drivers rolling the dice on strategy by fitting the super-soft tyre, which would provide faster dry pace but superior performance should there be an early shower.
Andre started on the hard tyre and was instantly in the thick of it, swamped to 23rd in the #7 Ned Racing Mustang. The opportunity to change tyres came once the pit-window opening on Lap 6, but it was a Safety Car the following lap that saw all 23 remaining cars in pit-lane.
After 32 laps – the halfway point – Andre was 14th ahead of Tim Slade as the field was mixed up on various strategies, climbing to seventh place before making his final stop on Lap 40.
Like the majority of the field, Heimgartner was now on the super-soft Dunlop and made good progress to pass Jack Smith, Garry Jacobson and Jake Kostecki to finish in 15th position at the chequered flag.
Sunday
Qualifying and Race 30
Andre’s wish was granted with torrential conditions for Sunday morning’s all-in 15-minute session. The fastest would make the Top Ten Shootout – and Andre flew home to top the session with a 1:45.082 for P1 in conditions where the driver makes all the difference.
“I love those sorts of conditions, it’s good fun just going into the corners hoping you don’t go flying off the track,” said Heimgartner. “We've got the Top 10 Shootout coming, so we’ll wait and see but it’s a good start. Turn 1 was sketchy, but apart from that it was all good. The car was comfortable, the tyre pressures were just right and I managed to put in a good time”.
That meant he was the last car out for the Top Ten Shootout, where changeable conditions made it a mixed bag for the drivers. A smooth lap from Andre didn’t see a repeat of his field-dominating pace from earlier in the day, with a set of ‘roaded’ tyres not giving the Kelly Grove Mustang the traction of those who opted for fresh tyres. Andre still kept it clean to lock in eighth on the grid for a race that looked like it would bring conditions that the 26-year-old typically thrives in.
“We decided to go with a set of tyres that we roaded in earlier practice yesterday and versus Dave [Reynolds], they went out on new tyres, so I think that was definitely a mistake,” Andre said. “I just couldn’t get it going the whole lap. Pretty disappointing obviously when you’re fastest in qualifying, but the car was good, pretty confident, but it just didn’t translate and I had no grip. Disappointing, but still eighth and it’s a long race.”
Sadly Andre’s shot at climbing through the field in a salivating 250km wet Race 30 never came. Presented with torrential conditions that had worsened over the weekend, constant rain fall brought large amounts of standing water and multiple ‘rivers’ flowing across the circuit as the green flag was due to be waved.
The 15:10 local start time was pushed back before the Safety Car led the field out in formation under yellow flags – meaning no passing – to complete only five laps before the race was temporarily stopped. At 16:25, officials declared that the cars would not return to the track, the race officially cancelled with no points or places awarded.
Andre Heimgartner will be back in action at the wheel of the #7 Ned Racing Mustang for the 2021 Repco Bathurst 1000 on November 30 - December 5, where he will drive with Matt Campbell. Tickets are available here with live coverage on the Seven Network, Fox Sports and live streaming via Kayo.
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