Andre Heimgartner and Aaren Russell have watched a potential podium place go down the Gold Coast drains after a huge thunderstorm washed out Race 27 of the Supercars Championship in Surfers Paradise today.
The severity of the rain meant that the race has been deemed a non-event with no points awarded.
The #7 Plus Fitness Nissan of Heimgartner and Russell were placed third at the time of the event being called off.
Simona De Silvestro and Michael Caruso did not get any racing laps under their belts as the weather had arrived before they had a chance to slide their way around the street track.
Rick Kelly was in a similar position having only driven around behind the Safety Car. Garry Jacobson was in second place when he pitted to hand over to Kelly.
The penultimate round of the Supercars Championship will be held in New Zealand at Pukekohe Park Raceway in two weeks time.
DRIVER QUOTES
#7 PLUS FITNESS RACING
ANDRE HEIMGARTNER : “It’s interesting. It is what it is – a bit of a non-event,” said Andre Heimgartner. “I started the race, passed a lot of cars, that was the only positive. It’s just really disappointing not to have a result when we finish the race being third on the time sheets.”
AARON RUSSELL : “We were probably on for a really good result,” said Aaren Russell. “We were in the box seat. There’s no way they could have let us race in that. It was too dangerous. I would have loved to have weather good enough to race, but that’s just how it is sometimes.”
#15 CASTROL RACING
RICK KELLY : “We rolled the dice on set-up and wet full wet, so when the rain came, we felt we were in a good spot,” said Rick Kelly. “We had two drivers that tend to go well in the wet, so it’s disappointing. We didn’t have the car in qualifying, so we were really looking to bounce back. Our team will regroup now and aim to finish the year on a high.”
GARRY JACOBSON : “We selected a wet car set-up, so the first stint in the dry was difficult and all about survival,” said Garry Jacobson. “Once it started to rain, I was smiling. I though that we’d made the right decision for the long distance. « I must say, working alongside Nissan for the first time in the Pirtek Endurance Cup has been an honour. I’ve learnt a lot – Rick is a great guy and a great driver.”
#78 TEAM HARVEY NORMAN
SIMONA DE SILVESTRO : “I didn’t do a lot today. It would have been cool to run, but it wasn’t safe enough,” said Simona De Silvestro. “I’ve seen lots of races where there’s lots of rain, and unfortunately, they all end up the same way.”
ALEX RULLO : “We were the first to pit for wets, and it could have worked well, but the conditions weren’t quite wet enough and I had a small off, just before the safety car came out,” said Alex Rullo. “I think we rolled the dice a little too early. I don’t blame the team for trying, we were giving it our best, but it was all for nothing in the end anyway,”
#23 INDUSTRIAL ATHLETE
MICHAEL CARUSO : “I didn’t get a race lap, so not a lot for me to do today !” said Michael Caruso. “The conditions were horrible. We didn’t have a great qualifying session, but we were looking OK for the race. Unfortunately, it was called off and we didn’t get to show the potential.”
DEAN FIORE : “We were playing the long game,” said Dean Fiore. “I was happy with my stint. There was a slight delay at the pit stop with a quick set-up change, but otherwise, we were pleased until the weather forced us to stop.”
Press release Nissan Motorsport
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