Motorsport: Rookie mistake saved by veteran skill

Garth Tander and rookie enduro partner Nick Percat proved themselves a pairing to watch, bouncing back from the worst possible start at Phillip Island. Photo / Getty Images

Holden driver Nick Percat overcame a horror start for a drive which put his name up in lights in the L&H 500 V8 Supercar race at Phillip Island yesterday.

Co-driving with Garth Tander, the Adelaide 23-year-old stalled his Commodore on the front row of the grid before the start of the 113-lap race.

Then mechanical failure set in, and the start of the race was aborted to clear Percat's stricken car from the grid.

Forced to start from pit lane - last of the 28 cars and so far behind the 27th that he "couldn't see the field" - Percat then proved himself a man to watch as he powered past 24 cars to lift the Holden Racing Team Commodore to fourth.

"That (stalling) was my own fault - creeping the car up to the line ... and I stalled," Percat said.

"But the starter motor failed when I tried to restart the car and I was pretty much bashing anything I could in the car to try and get something to fire up.

"I didn't fire up, I actually drove the car really well and passed 24 cars doing it.

"It's shown a few people I'm not just here to be a co-driver, I'm here to drive the car as hard as I can."

Tander then lifted the car even further, leading the race at one stage before tyre wear slowed the HRT car to finish fourth behind Holden duo Craig Lowndes and Mark Skaife.

Currently driving in the second-tier V8 development series, Percat came to prominence in 2009 when he won the national Formula Ford title by a street.

While a fulltime drive in V8 Supercars is his aim, Percat will head to India to drive open-wheelers ahead of re-teaming with Tander for next month's Bathurst 1000.

And a repeat performance at Bathurst may well lead to further interest in the South Australian, who admits some nibbles for a 2012 drive have been sparked by his performances in the race and qualifying this weekend.

"There's already been a few calls, which is good to know," he said.

- AAP