Nick Percat takes opening Carrera Cup heat

Former Bathurst 1000 winner Nick Percat produced an all-the-way effort to claim Race 1 of the penultimate Carrera Cup Championship round at Bathurst.

Starting from pole off the back of a record qualifying lap (2:08.7722), Percat needed the inside line to lead away after a slow start.

He was otherwise untroubled on his way to a victory which included four successive fastest laps following an early Safety Car period.

“That’s the perfect start for a Saturday,” enthused Percat.

“I’m pretty happy with a pole and a Race 1 win.

“I finally got off the line and to Turn 1 first, and that made it extremely easy from there – I managed to control the race.”

Earlier in the morning, Percat stunned the paddock with a scintillating qualifying lap which has been likened to Greg Murphy’s famous Lap of the Gods of a decade earlier.

“It’s unbelievable,” said Percat.

“I came down (into) The Chase, saw my split, and really just started laughing to myself.”

Remarkably, Percat’s time would have seen him qualify in 13th for the Bathurst 1000, just two places behind the starting berth which Garth Tander earned in the Commodore Percat will share in the Great Race.

Warren Luff ran second for the duration of the race, holding on from series leader Craig Baird in the dying stages, while Steven Richards shook off Shae Davies’ early challenge to take fourth.

Michael Patrizi created the only positional change in the top five when he passed Davies on Lap 8, while Adam Gowans, Max Twigg, Duvashen Padayachee, and Shane Smollen completed the top ten.

James Bergmuller triggered the only Safety Car period of the race when he spun and slammed into the wall at McPhillamy Park on the opening lap, an incident which ultimately saw the race shortened by two laps to ten.

Tony Bates clouted the concrete at the same place on Lap 8, but fortuitously spun into a safe position in the grass infield before Skyline.

Race 2 will be run over ten laps from 15:45 AEDT this afternoon.

Results Race 1