The Brad Jones Racing Toyota star’s second engine-related DNF of the season on Sunday compounded a horror weekend for the team.
Heimgartner entered Townsville 12th in the standings, 124 points out of the 10th place cut-off, and leaves 14th and 175 points adrift with just four rounds to go.
The #8 Supra had been 15th and 16th in the opening two Townsville races, before a ninth-place qualifying effort on Sunday had Heimgartner hopeful for the race.
That quickly dried up, though, when the Kiwi was first involved in a Turn 2 melee and then forced to the garage with terminal engine trouble.
“I felt like we really unlocked some speed and got a bit of direction,” reflected Heimgartner.
“Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to see if it came to anything in the race mainly due to some engine issues.
Secure your spot today.
“That’s of course a DNF so it puts a bit of a dampener on our Finals hopes and almost kills that.
“So now just looking forward to try and execute some races and just try and build up for next year.”
Heimgartner was the hard luck story of the 2025 Finals cut-off, bumped out of the 10th place slot when he conceded a place on the final lap of the Bathurst 1000.
The 10th place battle is currently being fought out between Matt Stone Racing’s Jack Le Brocq and the Blanchard Racing Team’s James Golding.
Golding conceded the place to Le Brocq in Townsville after his own Sunday trouble, spun by Cooper Murray on the opening lap.
Le Brocq is now 11 points ahead of Golding, while 12th-placed Jayden Ojeda and 13th-placed Thomas Randle are 137 and 156 points outside the cut-off respectively.
The top 10 drivers in points after the Bathurst 1000 will score Finals slots, unless the Enduro Cup winner comes from 11th downwards and gains an automatic entry.
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