The Bathurst 1000 winner’s future has been a hot topic in the paddock since Speedcafe broke the news that he could leave Matt Stone Racing despite being contracted for another two seasons.
Percat has since opted to take matters into his own hands, announcing this evening that he will step back from full-time Supercars competition at the end of this year.
That will bring to a close a career that has spanned 12 full seasons in Supercars, driving for the likes of Walkinshaw Andretti United, Brad Jones Racing and MSR.
He has won six Supercars races along the journey, including the Great Race on debut in 2011 and a shock Adelaide 500 victory for Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport in 2016.
Percat went close to walking away from Supercars when he lost his WAU drive at the end of 2023, before deciding to continue with MSR.
There was a brief reinvigoration as he won races at Albert Park and Symmons Plains in 2024 and was back on the podium at both circuits again this year.
However it’s understood that his relationship with team management has soured this year.
According to Percat, the decision to retire is softened by his growing involvement on the karting scene with his successful JND Racing squad, which will now become his full focus, along with a Supercars enduro drive.
“It was definitely not an easy decision because I’m still very competitive. I feel like I’m driving well and have got trophies this year,” said Percat.
“So it has been quite a lengthy decision, but on the flip side, when one door closes, another opens.
“There was probably opportunity to stay on the grid but it’s about making sure you put yourself in the right place at the right time, so for me, now was a good time. We have got a lot going on with the JND kart team which is keeping us quite busy.
“When there was a decision to be made, I was actually at Ipswich Kart Club watching the kids drive around and I realised how much I do enjoy giving back to the sport and how much I enjoy watching the kids progress and learn and grow.
“So I was like, you know what, life after Supercars is still very cool, so that made it a lot easier.
“We’ll fire up the JND stuff a bit bigger and hopefully I’ll be able to get myself a nice co-drive and keep putting in good drives for whoever it is I might be driving alongside and try to get some big wins in the future.”
Percat reminisced on a successful Supercars career which started with that incredible Bathurst win alongside Garth Tander for the Holden Racing Team.
“I look back at how fortunate I have been to be on the grid this long,” he said.
“Winning the Adelaide 500 is still one of the greatest achievements – just to not crash the thing because we couldn’t see, let alone to win the race at your home event was amazing.
“Bathurst 2011 with Garth and HRT is something I’ll never forget and every time it comes on, I actually get goose bumps.
“Even this year, being involved in a one-two for MSR, and my one-two with Chaz [Mostert] for the last Holden event in 2022, I have been fortunate that when I do stand on the podium they are very cool races and very meaningful.
“I have so many people to thank. Obviously I can’t look past Mum and Dad, because without them I never would have the opportunity to race a car.
“The support that I’ve had through the years from the HRT days, people like Garth and James Courtney, what they did for me as drivers when I was younger was extremely cool, and the support I’ve had from James Rosenberg over the years and people like Ben Auld who travelled around taking photos for us for free and the love of it to make sure we could document it.
“Also my manager Gareth Whiteley and of course [partner] Baylee for everything they do – they listen to the venting more than anyone!
“It’s been a big collective group that has made it work, so it has been a very good time.
“And now to get to do my last Bathurst as a main driver alongside Tim Slade is really, really cool because he is a good friend.”
MSR will field an all-new line-up next year with Cam Hill also departing the team, bound for Brad Jones Racing.
The likes of Jack Le Brocq and Cameron Crick have been linked to MSR for 2026.
Discussion about this post