The Eggleston Motorsport driver featured in Friday practice and qualifying on both Saturday and Sunday, but didn’t take part in either of the two races.
It turns out he has been nursing a broken hand, sustained during the recent Sandown round of the Trans Am Series, where he was competing for Garry Rogers Motorsport.
While he tried to get through the QR weekend in the Super2 car, the 40-minutes races were deemed too risky.
“Race 1 at Sandown in the Trans Am car, off the start I got turned on the exit of Turn 1 and made wheel-to-wheel contact with another car,” Cleary explained.
“I let go of the wheel, and it flicked back around and collected my hand and wrist. Instantly, it was really sore – but I finished the rest of the race. It didn’t feel great once I came in, but thought I could push through, and I finished the weekend in the Trans Am.
“Turns out that I broke my hand, and damaged some muscles in my wrist.
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“I was so determined to race this weekend at QR with Eggleston Motorsport in Super2. [I] went out in practice and qualifying, and the wrist felt okay in short sessions. I knew straight away that I would really struggle in the 40 minute race.
“We decided to sit out the [Saturday] race – I couldn’t risk getting caught up in an accident and making it worse. I must have aggravated it during qualifying, because by Sunday morning, I was struggling with it more.
“[I] went out again and did qualifying, but it was just too painful.”
Cleary qualified 15th and 14th for the respective races.
The youngster will now put his hand and wrist in cast and hopes to be back to fitness before the Bathurst Super2 round.
“I have to wear a cast around it for the next 10 weeks, which brings us to race week of Bathurst,” he said. “That’s my focus, to be back to full strength for the next round of Super2.
“A massive thank you to all my supporters and sponsors, and to Eggleston Motorsport for helping me through this.”
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