WALKINSHAW Andretti United is bracing for an unprecedented weekend at the NTI Townsville 500.
For the first time, the team’s full quintet will be in action together.
That will see it fielding Nick Percat and Chaz Mostert in the Repco Supercars Championship, Ryan Wood and Zach Bates in Super2, plus Matt Hillyer in Toyota 86s.
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WAU this year re-established a Super2 program, having last done so for Percat in 2012, with Wood especially emerging as a star of the future having taken a pole position in Newcastle and two wins in Perth.
The squad has also added Toyota 86 to its portfolio with Hillyer, a mechanic for the team who is also the series leader in Australian Formula Ford.
“The NTI Townsville 500 is one of the best rounds of the season,” said WAU team principal Bruce Stewart.
“What makes it more special this year is that we have all five WAU drivers on track this weekend with Chaz Mostert and Nick Percat in the Supercars Championship, Ryan Wood and Zach Bates in the Dunlop Super2 Series and Matt Hillyer debuting in the Toyota 86 Series.
“This is the first time WAU have had five cars competing in three different championships/series at one event, so it’s a big weekend for us as a team.”
At the top level, qualifying is the focus for Percat and Mostert after struggling for one-lap pace in Darwin (besides Percat’s seventh on the grid for Race 2 at Hidden Valley).
“It’s great having the 250km races back this weekend, it brings strategy into the mix and hopefully will make for more exciting races,” said Percat.
“We made good improvements on the race car in Darwin, qualifying is a key area of focus for the Mobil 1 NTI Racing Car 2 this weekend.”
Mostert echoed those sentiments: “It’s awesome to have some longer races back, and at a street circuit as well.
“Means more strategy, more for us to think about, and hopefully some cool racing for everyone watching.
“The Mobil 1 Optus Racing Car 25 showed great race pace in Darwin, so a big focus for us is to improve our quali car so we can start further up the grid.”
