Sydney supernight: race 1

QUALIFYING
Andre Heimgartner: 4th
Bryce Fullwood: 11th
Macauley Jones: 21st
Jack Smith: 18th

RACE 1 - 300KM / 77 LAPS
Andre: 15th
Bryce: 12th
Macauley: 22nd
Jack: 17th
Winner: Shane van Gisbergen

A suspected fuel issue at the end of the 300km / 77 lap Beaurepairs Sydney SuperNight put an end to the hopes of a dream debut for new Brad Jones Racing recruit Andre Heimgartner in the R&J Batteries Racing car tonight.

Heimgartner has looked quick all weekend, finishing qualifying in position 4 to move him into the Top 10 Shootout on Saturday afternoon. He then repeated the effort to put the #8 car into position 4 for the race, his best ever result in a Shootout.

A good start then saw Heimgartner take the lead early in the race which he held for 17 laps, the most he’s ever led in a single driver Supercars race and posting the fastest lap of the race in the process.

A minimal pit stop strategy looked to be positioning Heimgartner for a strong top 10 finish but in the penultimate lap a suspected fuel issue forced the Kiwi to pit for a splash and dash to complete the race, dropping him to 15th at the fall of the chequered flag.

Heimgartner said given how strong the team had looked early on in the race the result was disappointing but the pace of the car gave him a lot of confidence going into Sunday's second 300km race.

Bryce Fullwood in the Middy's Racing #14 entry continued his successful first outing with BJR and after qualifying just out of the Top 10 Shootout in P11, crossed the finish line without incident in 12th.

Fullwood said the threat of rain had been one of the biggest factors going into the race and being able to finish the full 300km without the weather turning had allowed him to really get a feel for the car leading into Sunday's race.

Macauley Jones in the Automotive Superstore Racing #96 car also put in a solid display despite a tyre deflation early into his soft tyre run requiring a massive change of strategy. Jones qualified 21st and finished the race in 22nd, after getting caught up in some early scrapes which saw the stunning black and gold machine take a brief excursion off the track.

Jack Smith in the SCT Logistics Racing entry likewise qualified strongly in 18th and showed he isn't afraid to mix it for track position, finishing the race a strong 17th.

Rain is expected in Sydney during Sunday but all four drivers are looking forward to what will be the first chance to see what their cars are capable of in the wet.