In less than a month, Holden’s Nick Percat has doubled his Supercars career win tally from the previous nine years.
The Brad Jones Racing driver on Sunday secured another win at Sydney Motorsport Park, backing up his triumph at the same circuit three weeks ago.
The 31-year-old denied two-time defending champion Scott McLaughlin, who started race two of the Sydney Supersprint weekend on pole.
Before his third career victory last month, Percat’s previous Supercars race win came at the 2016 Adelaide 500.
Percat won the Bathurst 1000 on debut 2011 and began his full-time driving career in 2014.
He put together a smart race on Sunday, picking off McLaughlin and Red Bull Holden ace Shane van Gisbergen, as the pair started from the front of the grid.
“We knew our long tyre pace was good so we tried to force the hand of Triple-Eight (Red Bull),” Percat said.
“I said ‘you know what, you can try and pass me now because I’ve had a crack at you for 10 laps’.
“It was mega. Credit to BJR (Brad Jones Racing) they backed the way I look after a tyre.”
McLaughlin, who claimed his 65th career pole, is one win away from equalling the legendary Peter Brock on the all-time Supercars win list.
But moving up to fifth on the all-time wins list will have to wait, with Percat saluting in the first of two races on Sunday with McLaughlin’s Shell V-Power teammate Fabian Coulthard second.
A stunning late burst from McLaughlin allowed the New Zealander to pinch a podium spot and overtake Ford veteran James Courtney on the line.
Courtney and Holden ace Chaz Mostert rounded out the top-five.
McLaughlin – who won Saturday night’s opening race of the weekend under the new permanent lights at the Eastern Creek venue – has extended his lead in the 2020 championshi.
It was the New Zealander’s 47th career race victory and edged him within one win of the late Brock’s mark.
Sunday’s second race gets under way at 2.50 pm, with Ford young gun Andrew Heimgartner to start from pole.
RESULTS FOR SUNDAY’S RACE ONE
1. Nick Percat (Holden)
2. Fabian Coulthard (Ford)
3. Scott McLaughlin (Ford)
4. James Courtney (Ford)
5. Chaz Mostert (Holden)