SYDNEY, Australia – Nissan Motorsport driver Rick Kelly scored a sixth-place finish as Australian fans enjoyed the first nighttime Supercars race to be held for more than 20 years.
The No. 15 Altima driver continued his strong 2018 qualifying form earlier in the day by lining up fourth on the grid.
A difficult first stint was compounded with a slow puncture in his second run before Kelly demonstrated the improved race pace of the Nissan to cross the line in sixth place. Kelly has also now solidified his position inside the Top 10 on championship points.
"Sixth was pretty good for us. One thing we had been working hard on lately was our race pace, and I think we achieved that," said Kelly. "Even though it's cold and at night, tire degradation around this place is still pretty significant. So we had a big swing at the race package, and the last stint proved we made some good in-roads there. Sixth isn't a great result given our one-lap speed, but we bagged plenty of points tonight. The race wasn't without incident though. We had a slow puncture before our second stop, and that probably cost us a position or two at the end. But overall, we've got to be happy with the direction we're heading in."
What a night that was. To the fans who attended the event, well done, the atmosphere was amazing track side. @supercars have to be complemented for the show they put on! Disappointed to be taken out so close to the end, but that won’t stop me from continuing to work hard. #VASC pic.twitter.com/ycPb8I39RW
— Michael Caruso (@michaelcarus0) August 4, 2018
Race 21 Result: Great drive from @rickkelly to finish P6 and a hard charge from @simdesilvestro to cross the line P14. Both MC and AH were taken out and finished down the order. But overall...what a night. #VASC pic.twitter.com/71DJvwGgDw
— Nissan Motorsport (@Nissan_MSport) August 4, 2018
Simona de Silvestro completed the race in 14th place while teammates Michael Caruso and Andre Heimgartner's races were both ruined following contact.
Caruso delivered a strong qualifying performance to line up inside the top 10 but was taken out late in the race by Anton de Pasquale who received a point penalty for the contact.
Heimgartner suffered contact with Garth Tander early in the race, and the suspension damage and repairs cost him multiple laps.
NISMO Calendar
August 11-12
Micra Cup, Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, Canada
August 18-19
FIA World Endurance Championship, Silverstone, UK
European Le Mans Series, Silverstone, UK
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paul@nismosupport.com
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