HRT Race Highlights:
• The team’s qualifying form wasn’t much better today, with Tander qualifying 19th and Courtney 20th for the afternoon’s 200-kilometre marathon.
• Tander was off to a flying start, jumping four spots up to 16th before the end of the opening lap. Courtney came into pit at the end of that same lap for fuel and tyres, while Tander opted to stay out. The field was divided on strategy, with some teams opting for two stops, and others three; Both HRT cars opting for the latter.
• Tander moved through the pack and towards the front of a train, passing Pye on lap four to find clean air and slotting into position nine.
• Tander eventually pitted from 6th position at the conclusion of lap ten for tyres and fuel, before slotting back in 18th, behind his teammate. With Tander on fresher rubber and the HRT duo running two different race strategies, they switched positions on lap 14.
• The first and only Safety Car of the weekend was deployed on lap 18 after Holdsworth’s car was stopped stranded on the track. Both drivers pitted, Tander from 11th and Courtney from 13th. The #22 driver was forced to double-stack, in the hope that a short second stint would pay dividends later in the race. Tander re-joined the field 18th and Courtney 24th.
• With the field bunched back up, the race restarted at the end of lap 20 but it was only short-lived for Courtney, who returned to pit lane just two laps later with after a hard hit from Mostert. The incident at turn ten left damage to the passenger side of car #22 and ultimately damaging the upright. No penalty was handed down to Mostert.
• While the #22 Holden sat stagnant in the garage for repairs, Tander was brought in for his third and final pit stop on lap 27, Tander finding the grass on his entrance into pit lane. With the stop complete, Tander charged through the field to make his way up to 12th by the end of lap 67.
• Although no longer in contention, Courtney returned to racing on lap 34 to collect vital Championship points. He pitted again with just three laps remaining, taking the last of his minimum fuel drop, before passing the chequered flag 25th.

Thoughts on the day:

James Courtney, #22 Holden VF Commodore
“It wasn’t the best weekend for us with both cars really struggliing for pace all weekend. Practice on Friday wasn’t too bad and either was qualifying yesterday but then we had dramas in the race with Cam Waters.

“Then today it was his teammate Mostert; I gave him some room and I think he locked the rears and hit me pretty bad. I could actually see under the car, that’s how high it went.

“So it wasn’t the best of weekends, we were out of the race from then on and I just cruised around to finish. We are going to Darwin next and we qualified on pole there last year so let’s hope we get a bit more luck there.”