Team 18 Weekend Re-Cap...
DEWALT Racing drivers Anton De Pasquale and Lee Holdsworth secured a seventh-place finish in the rain-affected AirTouch 500 at The Bend, while Snowy River Racing's David Reynolds and James Courtney finished 22nd. Holdsworth faced early challenges, including a 15-second penalty and handling issues caused by low tire pressure and car damage from multiple on-track incidents.
Meanwhile, Courtney’s race was severely hampered early on when a collision with Scott Pye forced his car into the garage for repairs, leaving him several laps behind.
Multiple Safety Car periods allowed both Team 18 entries to recover lost time and manage changing track conditions as the race progressed. After taking over the No.18 Camaro, De Pasquale managed the damaged vehicle to break into the top 10 as the track dried.
The race was eventually shortened due to time constraints. Following post-race disqualifications, De Pasquale and Holdsworth were elevated to seventh, while Reynolds and Courtney moved up to 22nd. This result helped De Pasquale secure his position in the Supercars Finals Series as the team looks ahead to the upcoming Bathurst 1000.
RESULTS & QUOTES
Anton De Pasquale, Primary Driver – No. 18 DEWALT Racing Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Race 29: P7
“What a crazy day for the first endurance race of the year. We had plenty of rain, mixed conditions towards the end, crashes, Safety Cars and a bit of everything. It would have been a really cool race to watch from the couch.”
“We became involved in a few things early which put us on the back foot, but we recovered into the top 10. That should cement our place in the Finals, which was one of our main goals today.”
“We carried some damage to the front splitter and had taken a couple of hits to the rear, so we didn’t have the ultimate speed. We did everything we could and now we’re looking forward to Bathurst.”
Lee Holdsworth, Co-Driver – No. 18 DEWALT Racing Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
“That was very wild. They were probably the worst and most unpredictable conditions I’ve ever driven in. There was so much happening out there that it was difficult to keep track of everything.”
“I didn’t get a great start and just sat there wheel-spinning, but I managed to regain some ground on the opening lap.”
“I was down the inside of the Red Bull car into the hairpin and it came across the front of me. The contact turned them around and earned us a penalty.”
“Staying on the track was the key in those conditions. We managed to remain in contention and get back onto the lead lap, but it was absolutely crazy out there. I was exhausted by the end of my stint.”
David Reynolds, Primary Driver – No. 20 Snowy River Racing Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Race 29: P22
“The Bend 500 didn’t go as we planned. We were pretty much out of contention from the opening lap.”
“James made a good start from 16th and gained a few positions through the opening corners. When he turned into Turn 6, someone tagged him and turned him around, which caused a puncture and broke the steering.”
“We had to bring the car into the garage for repairs, which put us five laps behind. The Safety Cars allowed us to recover most of those laps, but we were still short of the lead lap when I got in.”
“There were no more Safety Cars to help us recover, so we finished 22nd. It wasn’t where we wanted to be, but there are plenty of things we can learn and take to Bathurst.”
“I had heaps of fun racing with Courtney this weekend. He’s a great character who brings the party, and I can’t wait to do it all again.”
James Courtney, Co-Driver – No. 20 Snowy River Racing Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
“That was wild. The start was pretty cool and I got a good jump off the line, passed a few cars and went around the outside at Turn 6.”
“I was hit from behind on the exit, which put us out of contention straight away. We had damage and a tyre go down, so we were immediately on the back foot.”
“We had to push hard and make sure we kept moving forward so we could regain laps during the Safety Car periods.”
“It was good fun despite everything. As the circuit started developing a dry line, the wet tyre became hot and over-pressured, which made the car pretty sketchy and caught us out slightly on strategy.”
“I handed the car over to Dave for the finish and knew the little Ginger Prince would push all the way to the end.”
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