Supercars: Walinshaw Andretti team to repair Percat’s burned Mustang

–by Mark Cipolloni–

Walkinshaw Andretti United (WAU) Mustang driver Nick Percat was been forced to retire from Friday’s Supercars race after his car burst into flames.

Percat’s car appeared to catch fire from the front left tire as he rounded the track in the opening laps at Albert Park on Friday.

The race was already under safety car conditions due to an earlier incident involving Dave Reynolds.

Percat immediately returned to the pit lane where his team rushed to remove him from the cockpit.

The car was full of smoke as the pit crew successfully extinguished the blaze.

“I’m not sure what happened,” Percat said.

“Got a good start, no contact. I thought I could smell something down the back straight … I didn’t think much of it.

“Got to the third last corner and thought ‘oh my God, I’m on fire’.

“I rolled in with no power. It’s been a shocking start, might have to find the black cat and sort it out.”

The WAU team works to get the Ford Mustang back out for the remaining races of the event.