Heimgartner shows talent after the toug g

ANDRE Heimgartner is steadily rebuilding his career after an early baptism of fire in Supercars.

Now 22, Heimgartner is racing this weekend in the BNT V8s at Pukekohe, one of the support categories for the Supercars action.

After three years as a Supercars main game driver, he lost his seat this year, so chose to spend most of 2017 competing in the Carrera Cup in Australia.

He was at Bathurst last month to compete in the weekend’s action in his Porsche, but when Ash Walsh was unable to be Tim Slade’s co-driver in the big race, Heimgartner got the late call up to get behind the wheel of a Supercar again.

He drove well as he and Slade finished ninth, then two weeks later at the Gold Coast, with Walsh still injured, he and Slade finished third.

What was memorable about that race was Heimgartner man- aging to not only being in the lead for a part of it, but getting over 10 seconds ahead of everyone else.

Although the race was eventually won by Chaz Mostert, Heimgartner turned a few heads with his stint in the Holden Commodore.

‘‘It was a great experience and to be in a team like Brad Jones Racing made it a lot easier,’’ Heimgartner said.

‘‘Hopefully I might do it again next year, but there’s a long way to go until then.

‘‘I was obviously pretty pleased with the result, it’s nice to be in a good car and have good equipment under you to do well.

‘‘It was a good weekend in the Carrera Cup too,’’ he added.

‘‘I just missed out on the championship.

‘‘That was a bit disappointing, but it was great to get up on the podium and get a surfboard.’’

When Heimgartner started in Supercars as an 18-year-old for Super Black Racing he didn’t show the ability he had at the