Dubbed the “Harvey Norman Supergirls,” Simona de Silvestro and Renee Gracie were certainly one of the stories at this year’s Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, as an all-female lineup debuting in the most prestigious race of the Australian V8 Supercars season.
Unfortunately their race didn’t really get going in the manner they would have liked. Gracie had slipped on oil early in the race, which forced the team’s No. 200 Ford Falcon behind the wall early for repairs.
Still, the team did well to get the car back running and able to make the finish a classified 21st, 40 laps in arrears.
In this video from Caltex Australia, de Silvestro and Gracie reflect on their first Bathurst 1000 appearances. De Silvestro, the IndyCar veteran, noted she’d rarely been as off pace as she was in her maiden touring car appearance, while Gracie was disappointed to have lost control early to put the car behind the wall.
De Silvestro’s next race appearance comes with the FIA Formula E Championship season opener in Beijing in two weeks with the Amlin Andretti team. Gracie continues in the V8 Supercars Dunlop Series.