Rookie V8 Supercars driver Andre Heimgartner has had to balance his high expectations with simply gaining experience in his first year in the category.
The 20-year-old New Zealander is still learning the ropes inside the Kiwi team Super Black Racing, which is also in its first year.
But as their Ford Falcon FGX is provided to them by Prodrive Racing Australia, who have been dominating with Mark Winterbottom, Chaz Mostert and David Reynolds, Heimgartner wants to be up there with those drivers also.
“It’s a very difficult one,” Heimgartner said.
“As an individual I’m never really satisfied and when your team-mates are 1-2-3 and I’m 12th, I’m quite annoyed with myself.
“But when you look at the bigger picture, that’s not a bad position, that’s where I should be as it’s my first year.
“But having those team-mates is pushing me harder and even when I was in the top 10 shoot-out [in Townsville] I was stoked about that and qualifying seventh, but with my team-mates first, second and third, I want to be up there with them.”
Heimgartner lies a lowly 22nd in the championship but his eighth-place finish in Sunday’s race at Townsville a fortnight ago showed that he’s finding his feet in the category.
“It’s definitely harder than what I thought it would be,” he said.
“Luckily I’ve got a good team behind me in Prodrive Racing Australia and I’ve got a good bunch of guys working on my car which makes it easier.
“There’s just so much to learn and we’re slowly starting to get the results now
“But we can’t expect too much, guys like David [Reynolds] and Mark [Winterbottom] have been doing this for a long time. We can’t expect to just come in and be right up the front.”
What’s been impressive about Heimgartner, particularly in the recent rounds, is that he’s not afraid to mix it up with the heavy-hitters of V8 Supercars like Jamie Whincup, Craig Lowndes and Todd Kelly.
Heimgartner doesn’t get overawed by racing against them and feels he can take on any driver.
“Being the new kid on the block, people don’t want me to do well,” he said.
“There’s that tall poppy syndrome and people like to make it as difficult as they can.
“But you have keep to yourself, do the best possible job you can and don’t let people affect you.
“When I see a car on the racetrack, I just see it as another car, it doesn’t concern me which driver is in it, it’s just another car I’ve got to get past or keep behind me.”
While there has been some interest in how Super Black Racing have done this year, there will be plenty of attention on them in November when they come to New Zealand for the round in Pukekohe.
“Pukekohe is going to be a great round because New Zealanders haven’t really got their heads wrapped around the whole Super Black Racing thing yet,” Heimgartner said.
“We’re building momentum and after getting good results at Townsville and Tasmania, people are slowly starting to catch onto it.
“But once we come to Pukekohe and we show everyone that we’re racing and doing well, I think it will catch on and people will start noticing us a bit more and get behind us.
“So I think it will be a big thing going forwards from then on and help in everything in our programme.”
