Mount Gambier racer Kai Allen suited up for his first ever solo drive in the Repco Supercars for Grove Racing last weekend in an eleventh hour call up at the VAILO Adelaide 500.
On Saturday, Grove Racing’s Richie Stanaway was ruled out of driving Penrite car 26 due to delayed concussion symptoms, with Allen allocated to drive in his place.
However it was not to be for the youngster as he was unable to gain dispensation due to his Dunlop Super2 Series commitments, prompting Dale Wood to take the wheel.
Permission for Allen to pull double duties on Sunday in both categories was granted with the 19-year-old racing first in the Super2 category, before jumping into the main game just 30 minutes later.
”It was really good, very challenging getting the call up with no prep,” Allen said.
”I still did not know until 8.30am on Sunday morning that I was driving so I had about an hour and a half to get over there, get organised for qualifying and run through roughly what we were going to try and do for that session.
”I jumped in, did qualifying, my second ever lap in that car around that track and we ended up 19th which was surprising.”
Allen placed 22nd in the race after some incidents throughout that caused rear damage.
”It was just an unfortunate race, we had really good speed considering all things going on with the late call up and no prep and everything, but we showed really good signs of pace,” he said.
The youngster has now got a feel for the Grove Racing seat which he will occupy full time next year in the Repco Supercars, starting with the Sydney 500 in February at Sydney Motorsport Park.
”I think being in a proper race weekend, it will be exciting next year to see where we’re at,” he said.
”It’s going to be really hard considering, we just have to jump in and have a go, but I think it’s going to be good by the time I’m in there.
”It was really good just to work with the team, my engineer for next year and all those girls and guys at Grove, it has been really special to see all the support they had and how they backed me going in there.
”It gives me a lot of confidence walking into that team next year and trying to grow with them and do the best we can to get the best results.”
Meanwhile in Super2, Allen placed seventh in race one and second in race two to claim third place in this year’s championship, which helped Eggleston Motorsport secure the Dunlop Super2 Series Teams Champion Award.
”After what was happening after Bathurst I think [the team championship] was a little win and everything going on and I was just gutted I could not get the championship for them after being really unlosable,” Allen said.
”We had a good car, got a trophy and got the team trophy which is pretty special and it was just good to end on a high with Eggleston.
”No matter what I did I could not really win the championship, it was just going to be up to one of them [Zach Bates or Aaron Cameron] to make a mistake which they did not, they did a super good job.
”I think the way we were looking coming into Bathurst with being unlosable and I am quite gutted still that I basically gave away the championship, but you cannot help those things and you sort of just have to move on.”
