Russell Ingall admits his 18th and final year as a full-time V8 Supercar driver didn’t exactly play to script.
But the man dubbed `The Enforcer’ says his lacklustre season has left him hungry for more, vowing not to stray too far from the track.
The 49-year-old’s eyes welled up as he took to the grid for the 541st and last time at Sydney Olympic Park on Sunday, with his wife Julia kneeling by his door.
“I’m really sad,” she said.
“I love motorsport. Our kids have grown up around motorsport.
“I just can’t imagine our lives without it. So hopefully, no matter what, he’ll be back in some form next year.”
Ingall insisted before the race his V8s swansong wasn’t going to be emotional, his mind set on returning in 2014 as a co-driver in the category’s endurance races.
He also plans to contest next year’s Bathurst 12-hour, along with other overseas races.
“I suppose a lot of other people and the fans look at it a different way, that I’m almost gone forever – but I’m not going too far,” he told AAP.
“It may not hit me until probably first round in Adelaide – Adelaide being one of my favourite tracks – and not being on the grid there.”
Ingall, the most experienced driver in Australian touring car history, isn’t shy to concede he’s got plenty of regrets – from his early years in Europe and “even till this day”.
The two-time Bathurst victor hasn’t won a race since 2005, the same year he claimed his one and only championship with Stone Brothers Racing.
While his subsequent seasons at Paul Morris Motorsports were “good”, things haven’t been the same since moving to Walkinshaw Racing in 2012.
“I haven’t given up fighting – some of my charges coming back through the field sort of got us up there,” he said.
“But at the end of the day it’s not where I want to be by a long shot.”
That fight was evident up until the very end, shooting up 14 places to finish 10th in the season-closing Sydney 500.
So what’s the plan for Monday morning?
“It’s family time. Forget about motor racing.
“Motor racing is always about me – I think it’ll be good to put them on pole position for once.”
