Merewether driver Cody McKay said he will do "all he can" to get back on the Newcastle 500 track this weekend after escaping uninjured from a crash in Aussie Racing Car qualification on Friday.
The 31-year-old was left shaken and disappointed following the incident, which occurred late in the session when he careered into the wall at turn seven on the corner of Zaara Street near Noah's On The Beach.
SUPERCARS:Back-to-back champion Scott McLaughlin strikes first blow at Newcastle 500 for 2019
"I'm fine. It's not that problem [physical injury], it's more the emotions and the car," McKay said.
"We've just got to get in and get it fixed now."
McKay and his Woods Racing team were surveying the damage in pit lane, located near Nobbys Beach, after the Commodore was picked up and delivered by a tow truck.
The car bonnet was eventually removed, the front right wheel had bent inwards and the main windscreen broke.
"It's like any job, being a mechanic, you don't know the full extent until you pull everything out," he said.
"But it looks promising so we're going to try our best to get back out there."
McKay said it "all happened so quickly".
"I was held up by a lot of traffic and it proved I could get around there quick enough," he said.
"Everyone kept balking me up, I finally got a lap to myself and the rear end just let go on me.
"We're still trying to determine what's going on. It all happened so quick as crashes always do.
"We've just got to fix and then we can look at what happened."
Up until that point, McKay was soaking up both his Newcastle 500 and Aussie Racing Cars debut following a 19th in the opening practice session earlier that day.
"It's the best thing I've ever done in my life," he said.
"But as we know with the streets of Newcastle, when they bite they bite hard.
"It was just one thing. I went through that corner 100 times and it was quite an easy one for me.
"And then for whatever reason we've ended up taken too much or something's let go. We don't know, we're going to have to review it."
McKay's mission is now making it to the start grid on Saturday and Sunday.
"We've got so many supporters behind us and a crew of people who are happy to help," he said.
"The whole of Newcastle is behind us so that's what we're really trying to get out there for."
