Tag Archives: Craig Lowndes

Supercars

Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 2020 Supercars

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Hi to all you Supercars Fans around the world!

On the weekend of the 15th to the 18th of October, 2020 was the Grand Finale of the V8 Supercars season, the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000.

In the previous event Repco Supersprint The Bend, Scott McLaughlin was named ‘Champion Elect’ having enough championship points to be unreachable with only one event remaining for the season.

However, it was the Red Bull Holden Racing Team leading  Teams Championship ladder but were still within reach by the Shell V-Power Racing Team. So for Jamie Whincup, Shane Van Gisbergen and their co-drivers, Craig Lowndes and Garth Tander this event was make-or-break for the Teams Championship.

Regardless, for all teams the Bathurst 1000 is an incredibly gruelling race and is Australia’s biggest motor race of the year.

With that in mind the pre-race sessions were full of intense competition with some great performances. The results were:

  • Cameron Waters was fastest in Practice 1.
  • James Moffat was fastest in Practice 2.
  • Cameron Waters was fastest again in Practice 3.
  • Will Davison was fastest in Practice 4.
  • Scott McLaughlin was fastest in Practice 5.
  • Lee Holdsworth was fastest in the Armour All Qualifying.
  • Warren Luff was fastest in Practice 6.
  • Cameron Waters and Will Davison were fastest in Practice 7.
  • Cameron Waters was fastest again in the Armour all Top 10 Shootout earning pole position
  • Andre Heimgartner was fastest in the Warm U

So in Race 31, The Big Race and grand finale of the season Cameron Waters and Will Davison started on pole position with the formidable Champion Elect Scott McLaughlin alongside them.

Most of the co-drivers started the race except for Scott McLaughlin, Rick Kelly and Macauley Jones.

I was surprised the The Shell V-Power Racing Team started the race with Scott McLaughlin in the driver’s seat of car 17 but it may have been a last minute strategy when they earned P2 alongside pole position.

Craig Lowndes started the race in car 888 and was battling with Michael Caruso for position 7.

As they kicked off the 161 lap race Will Davison got the jump at first but then Scott McLaughlin soon overtook and led up mountain straight for the first time.

Unlike previous years there were no major incidents in the first lap, but it wasn’t long before the pressure started to show.

During lap 2 Macauley Jones had a problem with his drivers side door, the Brad Jones Racing team couldn’t get the door to stay closed on car 3. As he rounded corners the door was flying open! Of all the issues to have in this race! Race control issued a mechanical black flag requiring he return to the pits immediately. For whatever reason Macauley Jones went another lap before coming in which earned him a Drive Thru Penalty.

The Brad Jones Racing Team had to put a new drivers door on car 3 because the one they had on the car wouldn’t close.

Rick Kelly had a clutch problem with car 15 but put up with it during the opening stages.When Car 15 finaly came in for repairsthey put Dale Wood in the driver’s seat.

When the safety car was deployed Car 15 was able to be waved passed to get his lap back under the new safety car rules.

When Jamie Whincup took the wheel of car 888 from Craig Lowndes he was battling with Bodie Kostecki and Chaz Mostert in front and behind in cars 99 and 25. On lap 33 Jamie Whincup was racing through ‘The Cutting’, a particularly dangerous part of the track and lost control smashing into the concrete barrier.

The impact was huge and car 888 was now out of the race! Not only that but with a DNF Red Bull Holden Racing Team could not earn enough points to stay at the top of the Team’s Championship ladder. Rubbing further salt into the wound was the fact that Team’s Championship would now go to driver champion elect Scott McLaughlin’s team, Shell V-Power Racing Team.

On restart the race leader was Will Davison in car 6, and that’s when it started to rain.

At lap 50 Todd Hazelwood and Jordan Boys in car 14 were the next to leave the track.

Not long after on lap 62 Garry Jacobson and David Russell also left the track to keep the guys in car 50 some company for the duration of the race.

The next 65 laps didn’t see any major incidents and let the race continue.

In the middle of the race Garth Tander, co-driver to Shane Van Gisbergen in car 97 took the lead. Garth Tander’s years of experience were on show with supreme driving skills and flying like he had some Red Bull wings.

This is the Bathurst 1000 and Garth Tander, a three time winner was not going to give up a chance to make it his fourth.

Car 97 was still leading when he handed over the wheel to Shane Van Gisbergen, yet to win his first Bathurst 1000.

As they drivers all completed their mandatory 7 pit stops Shane Van Gisbergen was still holding the lead.  For all his efforts he could not shake Cameron Waters right behind him.

Every moment was tense as the race drew to a close. Any slip up and Cameron Waters would take advantage and Shane Van Gisbergen could kiss his 1st Bathurst win good-bye.

At lap 147 of 161 Bryce Fullwood and Kurt Kostecki in car 2 were stranded on the track with power steering dramas and the safety car was deployed. Shane Van Gisbergen must have been pleased to get a chance to breath from Cameron Waters incessant chase.

When the race resumed it was only 2 laps later at lap 149 that the safety car was deployed again as the two Jacks (Smith and Perkins) in car 4 left the track. I bet Shane Van Gisbergen was beginning to feel he would lose his form with these interruptions.

Soon enough they were back to full throttle. There were just a few laps remaining and Shane Van Gisbergen was no only holding his lead but squeezed a few seconds ahead of his pesky shadow Cameron Waters. At lap 155 the other Kostecki (Jake) and Zane Goddard were the cause of the safety car being deployed yet again.

You could feel the tension as the cars squeezed up in formation behind the safety car ready to finish those last few laps.

They resumed for the final time. Shane Van Gisbergen driving like a bat out of hell and Cameron Waters right on his tail. At every opportunity  he would pull out from behind the leader and show himself – ready to pounce at any opportunity.

Shane Van Gisbergen kept his cool and didn’t choke at the threat from Waters. In an incredibly tense  few laps  Shane Van Gisbergen managed to cross that finish line first to get his first Bathurst 1000.

 

Results for race 31

1st Shane Van Gisbergen and Garth Tander – Red Bull Holden Racing Team.

2nd Cameron Waters and Will Davison – Tickford Racing.

3rd Chaz Mostert and Warren Luff – Walkinshaw Andretti United.

The Supercars will be back at Bathurst in Feburary 2021.

 

 

 

Supercars

OTR Supersprint The Bend 2020 Supercars

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Hi to all you Supercars Fans around the world!

On the weekend of September 26th and 27th 2020 was the OTR Supersprint at Tailem Bend. It was the second of a double header. The previous race being run there the week before.

This event ran three races, each intended to be 32 laps.

It was a critical event for the season. For the two main contenders, Scott McLaughlin and Jamie Whincup it would be the deciding factor for the Driver’s Championship. They were close enough in points for Jamie Whincup to catch the current championship leader and take the year’s trophy.

In Race 28 Scott McLaughlin started on pole position, alongside him was Cameron Waters.

Race 28 was meant to be 32 laps but it was 31 due to the drivers having to do an extra formation lap. It was an unusual occurrence.

Scott McLaughlin performed a perfect start and got the jump over Cameron Waters into turn 1.

Once Scott McLaughlin took the lead it was hard for anybody else to catch him. He was fast, precise and faultless.

The drivers back  in the pack came in early  because they were getting held up in traffic.

Rick Kelly got turned around by Todd Hazelwood at turn 1 which put him to the back of the pack.

Scott Pye was up near the front so he stayed out longer.

Fabian Coulthard wanted to finish behind his teammate. He had a poor starting position of 15th but was taking as many places as possible.

In the middle of race Scott McLaughlin was driving confidently and holding his lead. Towards the end of the race Shane Van Gisbergen was on the chase and was giving Scott McLaughlin a hard time. However, Shane Van Gisbergen just couldn’t find the opportunity to take the lead and he simply ran out of time. Without fault Scott McLaughlin crossed the line first. Shane Van Gisbergen was only .6473 seconds behind. Cam Waters came in over 5 seconds later in third place.

Results for Race 28

1st Scott McLaughlin – Shell V-Power Racing Team

2nd Shane Van Gisergen – Red Bull Holden Racing Team

3rd Cameron Waters – Tickford Racing

In Race 29 Scott McLaughlin started on pole position again. Alongside him was teammate, Fabian Coulthard.

Fabian Coulthard got the jump and led into turn 1 for the first couple of laps before letting his teammate past and allowing him to control the race.

The Red Bull Holden Racing Team had a critical mishap during Jamie Whincup’s pit stop. It appeared that he hit the right hand wheel man’s rattle gun with the impact causing the car to drag the air line. The team was penalised 30 points and $1500 fine. However, Jamie Whincup was not fined or penalised himself.

The drivers knew that it was the 2nd last event of 2020 and everyone was out to crush the  leader.

In the middle of the race after such a great start, Fabian Coulthard had a DNF due to gear box dramas.

Towards the end of the race Scott McLaughlin held the lead and won his second race in the event. Now there was just one more chance for Jamie Whincup to keep in the running for the championship. Things were getting really tense.

Results for Race 29

1st Scott McLaughlin – Shell V-Power Racing Team
2nd Anton de Pasquale – Penrite Racing

3rd Cameron Waters – Tickford Racing

In Race 30 Scott McLaughlin earned himself his third pole position out of the three races at this event. The bastard looked unstoppable. Alongside him was Cameron Waters.

At the start of the race Cameron Waters amazingly got the jump on Scott McLaughlin and led into turn 1. Its not amazing that Cameron Waters got a great start because he is a great driver but when you are up against Scott McLaughlin, it’s pretty damned hard to take the lead from the start line.

The cars further back in the pack were trying to stay out of trouble. Nobody was interested in last minute contact and risk crucial points in the championship.

Fabian Coulthard who started in P5 was desperate to make up some places and finish 3rd on the posium. As it turned out everyone else wanted the same thing and the competition became fierce. As it turned out Fabian Coulthard dropped 3 places and finished 8th.

In the fierce competition James Courtney wildly lost control and left the track. It cost him dearly. He started in 4th position and finished 10th.

Cameron Waters was the race leader. Scott McLaughlin was on his tail and I am sure wanted make this 3 out of 3 wins for the weekend, but he just couldn’t find the opportunity. Cameron Waters was driving flawlessly. Scott McLaughlin knew even in 2nd place he would be the season’s ‘Champion elect’. He may have simply thought it may not be worth taking any risk with Jamie Whincup right behind him. He just needed to hold him off and get to the finish line safely.

Regardless of anything Cameron Water’s win was spectacular.

Results for Race 30

1st Cameron Waters – Tickford Racing

2nd Scott McLaughlin – Shell V-Power Racing Team

3rd Jamie Whincup – Red Bull Holden Racing Team

The next event is the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000. In 3 weeks time.

The Bathurst channel launches Monday October 12. On Foxsports506 at 12am.

 

 

 

Supercars

Repco Supersprint The Bend 2020 Supercars

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Hi to all you Supercars Fans around the world!

On the weekend of September 19th and 20th, 2020 was the Repco Supersprint The Bend.

Before I get into the event details, the hot news at the time of completing this article is Channel 7 made their formal announcement about their multi-year agreement to broadcast Supercars events (alongside fox sport) starting 2021.

This article on SpeedCafe.com has all the details.

Here is the video of the formal announcement on Channel 7. I really like the promo clip with lots of old footage that starts at 3m35s in.

So now, on with the race….

The results for the pre-race sessions were as follows:

  • Practice – Rookie Drivers Only – Macauley Jones (Team CoolDrive)
  • Practice 1 – Shane Van Gisbergen (Red Bull Holden Racing Team)
  • Practice 2 – Fabian Coulthard (Shell V-Power Racing Team)
  • Armor All Qualifying & Top 15 Shootout – Chaz Mostert (Mobil 1 TM Appliances Online)

In Race 25 Chaz Mostert claimed his first pole position under his new team, Walkinshaw Andretti United. Alongside him on the grid was Scott McLaughlin.

Scott McLaughlin got the jump over Chaz Mostert while Jamie Whincup moved up to 2nd at turn 1. Chaz Mostert had a bad start and dropped from 1st to 4th.

Jamie Whincup wanted to get down the inside of Scott McLaughlin at turn 18 but things didn’t go to plan and both championship contenders left the track. Jamie Whincup copped a 15 second time penalty after his pit stop which put him way down in position order.

The weather was hot and as the cars came in to pit a lot had heat blisters and flat spots on their tyres. No good at all. Driving strategies needed to be implemented to avoid tyres disintegrating out on the track.

In the middle of the race as Scott McLaughlin was coming back up through the field before making contact with Car 5 of Lee Holdsworth. The incident earned Scott McLaughlin a 15 second time penalty which was applied to his time at the end of the race. So even though he physically crossed the finish 3rd he ended up receiving 14th place. Now the two main contenders (McLauglin and Whincup) battling for the championship title were way back in the field.

Shane Van Gisbergen had the lead well in hand by the middle of the race.

However, his early pit stop in the race meant towards the end he was on some pretty well worn tyres. He couldn’t get the grip or speed needed and dropped from 1st to 9th.

Towards the end of the race drivers were changing positions like hot tyres. With the heavy weight drivers pushed back in the results order due to penalties it was Fabian Coulthard (up 4 spots), Jack le Brocq (up 5 spots) and Bryce Fullwood (up 10 spots) who took the podium. It was most unexpected.

Results for Race 25

1st Fabian Coulthard – Shell V-Power Racing Team
2nd Jack Le Brocq – Tickford Racing
3rd Bryce Fullwood – Walkinshaw Andretti United

In Race 26 Scott McLaughlin started on pole position, alongside him was Shane Van Gisbergen.

Scott McLaughlin got the jump but then Shane Van Gisbergen took the race lead.

Once Scott McLaughlin lost the lead he knew not to make contact with car 97.

During the opening laps Shane Van Gisbergen held his race lead while the cars further back in the pack were trying to move up the field. The only time Shane Van Gisbergen lost the lead was when he took the compulsory pit stop.

When Jamie Whincup took to the pits the car didn’t go up on the jacks due to problems with the air spike. This killed his pit stop time and his ability to close in on the Championship title.

When Shane Van Gisbergen rejoined the track after his stop, he made contact with the back of Scott McLaughlin’s car. It created a very tense moment because there appeared to be a lot of damage to Scott McLaughlin’s car. Thanksfully (for Red Bull fans) Shane Van Gisbergen wasn’t penalised.

The drivers back in the pack were 3 wide and that opened the door for Chaz Mostert who got down the inside of Andre Heimgartner.

Shane Van Gisbergen held fast to his lead and was not going to make any mistakes for the other drivers to take advantage of. He crossed the finish line with Andre Heimgartner and Scott McLaughlin hot on his tail.

Results for Race 26

1st Shane Van Gisbergen – Red Bull Holden Racing Team
2nd Andre Heimgartner – Kelly Racing
3rd Scott McLaughlin – Shell V-Power Racing Team

In race 27 Scott McLaughlin started on pole position for the second time this weekend. Alongside him was Chaz Mostert.

At the start of the race Fabian Coulthard took Chaz Moster’s place in 2nd. Shell V-Power Racing were running 1st and 2nd.

Meanwhile there was a major incident further back in the pack. Shane Van Gisbergen turned Andre Heimgartner and caused a dominos effect with a bunch of other cars. What a mess! There were multiple cars damaged. James Courtney was lucky not to roll car 44. Mark Winterbottom was out of the race due to too much damage.

Shane Van Gisbergen copped a 15 second time penalty for hiss mistake.

In the middle of the race Scott McLaughlin and teammate, Fabian Coulthard were running 1st and 2nd.

They held their positions all the way to the finish line with Jamie Whincup trying his best to keep up in 3rd position.

Results for Race 27

1st Scott McLaughlin – Shell V-Power Racing Team
2nd Fabian Coulthard – Shell V-Power Racing Team
3rd Jamie Whincup – Red Bull Holden Racing Team

Things are really hotting up in the championship. Th gap between Shell V-Power Racing and Red Bull Holden Racing Teams is reduced to a mere 104 points. However, Scott McLaughlin has slightly increased his points to 215 over Jamie Whincup.

Next up is the the second of the double header at ‘The Bend’ , The OTR Supersprint. It will also be the 2nd last event of 2020. The final event will be The Bathurst 1000.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Supercars

Corestaff Darwin Supersprint

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Hi to all you Supercars Fans around the world!

On the weekend of August 22nd and 23rd, 2020 was the Corestff Darwin Supersprint.

Three races of 38 laps each were run.

In Race 16 Jamie Whincup started on pole position. Alongside was Scott McLaughlin.

When the race got underway Scott McLaughlin led into turn 1 with Jamie Whincup in hot persuit trying to regain his number one position.

Scott McLaughlin’s teammate, Fabian Coulthard was back in the pack having a poor grid starting position of 14th. To avoid any double stacking Fabian pitted early.

Meanwhile, there was an intense battle between Todd Hazelwood and Rick Kelly for 9th and 10th.

Shane Van Gisbergen who started 11th on the grid, seemed to be struggling to keep up with cars in front of him. It was later revealed he just couldn’t get the straight line speed expected. After the race the team couldn’t resolve the issue and decided to change the engine overnight.

Mark Winterbottom and Scott Pye had a great weekend for team 18.

By the middle of the race it was evident that Scott McLaughlin was unbeatable.

He held strong to his lead and crossed the finish line approximately 2.5 seconds ahead of rival, Jamie Whincup. Cameron Waters came in third more than 12 seconds later. Nick Percat had a good run finishing 5th having started from 9th. The other big gain was from his teammate, Todd Hazelwood who started 23rd on the grid and finished 7 places up in 16th. A great result for Brad Jones Racing.

Results for Race 16

1st Scott McLaughlin – Shell V Power Racing Team
2nd Jamie Whincup – Red Bull Holden Racing Team
3rd Cameron Waters – Tickford Racing

In race 17 Scott McLaghlin earned himself another pole position for the season. Alongside him was Shane Van Gisbergen.

Once again Scott McLaughlin got the jump and led into turn 1.

The cars further back in the pack couldn’t come into the pit lane until at least lap 5.

Fabian Coulthard came in early to ensure he didn’t double stack with teammate and race leader, Scott McLaughlin.

Nick Percat also came in early because he was getting held up by traffic.

Shane Van Gisbergen and Scott Pye were battling fiercely for 2nd and 3rd position.

Lee Holdsworth who had started from 11th position was on the charge. It was evident things were going right for him and he wanted a shot at a podium position if not, then at least be in the top 10. Regardless of his efforts (and they were good) he wasn’t able to get it done and finished in 8th position.

Once again by the middle of the race it appeared that Scott McLaughlin had secured himself in the lead.

Scott McLaughlin scored his second win for the weekend and crossed the finish line 9.6874 seconds ahead of his rival Shane Van Gisbergen.

Shane Van Gisbergen managed to win the battle against Scott Pye by the thinnest margin – .2449 seconds. So the race actually finished in the order that they started on the grid.

Results for Race 17

1st Scott McLaughlin – Shell V Power Racing Team
2nd Shane Van Gisbergen – Red Bull Holden Racing Team
3rd Scott Pye – Team 18

In Race 18 Shane Van Gisbergen started on pole position. Alongside him was Scott McLaughlin.

Again Scott McLaughlin in car 17 led into turn 1. This was the third time out of three races for the weekend that car 17 took the lead off the start.

When I saw Scott McLaughlin lead off the line I knew he was going to win. He was having a great weekend.

Rick Kelly was trying to hold off Fabian Coulthard but it couldn’t be done.

Andre Heimgartner was further back in the pack then he wanted to be but didn’t seem to be able to make much headway.

By the time all the pit stops were complete Scott McLaughlin was once again the race leader.

He was just too fast and again kept increasing his leading gap. He crossed the finish line 13.8356 seconds ahead of closest rival, Nick Percat. Scott Pye followed in at 3rd just under a second later.

It was an increadible result for Scott McLaughlin earning 3 out of 3 wins.

Results for race 18

1st Scott McLaughlin – Shell V Power Racing Team
2nd Nick Percat – Brad Jones Racing
3rd Scott Pye – Team 18

Supercars

Beteasy Darwin Triple Crown

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Hi to all you Supercars Fans around the world!

On the weekend of the 15th and 16th of August 2020 was the Beteasy Darwin Triple  Crown.

In Race 13 Scott McLaughlin started on pole position. Alongside him was Jamie Whincup.

Jamie Whincup led into turn 1. While the cars behind were setting their race pace.

Jamie Whincup kept the lead for the first few laps. An error saw him run wide at turn 5 and Mark Winterbottom stole the lead.

Later Rick Kelly made contact with Jack Le Brocq and both left the track. When Rick Kelly rejoined he made contact with the Matt Stone Racing car driven by Jake Kostecki. Jake Kostecki ended up bogged in the sand and lost his rear wing requiring the safety car to be deployed. Jake Kostecki was now out of the race having only completed 3 laps. Rick Kelly received a 15 second penalty.

On the restart, Scott McLaughlin tried to pass before the control line. This error earned him a 15 second penalty.

Later Jamie Whincup also earned himself a 15 second time penalty when leaving the pits. Mark Dutton, car controller (& team manager) admitted to making a mistake in terms of letting Jamie Whincup go too early.

These penalties changed the dynamics of the race.

At the end of the race the big surprise was Anton de Pasquale came across the line first and scored his first Supercars win. When the race time penalties were applied, Jamie Whincup was dropped from second place to 17th and Scott McLaughlin dropped to 20th.

Results for Race 13

1st Anton de Pasquale –Erebus Motorsport
2nd James Courtney – Tickford Racing
3rd Scott Pye – Team 18

In race 14 Scott McLaughlin started on pole position and alongside was Fabian Coulthard.

Fabian Coulthard got the jump on his teammate and led into turn 1. During the opening laps Scott McLaughlin was trying to to pass his teammate but he just couldn’t get it done.

Meanwhile, the drivers back in the pack were trying to keep out of trouble.

After Shane Van Gisbergen completed his stop he re joined in front Anton de Pasquale.

Chaz mostert was trying to pass Anton de Pasquale but things were too tight..

Scott McLaughlin became the effective race leader with cars still to pit.

In the middle of the race Scott McLaughlin had maintained his race lead and was being followed closely by Jamie Whincup .

Unlike the previous race, there were no 15 second time penalties issued.

The leaders were spread apart but they held strong to their position to the end of the race. Scott McLaughlin was over one second ahead of Jamie Whincup who was trailed by Fabian Couthard nearly five seconds later. Shane Van Gisbergen was more than five seconds behind that.

Result for Race 14

1st Scott McLaughlin – Shell V Power Racing Team
2nd Jamie Whincup – Red Bull Holden Racing Team
3rd Fabian Coulthard – Shell V Power Racing Team

In Race 15 Scott McLaughlin started on pole position and alongside him was Jamie Whincup.

At the start of race 15 Scott McLaughlin got the jump and led into turn 1 while every body else was setting their race pace.

While the race leaders stayed longer, the cars further back came in to get out of the traffic.

Jamie Whincup was the effective race leader because their was still cars to stop.

After Scott McLaughlin had a tyre change the cold tyres gave Jamie Whincup the advantage and the lead.

Todd Hazelwood was trying not to get a badly damaged car because in race 13 Brad Jones Racing received some heavy duty damage.

Their was contact between Jack Smith and Jake Kostecki.

Fabian Coulthard had to avid making the same mistake backed off to not hit Jamie Whincup as he tried to take the lead.

In the middle of the race no one else could catch the three leading drivers; Jamie Whincup, Scott McLaughlin and Shane Van Gisbergen.

Where the previous race had a podium finish with Shell V Power Racing in 1st and 3rd position with Redbull Holden in the middle, this race Red Bull Holden Racing got their own back and held the 1st and 3rd positions with Scott McLaughlin in between.

With this win for Jamie Whincup he has now rounded off his career wins to 120. What a great achievment.

Results for Race 15

1st Jamie Whincup – Red Bull Holden Racing Team
2nd Scott McLaughlin – Shell V Power Racing Team
3rd Shane Van Gisbergen – Red Bull Holden Racing Team

The next race will be in just one week on August 22 and 23, the Corestaff Darwin Supersprint. Just can’t wait!

Uncategorized

Truck Assist Sydney supersprint 2020

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Hi to all you Supercars fans around the world!

On  the weekend of July 18th and 19th, 2020 was the Truck Assist Sydney Supersprint.

Before I get into the race article, the hot news in Supercars is that Channel 10 has confirmed it will not be renewing its broadcasting contract after this season. It looks to be going to Channel 7 next year. You can find out more in this article https://www.speedcafe.com/2020/07/24/network-10-confirms-supercars-exit/?fbclid=IwAR3uG9J-FXhX8NK8gFL3X05ELRfv9wuQSE0siN6PSBB1NKIlDUOD5vpSKq4

As COVID-19 causes havoc through Australia (especially Victoria) teams have had to temporarily relocate and operate out of Queensland. This is in an effort to stay in a COVID low risk state so they can join races avoiding border closures in other states (i.e. Victoria).

Now back to the race.

As the teams entered the weekend, Shell V-Power Racing Team led the team’s ladder by 22 points and Scott McLaughlin led the driver’s ladder, 107 points over Jamie Whincup.

There were three races, each being 125kms over 32 laps. The only change to the race setup was tyre changes had to be done with one gun.

Scott McLaughlin was aiming for his own milestone with the opportunity to equal legend Peter Brock’s race win tally.

With all this in mind, Supercars were primed for a great weekend of racing.

In the Pre-race sessions results were as follows:

  • Macauley Jones was fastest in the Rookie Only Practice.
  • Scott McLaughlin was fastest in Practice 1.
  • Shane Van Gisbergen was fastest in Practice 2.
  • Scott McLaughlin took out the Armor All Qualifying for Race 10. This eaned him his 9th Pole Position at Sydney Motorsport Park.

In race 10 Scott McLaughlin was on Pole Position with Shane Van Gisbergen alongside him.

At first Scott McLaughlin got the jump off the start line but then got passed into turn 2 by Shane Van Gisbrgen.

Cameron Waters then went down the inside of Scott McLaughlin at turn 3.

During the early laps Shane Van Gisbrgen was pulling away, while the drivers behind him came in to Pit to get out of the traffic.

When Scott McLaughlin came in to the pits they changed car 17 over to soft tyres. I assume this would help his grip in the turns (where he could overtake) and gain track position. Shane Van Gisbergen was still leading the race at that stage.

Shane Van Gisbergen did 20 laps on the soft tyre before pitting to go on the hard tyre. However, staying out longer was not his best strategy because now Scott McLaughlin had the number 1 track position.

It now looked very good for Scott McLaughlin to extend his series lead and be psyched for the rest of the weekend.

As it came to the closing laps Scott McLaughlin secured his lead and noone could catch him. His nearest competitor, Lee Holdsworth was just over 1.3 seconds behind. Anton de Pasquale in 3rd was well over 4 seconds behind that. Shane Van Gisbergen had slipped into 4th position just ahead of his teammate Jamie Whincup.  Im sure that it was not the result the Red Bull Team was expecting.

Results for Race 10

1st Scott McLaughlin –Shell V Power Racing Team

2nd Lee Holdsworth – Tickford Racing

3rd Anton de Pasquale – Penrite Racing

Once again Scott McLaughlin took out the Qualifying for Race 11 earning him Pole Position. Once again he had Shane Van Gisbergen alongside him at the start line.

Scott McLaughlin led into turn 1 with the cars behind him desperately trying to keep up with the series leader.

During the opening stages the drivers that had track position stayed out longer but the cars back in the pack pitted for clear track and to stay out of trouble.

A lot of the drivers got warnings from Motorsport Australia Race Control for ‘track limits’ at turn 5.

In the middle of the race Nick Percat was leading and continued to increase his lead. The cars behind simply ran out of laps to pass him.

Nick Percat just kept pulling ahead and finished in first position nearly 9 seconds ahead of Fabian Coulthard and surprisingly 19.6363 seconds ahead of Scott McLaughlin. A great result for Nick Percat and the Brad Jones Racing Team.

Results for Race 11

1st Nick Percat – Brad Jones Racing

2nd Fabian Coulthard – Shell V Power Racing

3rd Scott McLaughlin – Shell V Power Racing

 

In Race 12 Andre Heimgartner started on pole position. Alongside him was Jamie Whincup.

As the lights went out and the cars left the start line Andre Heimgartner led for the opening stint.

Meanwhile, Scott McLaughlin who started from 3rd position made contact with another car. He now had smoke coming out of the right rear corner which meant he had to pit to fix it.

After he re-joined he came out near the back of the pack which I thought he was going to get stuck in the pack and not be able to make a break for the lead.

In the middle of the race drivers were fighting for the lead.

The 3 leading cars seemed to be firmly ahead of the pack. Andre Heimgartner who started in pole position slipped 1 place coming behind a very happy Jack Le Broq. Todd Hazelwood followed in third, also very close behind. It was a great finish.

Results for Race 12

1st Jack Le Brocq – Tickford Racing

2nd Andre Heimgartner – Kelly Racing

3rd  Todd Hazelwood – Brad Jones Racing

The next race is the BetEasy Darwin Triple Crown on August 15 and 16.

But who knows what will happen in the strange times. So in the meantime be safe and check out my facebook fanpage and Youtube channel.

 

 

 

 

 

Supercars

BP Ultimate Sydney Supersprint

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Hi to all you Supercars fans around the world!

On the weekend of June 27 to 28 the V8 Supercars returned to real racing for the Ultimate Sydney Supersprint. This was after 15 weeks of virtual racing they titled the E-Series.

It was also a milestone for Jamie Whincup who started his 500th race. Congratulations!

James Courtney made his return to the races since round 1.

Unfortunately, Will Davison was not on the grid due to sponsorship dramas.

There were 3 races over the weekend and each were 32 laps.

In the pre race sessions:

  • Bryce Fullwoos was the fastes in the ‘Rookie Drivers Only’ Practice.
  • Practice 1 Shane van Gisbergen was fastest.
  • Practice 2 Jamie Whincup was fastest.
  • Scott McLaughlin was fastest in the Armour All Qualifying for race 7 earning him pole position.

In race 7 Scott McLaughlin started on pole position alongside him was Shane Van Gisbergen.

Shane Van Gisbergen got the jump on Scott McLaughlin off the start line, but it was short lived and Scott McLaughlin took the lead in turn 1. Both Jamie Whincup and Shane Van Gisbergen were right on his tail.

Nick Percat got down the inside of Chaz Mostert at turn 5.

Alex Davison made contact with another car and pitted on lap 12 to retire from the race. Out of the 24 cars that started the race Davison was the only DNF.

In the middle of the race the drivers had completed their pit stops.

Towards the end of the race no one could catch the top 3 drivers. It was tense with Scott McLaughlin in the lead and the two Red Bull cars right on his bumper. Shane Van Gisbergen came across the finish line less the .2 sec behind Scott McLaughlan and Jamie Whincup over 9 seconds behind him.

Van Gisbergen hot on McLaughlin’s tail.

Results for Race 7.

1st Scott McLaughlin – Shell V Power Racing Team.
2nd Shane Van Gisbergen – Red Bull Holden Racing Team.
3rd Jamie Whincup – Red Bull Holden Racing Team.

In race 8 Jamie Whincup started on pole position and alongside him was Shane Van Gisbergen.

Jamie Whincup got the jump at the start of his 500th race and led into turn 1. His teammate, Shane Van Gisbergen held position right behind him.

When the drivers further back in the pack pitted, the race leaders stayed out longer to hold track position.

Nick Percat returned to the track with fresh tyres after his pit stop.

Jamie Whincup was still the race leader.

In the middle of the race Nick Percat was on Jamie Whincup’s tail and after some laps got down the inside of him to take the lead.

Nick Percat held the number 1 position to the end. Jamie Whincup put up a good fight and towards the end of the race tried to re-pass Nick Percat but just couldn’t get the job done.

Results for Race 8

1st Nick Percat – Brad Jones Racing.
2nd Jamie Whincup – Red Bull Holden Racing Team.
3rd Scott McLaughlin – Shell V Power Racing Team.

In race 9 Scott McLaughlin once again started on pole position. Alongside him was Jamie Whincup.

Jamie Whincup got the jump at first but then Scott McLaughlin led into turn 1.

Mark Winterbottom was trying to get up the inside of Chaz Mostert early on.

For Nick Percat this was the start of 200th race.

The drivers further back in the pack came in early while the cars up the front stayed out longer to keep track position.

On return to the track Fabian Coulthard was on the charge trying to pass James Courtney, but Courtney kept him at bay.

By the middle of race Scott McLaughlin was the effective race leader.

In the last lap Fabian Coulthard’s car broke down. Nick Percat (in good sportsmanship) gave him a lift back to the pits (LOL)

Once again Scott McLaughlin was just too quick and took 1st position.

Results for Race 9.

1st Scott McLaughlin – Shell V Power Racing Team.
2nd Lee Holdsworth – Tickford Racing.
3rd Jamie Whincup – Red Bull Holden Racing Team.

The next event is the Truck Assist Sydney Supersprint July 18 and 19.

Supercars

2007 Supercars Grand Finale

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Hi to all you Supercars fans around the world!

I am back after a long absence and although I am still in hospital (this is week 10 – which increases my strong hate for hospitals) I am getting well enough to think about the races again.

Due to the COVID 19 affect on us all and more importantly the cancellation of V8 Supercars races, I thought I would revisit the Grand Finale for 2007. It was only the other day that I found the recording of this race on YouTube. It certainly helped keep my mind occupied from utter frustration of being ‘locked down’ in a damned hospital.

The event took place at Phillip Island (Victoria) on the weekend of November 30 to December 2, 2007.

As it turned out, it was John Bowe’s final race in Supercars. John Bowe is a multi-winning champion in several different race categories (Aussie Drivers Championship in the Formula Mondial, Aussie Sports Car Championship, two time winner of The Bathurst 1000 and much more). He was teamed with many other great champions such as Dick Johnson and Brad Jones. He is still racing in the Touring Car Masters.

This race also notched up Mark Skaif ‘s 200th round start.

Garth Tander was having a fabulous weekend. He took first place in races 1 and 2 and closed the point score between Whincup and himself so it basically became a showdown for the year’s title.

As they moved out to the starting grid it was a young Garth Tander who started on pole position. Alongside him was Todd Kelly.

At the start of 120Km 27 lap race Tod Kelly (in those days driving for Holden) got the jump on Garth Tander.

Jamie Whincup moved up to 3rd and had cover from Craig Lowndes for Team Vodafone because Whincup was battling Garth Tander for the title.

Meanwhile Todd Kelly was helping Garth Tander.

During the opening laps Jamie Whincup knew he had to try and get around Garth Tander to win his first title.

When the pit window opened the contenders stayed out until they got called to pit. The compulsory pit window opened on lap 5 for 2 tyres.

Rick Kelly tried to get down the inside of Will Davison but wasn’t close enough.

In the middle of the race Garth Tander later stated he was put in a difficult situation ‘caught in the sandwich between Jamie [Whincup] and Craig [Lowndes]. It was high-speed chess from there on. It was about managing the situation.’

Although Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes got by Tander it was Todd Kelly who still had the lead.

Todd Kelly maintained his position and crossed the finish line first robbing Jamie Whincup of the points needed for him to take ‘The Title’.

Whincup took second place, Lowndes third and Garth Tander came in fourth.

Regardless of Tander coming fourth for race 3, Whincup was 2 points shy of a draw (625 vs 623). Tander had won the title for 2007.

Results for Race 3
1st Todd Kelly – Holden Racing Team.
2nd Jamie Whincup – Team Vodafone.
3rd Craig Lowndes – Team Vodafone.

Bathurst 12 hour

Liqui Moly Bathurst 12 Hour 2020

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HI to all you Supercars fans around the World!

On the weekend of January 31 to February 2nd was the 2020 Liqui Moly Bathurst 12-hour, a pre supercars season race.

This is one of the years most gruelling endurance races for GT cars. It is so well known it draws many international teams and drivers.

In the preliminaries to the race there were a number of mishaps.

The 777 car didn’t take the start due to too much damage on Saturday. Team manager, Roland Dane was not happy. He said that Cameron McConville should have retired a long time ago. Joke or not, that is pretty harsh!

39 cars were entered but only 34 started the Liqui Moly Bathurst 12 hour before the sun came up, at the unholy time of 5:45am.

Most cars had experienced international drivers start behind the wheel.

The number 8 Bentley started near the back of the pack after not making Qualifying.

Matt Campbell put the Porsche on pole position but co-driver Patrick Pilet started the car.

During the opening stages the 999 Mercedes led the opening lap, then not long after that the McLaren took the lead and was hard to catch from there.

Craig Lowndes started the number 1 Porsche and he did a double stint early on.

When the sun came up the accidents started to happen.

The first safety car was dispatched just under 90 minutes into the race. Car 188, the Aston Martin driven by Côme Ledogar took a turn too wide, bounced over S-bend curbs and heavily hit a concrete wall. He then bounced off the wall and made contact with cars on the left and then the right. The the whole right hand side was torn clean off the car, passenger door and rear wheel included coming to a halt in the middle of the track

This wasn’t the last of the carnage. There was much more to come during the race.

Chaz Mostert’s 12-hour race got ruined in the third hour. After his co-driver Nicky Catsburg took the wheel, in his first few laps collided with a kangaroo. It must have been a big disappointment; Chaz Mostert is yet to win the 12 hour.

Also, Warren Luff was behind the wheel when the 95 MARC car caught fire in the pitlane. Twice!

Garth Tander crashed out in the # 22 Audi between Reid Park and McPhillamy Park after contact with the 222 Audi which completely decimated the 22 Audi. I thought there is no way that the team could repair the car in time for the rest of the race, which unfortunately they didnt.

Jamie Whincup spun Marc Cini around in number 9 Hallmarc Audi and didn’t get pinged for it.

In the middle of the race most of the teams changed brake pads and rotors. This improved performance and the drivers went nuts with grip.

The number 1 Porsche had brake dramas and finished the race 2 laps down.

Towards the end of the race the bad weather forecasted hit with a dust storm, thunder, lighting and buckets of rain.

I was surprised how many crashes there were in the Bathurst 12-hour last weekend.

Out of the 34 cars that were in the start line only 23 finished. Awesome but gruelling race!

 

Results for the 2020 Liqui Moly Bathurst 12 Hour:
1st Jules Gounon & Maxine Soulet – Bentley Team M Sport.
2nd Alvaro Parente & Ben Barnicoat – 59 Racing.
3rd Shane Van Gisbergen Jamie Whincup & Maximilan Gotez. – Mercades AMG Team Triple Eight.

Drivers

Steven Richards retirement article

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Hi to all you Supercars fans around the world!

Steven Richards is an Australian motorsport legend who has recently announced his retirement from Supercars racing. He will no longer be running team SRM (Steven Richards Motorsport). I would like to list some of his outstanding career achievements.

Steven Richards was born on the 11th of July, 1972 in New Zealand.

He won the Australian Formula Ford Championship in 1994 before becoming a professional full time driver.

In 1995 Steven Richards made his Bathurst 1000 debut with co-driver Anders Olofsson, finishing 4th under the Gibson Motorsport team.

In 1996 Steven Richards moved over to Garry Rogers Motorsport.

In 1995 and 1997 Steven Richards also competed in an Alfa Romeo 155, Honda Accord and then he drove a Nissan Primera. In 1996 he made his Australian Touring Car Championship debut in a Holden VF Commodore.

Steven Richards competed with his father, Jim Richards at the Bathurst 1000 in 1996 and 1997 and again in 2004.

In the 1997 Bathurst 1000 he and his father finished in 2nd place.

At the 1998 V8 Supercars Bathurst 1000 as a co-driver to Jason Bright, Richards finished 1st for Stone Brothers Racing.

In that same year he finished 2nd with co-driver Matt Neil in the Touring Car Bathurst 1000. This was an amazing feat because they were driving a Nissan Primera for UK bases Team Dynamics.

He then backed up his Bathurst 1st place the following year (1999) with co-driver Greg Murphy for Gibson Motorsport.

He continued in the same way for nearly another 20 years with one success after the other.

Steven Richards has 5 Bathurst 1000 wins: 1998, 1999, 2013, 2015 and 2018.
He has also won pole position for Bathurst in 2004 and 2007.

In 2014 (just to prove he wasnt too old to be racing he won the Australian Carrera Cup Championship and scored 5th in the Australian GT Championship.

In 2016 he ran in both the Australian GT Championship and Endurance Championship under his own team, Steve Richards Motorsport (SRM).

In total Steven Richards has:

  • completed 451 races
  • 12 race wins
  • & 60 podium finishes.

Now work that out. It means he at approximately gets 1 podium finish per 7 races. Not bad at all.

Teams that Steven Richards have driven for are:

  • Garry Rogers Motorsport 1996 1997 1998
  • Gibson Motorsport 1999 2000
  • Ford Tickford Racing 2001
  • Perkins Engineering   2002 2003 2004 2005 2006.
  • Ford Performance Racing 2007 2008 2009 2010.
  • Ford Performance Racing 2011 2012 2013
  • Red Bull Racing Australia 2014 2015
  • Team Vortex 2016 & 2017 and Autobarn Lowndes Racing 2018.

Co drivers include:

  • Jim Richards 1996 1997 1998
  • Mark Winterbottom 2007 2008 2009 2011 2012 2013
  • Greg Murphy 1999 2000.
  • Craig Lowndes 2014 2015 2016 2017 and 2018.
  • Russell Ingall 2002.
  • Larry Perkins 2003.
  • Paul Dumbrell 2006.
  • Jason Bright 1998.
  • Glenn Seton 2001.
  • James Moffatt 2010.