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Supercars

WD 40 Townsvlle Supersprint 2021

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Hi to all you Supercars Fans around the World!

On the weekend of the 17th and 18th of July 2021 was the WD-40 Townsville Supersprint.

After the postponement of Winton and the Sydney Supernight this was the second event of a double header at Townsville.

On the previous weekend the Townsville 500 was dominated by the 888 team. All eyes were on them to see if they could do it again; Could Shane Van Gisbergen continue his fiery streak for the season? Could Jamie Whincup repeat his double win at this event last year, 2020?

In the Pre–race sessions the results were as follows:

  • Scott Pye was fastest in Practice 1.
  • Anton de Pasquale earned himself pole position for the first race of the weekend being fastest in the Amour All Qualifying and Top 10 shootout.

In race 17 Anton De Pasquale started on pole position with Cameron Waters alongside him.

Zane Goddard started 10th because he didn’t complete his top 10 shootout lap.

Cameron Waters led he opening stages of the race.

Behind him though there was chaos because cars were getting hit left right and centre.

Brodie Kostecki was battling with Shane Van Gisbergen for positions 5 and 6.

Tim Slade came in to pits early on lap 5 to get clear air.

The cars back in the pack tried to pass the cars in front. When they realised that they couldn’t the teams called them into pit in an attempt to get out of traffic and make time while the others pitted later.

Will Davison had a really slow stop when the crew had issues with with the gun on the front left tyre of car 17. THe delay cost him dearly. It was more than double the standard pit stop time.

Most teams were doing 3 tyre changes in the stop, others did 2 tyres.

Shane Van Gisbergen received a 15 second penalty for making contact with car #99 of Brodie Kostecki.

Then teammate, Jamie Whincup got a 15 second time penalty for exceeding the pit lane speed limit.

In the middle of the race Cameron Waters had the lead and looking good for his 2nd win of 2021.

He confidently held the lead to the end of the race coming in 2.8708 seconds ahead of Anton de Pasquale in second placed who was 1.587 seconds ahead of cheeky Chaz Mostert.

The three drivers were way ahead of the rest of the pack. The next contender in fourth place was Tim Slade crossing the line 10+ seconds later.

Results for Race 17

1st Cameron Waters – Tickford Racing.

2nd Anton De Pasquale – Dick Johnson Racing.

3rd Chaz Mostert – Walkinshaw Andretti United.

In Race 18 Jamie Whincup started on pole postion for the 91st time in his Supercars career! Alongside him was teammate Shane Van Gisbergen.

As the race got underway Jamie Whincup got the jump and led into turn 1 for the first of 39 laps.

Shane Van Gisbergen tried to go around the outside of Jamie Whincup but it couldn’t be done.

Tim Slade yet again came in to the pits early for clear air.

The cars further back in the pack came in early to get out of the traffic.

Meanwhile Jamie Whincup stayed out on track and at one stage worked up a 6 second lead.

Later, Todd Hazelwood managed a great pass and got down the inside of James Courtney at turn 11.

In the middle of the race Jamie Wincup and Shane Van Gisbergen were batting for the race lead and race win. Shane Van Gisbergern held the lead and the battle was fierce.  Shane Van Gisbergen was told told to let Jamie Whincup past but he disobeyed team orders and didn’t do so. They were both in the heat of the moment. The teammates were racing against each other for all their worth.

At lap 25 of 39 Will Brown of Erebus Pedders Racing left the track and wasn’t able to continue. A few minutes later on lap 26 Macauley Jones of Coca-Cola Racing met the same fate and left the track. Both received an NC  (not complete) for the race.

At the front end of the race, no one could catch Shane Van Gibergen as he built his lead over Whincup. He crossed the finish line 4.5+ seconds ahead of Jamie Whincup. Cheeky Chaz Mostert came across the line 3.5+ seconds later with Will Davison right on his tail. The three front drivers had a invincible lead over the rest of the pack. It was nearly 9 seconds before Todd Hazelwood took  5th place followed by Scott Pye. Both of them had gained 5 places throughout the race which is impressive for such a short sprint.

So once again Shane Van Gisbergen continues his 2021 winning streak. Fantastic!

Results for Race 18

1st Shane Van Gsbergergen – Red Bull Ampol Racing team.

2nd Jamie Whincup – Red Bull Ampol Racing Team

3rd Chaz Mostert – Walkinshaw Andretti United.

In race 19 Cameron Waters started on pole position alongside him was Shane Van Gisbergen.

As the race got underway Cameron Waters got the jump and led into turn 1 for the first of 39 laps.

Over Shane Van Gisbergen. ??? The cars further back in the pack came in to get clear track which worked.

The leaders stayed out longer because they had track position.

On lap 16 Macauley Jones again had to park his Coke Commordore after starting 8th on the grid and received his second NC for the weekend.

Shane Van Gisbergergen came in to get clear track.

Then Jamie Whincup also came in to get the undercut on Cameron Waters.

In the middle of the race Will Davison was in 3rd and looking good for a podium.

Towards the end of the race Shane Van Gisbergen was putting pressure on Cameron Waters for the race lead and race win. Cameron Waters experience kept him just out of reach from rivals and finished less than a second ahead of Shane Van Gisbergen.

Results for Race 19

1st Cameron Waters – Tickford Racing.

2nd Shane Van Gisbergen – Red Bull Ampol Racing Team.

3rd Will Davison – Dick Johnson Racing.

The next event is event 8 the Ipswich Supersprint on the 21st and 22nd of August 2021.

The gap between 1st and 2nd in the championship Shane Van Gisberen and Jamie Whincup is 276 points.

Supercars

NTI Townsville 2021

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Hi to all you Supercars Fans around the world!

On the weekend of the 9th to the 11th of July was the NTI Townsville 500.

After the indefinite postponement of the Winton Supersprint due to COVID I have been itching for the event to take place.

The first V8 Supercars race in Townsville was 2009. Out of the previous 29 races held here Jamie Whincup has had 12 wins and 20 podium finishes. I am sure that he and everyone else had high expectations for this coming event.          

In the pre–race sessions the results were as follows:

  • David Reynolds was fastest in Practice 1
  • Shane Van Gisbergen was fastest in Practice 2
  • Shane Van Gisbergen was fastest in the Armour All Qualifying and the Armour All top 10 Shootout.

In race 15 Shane Van Gisbergen started on pole position. Alongside him was teammate Jamie Whincup. It was meant to be an 88 lap 250Km race on Saturday but Fabian Coulthard  was stranded on the grid at the start. Drivers had to do an extra formation lap which took a lap out of the race, so it became an 87 lap race. Fabian Coulthard was able to get his car off the grid and back to the pits with a new battery. He then had to prove to officials that his car could start under its own power. Only then was he able to start the race from the end of the pit lane.

After the formation lap the race got underway and Jamie Whincup led into turn 1 from the outside for. Further back in the field Brodie Kostecki (Erebus) was battling with Jake Kostecki (Unit Racing).

The cars further back in the pack came in early to avoid double stacking while the leaders stayed out longer to make the most of their good positioning.

In those opening laps the two Red Bull Ampol Racing Team cars were running 1st and 2nd.

Matt Stone Racing’s Zane Goddard made contact with the wall in car 35 and had to limp back to the pits. The team managed to repair the car and Zane Goddard returned to the track. Although he finished the race he had lost so much time that he dropped from 18th on the grid to 24th by the end of the race.

Up to the last quarter of the race Jamie Whincup was looking good for another victory at Townsville. It looked to be turning out the way I had predicted but at lap 70 Shane Van Gisbergen was able to take the lead off his teammate. Shane Van Gisbergen has been achieving incredible results this season but this was unexpected. The two drivers egged each other on. No one could catch them as they pulled further and further ahead of the pack.

Not only did Shane Van Gisbergen hold the number one spot but in those remaining 18 laps managed to build more than a 7 second lead over Jamie Whincup by the finish line. It was bad luck for Jamie Wincup but still a great result for the Red Bull Ampol Racing team, 1st and 2nd place.

Just over 30 seconds behind Whincup, Anton de  Pasquale came in third place.

Now that is what I call an incredible finish.

Results for Race 15

1st Shane Van Gisbergen – Red Bull Ampol Racing

2nd Jamie Whincup – Red Bull Ampol Racing

3rd Anton De Pasquale – Dick Johnson Racing

In race 16 it was again the Red Bull Ampol Racing duo starting at the front of the grid. This time it was Jamie Whincup who started on pole position with Shane Van Gisbergen alongside him.

It was a milestone for the already record breaking Whincup as his 90th Supercars career pole start.

Yet again Jamie Whincup got the jump and led into turn 1 over his teammate and championship leader, Shane Van Gisbergen.

The drivers that started the race back in pack came in early to get clear air.

James Courtney was batting with Cameron Waters for positions 9th and 10th.

Brodie Kostecki was putting pressure on Will Brown to get passed him for 5th place.

By the middle of the race the 2 mandatory pit stops were done by almost all drivers and Jamie Whincup was back in the lead.

Shane Van Gisbergen was stuck in traffic further back which must have taken the pressure off  Jamie Whincup.

Shane Van Gisbergen charged his was through the traffic and once again, with only 13 laps to go took the lead off his teammate Jamie Whincup.

The two drivers had more than a 20 second lead over Pesky Pasquale in the 3rd place.

For Shane Van Gisbergen this weekend puts his tally at 10 wins out of 15 races for the season. That is just incredible.

Results for race 16

1st Sane Van Gisbergen – Red Bull Ampol Racing

2nd Jamie Whincup – Red Bull Ampol Racing

3rd Anton De Pasquale – Dick Johnson Racing

The next event is the WD 40 Townsville Supersprint on the 17th and 18th of July 2021.

Supercars

Merlin Triple Crown 2021

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Hi to all you Supercars Fans around the world!

On the weekend of June 18 to 20, 2021 was the Merlin Darwin Triple Crown at Hidden Valley Raceway.

It was an exciting weekend that I had been looking forward to. Not just because Hidden Valley is a fast track but also the last event at Winton was cancelled due to COVID lockdowns. So it’s been a while since the last race.

Neil Crompton was not in Darwin last weekend because he was recovering from prostate cancer surgery. Crompo, we are all praying for you and wish you a speedy recovery.

In other news, Chaz Mostert has signed a new multi year deal with Walkinshaw Andretti United until the end of 2023. This puts an end to the speculations that he may be replacing Jamie Whincup in 2022 at the Red Bull Ampol Racing Team alongside Shane Van Gisbergen.

Also last weekend it was confirmed that Thomas Randle will make his full-time debut in 2022 with Tickford Racing under a 4th Rec – Racing Entitlements Contract.

The weekend’s event was underway as scheduled. In the pre-race sessions it was a mix of results:

  • Nick Percat was fastest in Practice 1
  • Jamie Whincup was fastest in Practice 2
  • Anton de Pasquale was fastest in Qualifying for race 12.

In race 12 Anton De Pasquale started on pole position with Mark Winterbottom alongside him.

As the race got underway things immediately went wrong and by turn 1 there was a 6 car pileup.

Mark Winterbottom lost power and went wide to avoid being a hinderance. Shane Van Gisbergen managed to sweep down the inside of Anton de Pasquale to take the lead. Anton de Pasquale turned in tight clipping Shane Van Gisbergen’s back wheel. It slowed Pasquale, changing his driving line and Scott Pye ended up in his behind spinning him round. As this brought them to a halt in the middle of the turn, others came to join the ‘pile up party’; Including Todd Hazelwod, Jack Smith, Fabian Couthard, Garry Jacobson. It was utter mayhem and the safety car had to be deployed to clean up the mess. Garry Jackobson was the only one able to continue the race. The others were out with NC (Not Complete).

When the race went back to green Shane Van Gisbergen was leading the race.

Jamie Whincup came in early to find some clear air and not get caught up in traffic. The leaders stayed out until lap 5.

Will Davison was the remaining Dick Johnson Racing car after the retirement of car 11 driven by Anton de Pasquale. De Pasquale’s car looked such a mess I was thinking that they wouldn’t be able to repair car overnight, but somehow they did.

In the middle of the race Shane Van Gisbergen’s was on target for another race win in 2021 but it was a day of mishaps. When he came in for the pit stop the team couldn’t get the wheel nut undone, so instead of the stop being a 3 or 4 seconds it ended up being a 30 seconds. They delay  cost him the race lead and win. After looking so strong he finished in 13th position.

The race lead was now in the hands of Cheeky Chaz Mostert. His experience and great driving made it impossible for anyone else to catch him before he crossed the finish line first.

Results for Race 12

1st Chaz Mostert – Walkinshaw Andretti United

2nd Cameron Waters – Tickford Racing

3rd Nick Percat – Brad Jones Racing

In race 13 Will Davison started on pole position. Alongside him was Shane Van Gisbergen. The last time Will Davison started on pole position was 2014 at Homebush Sydney Olympic park.

David Reynolds qualified 21st for race 13 which he wasn’t happy with because he wanted to be further up but it didn’t work out.

At the start of the race Shane Van Gisbergen got the jump and led into turn 1. The cars further back in the pack came in early to get track position.

Nick Percat who qualified to start in 10 position wanted to repeat his podium finish achieved on Saturday. His driving throughout the race was more aggressive than usual but his experience means he knows what he is doing and poses less risk than most. Unfortunately for him it was a tough race and only managed to gain one place by the finish.

The Red Bull cars which qualified well, Shane Van Gisbergen started 2nd and Jamie Whincup started 6th on the grid, stayed out longer because they had track position. It paid off for both of them.

In the middle of the race Shane Van Gisbergen was back at the front. Soon after his teammate, Jamie Whincup had moved up from 6th to 3rd. Will Davison was holding onto 2nd position and was proving a tough nut to crack for Jamie Whincup to make the result 1st and 2nd for Triple 888 Racing..

The three drivers kept their position and proved impossible for anyone else to catch them. They also  finished the race in that order; Shane Van Gisbergen, Will Davison and Jamie Whincup.

Results for Race 13

1st Shane Van Gisbergen – Red Bull Ampol Racing Team

2nd Will Davison – Dick Johnson Racing

3rd Jamie Whincup – Red Bull Ampol Racing Team

4th Chaz Mostert – Walkinshaw Andretti United

In race 14, the third and final race for the weekend it was again Will Davison whi started on pole position. Alongside him was Shane Van Gisbergen.

Shane van Gisbergen went around the outside at turn 1 and in the process kept the lead which I wasn’t surprised with at all.

The cars further back in the pack came in to get track position and stay out of the hot air from the cars in front of them.

As the pit stops started taking place the leaders stayed to keep their positions.

Jamie Whincup was happy about having a good performance in Darwin with a 2nd and 3rd finish in the previous races..

In the middle of the race Shane Van Gisbergen was the leader of and looking like winning the race comfortably.

The series season leader Shane Van Gisbergen showed why he was the series champ to date and drove faultlessly to the finish line with more than a two second lead over Will Davison and Jamie Whincup in thrid. Shane Van Gisbergen now leads the championship by 221 points.

Results for Race 14

1st Shane Van Gisbergen – Red Bull Ampol Racing Team

2nd Will Davison – Dick Johnson Racing

3rd Jamie Whincup – Red Bull Ampol Racing Team

Social media reacts to Mostert WAU contract extension – Supercars

Randle confirmed for 2022 full-time Supercars seat – Speedcafe

The next event is the NTI Townsville 500 on the 9th to the 11th of July 2021.

Supercars

OTR supersprint 2021

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Hi to all you Supercars Fans around the world!

On the weekend of the 8th and 9th of May 2021 was the OTR Supersprint at The Bend in South Australia.

The event consisted of 3 races, 24 laps each which includes 18 ‘Bends’ over the shortened circuit of 4.95km. So they are fast and furious sprints with not much room for error.

I am sure that Jamie Whincup was trying not to repeat the incident of the 2020 OTR Supersprint. He made contact with Scott McLaughlin. It impacted Whincup’s race and chance at the championship.

Jess Yates returned to the host desk for Foxsports after giving birth to her second child, Samuel Lewis Egan on the 30th of March this year. That is less than 6 weeks prior to this event. So fellas, forget the heroic stats of all the drivers, this woman is the real deal.

Pit reporter, Molly Taylor was not present. She was in the hot seat in Saudi Arabia doing her other ‘job’ rally driving. Incidentally she claimed victory. Congratulations!

In the Race 9 Pre-Race sessions results were as follows:

  • Mark Winterbottom was fastest in Practice 1
  • Andre Heimgartner was fastest in Practice 2 and Armour All Qualifying.

In Race 9 Andre Heimgartner started on pole position (his second pole in his supercars career). Alongside him was Chaz Mostert.

Chaz Mostert got the jump into turn 1 but didn’t stay in the race lead for long. He ran wide on lap 1 which gave the pole sitter Andre Heimgartner the race lead.

Pretty soon Andre Heimgartner was pulling away from the rest of the field.

When the pit stops started the leaders stayed out longer to keep track position. Later, when Andre Heimgartner was exiting after his stop he made contact with the incoming Jamie Whincup. As a result he got a 5 second post-race pit lane penalty.

Andre Heimgartner now had had a mission to build a 5 second lead into his win to make up for the penalty. He showed amazing form and kept inching ahead. Pretty soon it was evident that no one was going to catch him. By the end of the race he had well reached his goal and came in first a little under 9 seconds ahead of the next competitor, Chaz Mostert.

Congratulations Andre Heimgartner on your first Supercars win.

Results for Race 9

1st Andre Heimgartner – Kelly Grove Racing

2nd Chaz Mostert – Walkinshaw Andretti United

3rd Anton de Pasquale – Dick Johnson Racing

In race 10 Anton de Pasquale took his first pole position in his Supercars career. Alongside him was teammate, Will Davison.

At the start of the race Anton de Pasquale got the jump and led into turn 1 for the first of 24 laps.

Will Davison tried to go around the outside at turn 1 but couldn’t do it safely so backed off.

The cars further back in the pack came in early to get clear track, which worked for most.

The leaders stayed out longer to keep track position.

In the middle of the race Anton de Pasquale was the race leader and looking strong to take his first win for DJR in 2021.

Towards the end of the race no one else could catch Anton de Pasquale for the ace win. Getting his second win in his supercars career must have been an exciting moment for him. Congrats Anton!

Results for Race 10

1st Anton de Pasquale – Dick Johnson Racing

2nd Will Davison – Dick Johnson Racing

3rd Shane Van Gisbergen – Red Bull Ampol Racing Team

In race 11 Anton de Pasquale yet again started on pole position alongside him this time was the 7 times Supercars champion, Jamie Whincup.

At the start of the race Jamie Whincup looked as though he might have taken the lead but that wasn’t the case. Anton de Pasquale was having a good weekend.

The cars further pack were trying to move forward but the only way to do that was through strategy.

Mark Winterbottom hit a career milestone starting his 500th race. As if to celebrate he made up 7 spots in the opening stages of the race. Congrats Frosty.

As the pit stops started the list of to have or to have pitted was moving up and down like the stock market.

In the middle of the race Cameron Waters was leading having moved up two places from his starting position on the grid.

Shane Van Gisbergen was in hot pursuit but couldn’t find the space to overtake. Just too many ‘Bends’. His only option was trying to pressure Cam Waters into making a mistake. Cam Waters kept his focus and great form to the finish making the weekend a Ford clean sweep.

Results for Race 11

1st Cameron Waters – Tickford Racing

2nd Shane Van Gisbergen – Red Bull Ampol Racing Team

3rd Will Davison – Dick Johnson Racing

The next event is the Winton Supersprint on the 29th and 30th of May 2021.

Supercars

Beaurepairs Tasmania Supersprint 2021

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Hi to all you Supercars Fans around the world!

On the weekend of the 17th and 18th of April, 2021 was the Beaurepaires Tasmania Supersprint.

Marcos Ambrose a Tasmanian native was apart of the broadcast team for Fox Sports.

Neil Crompton who normally chairs the commentary box was sitting in on the hosting panel to fill in for Jess Yates. She and husband, Luke Egan have welcomed another baby into the world. His name is Samuel Lewis Egan and will be little brother to Isabella (7). Congratulations Jess and Luke.

In the lead up to this event all eyes were on Shane Van Gisbergen who has been driving like a bat out of hell since his win in the final event (Bathurst) for last season.

Shane Van Gisbergen took out the trophy for both races at the opening event for this season, The Bathurst 500. He then followed up with a triple win for races 3, 4 and 5 at the Sandown Supersprint.

So everyone was keen to see what he could do at this event. That however may be wishful thinking because this year there is some stiff competition and some very fast cars.

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

  • Cameron Waters was fastest in practice 1 and 2
  • Shane Van Gibergen was fastest in Armour All Qualifying for race 6

In race 6 Shane Van Gisbergen started on pole position with Cameron Waters alongside him.

At the start of the race Cameron Waters got the jump on Shane Van Gisbergen and led into turn 1 for the first of 44 laps.

Jamie Whincup got up to 2nd on lap 1 but then Shane Van Gisbergen overtook his teammate.

Then after a few laps Shane Van Gisbergen had the lead which was very impressive.

The drivers who were up front stayed out because they had track position and clear air.

Jamie Whincup came in early because he was looking for track position and clear air. It also ensured Shane Van Gisbergen in the lead wouldn’t risk a double stack.

Chaz Mostert was again showing some great driving and up  in 5th place.

There were 2 mandatory pit stops so strategy was going to be a big part of getting or maintaining track position.

By the middle of the race Anton de Pasquale was in 3rd position but he didn’t seem to have much hope of catching Shane Van Gisbergen in 1st and Jamie Whincup 2nd.

Shane Van Gisbergen held his lead with confidence to gain his 6th win out of 6 races for the season. Specatacular!

Results for Race 6

1st Shane Van Gisbergen – Red Bull Ampol Racing Team.
2nd Jamie Whincup – Red Bull Ampol Racing Team.
3rd Anton de Pasquale – Dick Johnson Racing.

In race 7 Cameron Waters started on pole position, alongside him was Jamie Whincup.

Cameron Waters led into turn 1 for the first of 44 laps.

When they got to the hairpin turn  Jack Le Broq made contact with Anton de Pasquale and was spun round ending up at the back of the pack. Andre Heimgartner and Fabian Coulthard were also caught in the mayhem as the pack round the turn.

Jamie Whincup tried to get by Cameron Waters early on but couldn’t so he had to pit early to get clear air which paid off.

James Courtney had a massive slide on a left bend and ended up shooting across the traffic to the right hand side. He was lucky not to collect the cars following him. He managed to save it all by getting back on track and continue driving.

Chaz Mostert was trying to move up through the field to get near the race leaders but that didn’t happen.

In the middle of the race Jamie Whincup was the race lace leader and looking good for his first win of his final season.

Regardless of Shane Van Gisbergen’s efforts, Jamie held the lead to the finish line with his teammate in tow. I wander if it was any consolation to Shane Van Gisbergen that it was his teammate that broke his winning streak.

Results for Race 7

1st Jamie Whincup – Red Bull Ampol Racing Team.

2nd Shane Van Gisbergen – Red Bull Ampol Racing Team.

3rd Will Davison – Dick Johnson Racing.

In race 8 Cameron Waters started on pole position and alongside was Chaz Mostert.

Zane Goddard qualified on the 2nd row of the grid. Not bad for a rookie when you consider the stiff competition out there.

As the final race for the weekend got underway Chaz Mosert got the jump off the line and pretty much led the entire race accept for pit stops.  Early on there cars behind him were chasing him down but Chaz Mostert didn’t want to give up the race lead.

Jack Le Broq came in early to get track position and clear air.

After the mayhem on lap 1 of in the previous race Will Davison cleverly chose to pull back from the battle he was having with Anton de Pasquale.

Jamie Whincup pitted first then Shane Van Gisbergen pitted the lap after.

Chaz Mostert stayed out longer because he was leading the race.

Bryce Fullwood was moving up the order while his teammate Chaz Mostert was up front.  

By the middle of the race Shane Van Gibergen seemed relegated to being back in the pack. He and teammate, Jamie Whincup couldnt find the room to move up through the field. As it turned out they each gained only one position by the end of the race.

On the other hand Chaz Mostert seemed to be increasing his lead crossing the finish line more than 10 seconds ahead of Anton de Pasquale in 2nd place. It was an incredible finish.

Results for race 8

1st Chaz Mostert – Walkinshaw Andretti United

2nd Anton de Pasquale – Dick Johnson Racing

3rd Wil Davison – Dick Johnson Racing.

The next event is the OTR Supersprint at the Bend on the 8th and 9th of May 2021.

Supercars

Penrite Oil Sandown Supersprint 2021

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Hi to all you Supercars Fans around the world!On the weekend of the 20th and 21st of March was the Penrite Oil Sandown Supersprint.

The event was held at the Sandown International Raceway. It is a famous track of 3.1  kilometres  owned by Melbourne Racing Club with a rich history stretching beyond its opening as a raceway in 1962 and the first Sandown 500 in 1964. Prior to this it was a horse racing facilty built in the 19th century.

In motor racing it seems to be a tough and challenging track. History shows that both Ash Walsh and Lee Holdsworth crashed in 2013 and 2014 respectively. Both at the end of the back straight.

As for the event this year, it looked like it was going to be a tough one for the Red Bull Ampol Racing Team. Three weeks ago after the opening round of the Supercars Championship at the Bathurst 500, Shane Van Gisbergen broke his collar bone in a mountain bike accident. He was admitted to hospital for surgery.

With such an injury it was doubtful Shane Van Gisbergen would be racing at Sandown . The team had Garth Tander on stand by to fill in. Even commentator Mark Skaife said that he didn’t think that Shane Van Gisbergen would race but…  HE DID!!!.

I am sure Triple Eight had their concerns for Shane Van Gisbergen, as well as the impact on the team and the championship after his double win at the opening event, Bathurst 500.

Results for the Pre-Race sessions:

  • Jamie Whincup was fastest in Practice 1
  • Cameron Waters was fastest in Practice 2
  • Chaz Mostert was fastest in the Armour All Qualifying
  • Shane Van Gibergen qualified 17th

In race 3 Chaz Mostert started on pole position with Cameron Water alongside him.

At the start of the race Chaz Mostert led into turn 1 but Cameron Waters took the lead between turns 2 and 3.. During the opening stages Mark Winterbottom and Jamie Whincup were flying up to turn 1.

When the pit window opened the front runners stayed out while cars further back pitted.

In the middle of the race the drivers were going nuts because they knew that every pass they made was critical.

As it turned outShane Van Gisbergen started 17th with his broken collar bone and finished 1st !  Wow!. After his double win at Bathurst a few weeks back this was an exciting finish.

What a incredible race. Well done SVG.

Results for Race 3

1st Shane Van Gisbergen – Red Bull Ampol Racing Team.
2nd Cameron Waters – Tickford Racing.
3rd Jamie Whincup – Red Bull Ampol Racing Team.

Regardless of weather reports, races 4 and 5 were wet and created tension out on the track.

Shane Van Gisbergen astounded everyone by being fastest in the Qualifying for Race 4  earning him pole position. Alongside him was teammate Jamie Whincup.

At the start of the race Jamie Whincup took the lead into turn 1 but Shane Van Gisbergern was soon  passed him.

Early on in the race Will Davison spun in between turns 2 and 3 and nearly collected Anton de Pasqaule on the re-join. Thankfully that didn’t happen.

The front runners stayed out while the cars back in the pack pitted.

Will Brown was charging through the pack in Race 4 just like Shane Van Gisbergen did in Race 3.

Brodie Kosecki was back in the pack so the Erebus team brought him in to give him clear air.

Once Shane Van Gisbergen took his final pit stop and re-joined he was the clear leader and seemed impossible to catch. Yes, Shane Van Gisbergen won this race too. That was 2 of 2 races for the weekend and 4 out of 4 for the season. Just incredible!

Results for Race 4

1st Shane Van Gisergen – Red Bull Ampol Racing Team.
2nd Cameron Waters – Tickford Racing.
3rd Jamie Whincup – Red Bull Ampol Racing Team.

In race 5 Shane Van Gisbergen again started on pole position with teammate Jamie Whincup alongside him.

During the opening laps Brodie Kostecki was up from 7th to 4th spot which Erebus Motorsport must have been happy with. I bet team owner Betty Klimenco regretted not being there and staying home with her sick dog. Boo hoo! Bow wow!

Will Brown, also from Erebus Motorsport came in early because he wasn’t moving forward.

Chaz Mostert was dogfighting up front for the lead. He just would’nt give in and some spectacular driving was on show.  The manoeuvres were just incredible as he traded the lead with Shane Van Gisbergen multiple times. Im sure Shane Van Gisbergen was thinking Mostert was like a fly at a picnic. Just buzzing around and being a pest.

Once again towards the end of the race no one could catch Shane Van Gisbergen.

Incredible! 5 out of 5 races for the season.

Results for race 5

1st Shane van Gisbrgen – Red Bull Ampol Racing team.
2nd Brodie Kostecki – Erebus Motorsport.
3rd Jamie Whincup – Red Bull Ampol Racing Team.

The next event is the Beaurepairs Tasmania Supersprint has been delayed 1 week due to COVID19 lock downs. It will now be run on the 17th and 18th  of April 2021.

Supercars

Bathurst 500 2021

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Hi to all you Supercars Fans around the world!

On the weekend of February 26th to 28th was the official start the 2021 V8 Supercars season kicking off with the Repco Mount Panorama 500.

In order to celebrate and watch the race  I went to the Royal Hotel Ryde on both Saturday (with my mate Sam) and Sunday (with Dad).  

We were also celebrating two other things. The first, is the easing of COVID restrictions in the Sydney area allowing us to actually go to a pub.

The second was the successful training I have been doing since the start of the year. What training I hear you ask. Well, I always drink liquids from a bottle with a spout because I have Cerebral Palsy and have never drunk from an open top glass (read this as schooner glass).  To add to this problem, last year I had a massive stroke that paralysed my dominant side. On the 1st of January I set a goal to ‘learn’ how to drink from an open top glass. With the help of too many people to mention I have achieved this. It might be seen like a small thing to most but for me IT IS AWESOME!!!! . It was a great feeling drinking from a schooner at the pub.

I also wanted slip in a very big Thank You to the manager at the Royal Hotel Ryde, Chris and his partner Bianca who reserved an easily accessible table for us right in front of the TVs which he kindly switched over the Supercars Race. Your consideration, hospitality and friendship is very much appreciated.

I had such an enjoyable time I had to mention all that. However, now I will give you a quick run down of the actual races.

In the pre-race sessions:

  • Chaz Mostert was fastest in Practice 1 and 2.
  • Anton De Pasquale was the fastest in the Armour All Qualifying.
  • Cameron Waters was fastest in the Armour All Top 10 Shootout earning him Pole Position for the race.

In Race 1 alongside Cameron Waters  on pole position was Tim Slade.

Cameron Waters got the jump off the line and led into turn 1.

On the first lap Scott Pye hit the wall at The Cutting which meant he had to limp back to the pits. The repairs took a while but he was lucky enough to rejoin the race later. Unfortunately it put him way back in the pack, having started from position 10 he finished 2 laps behind in 19th place.The drivers soon settled down into their race pace.

On lap 6 Anton De Pasquale also hit the wall at The Cutting and this time the safety car was deployed. Another victim of The Cutting, he was towed back to the pits and didn’t rejoin receiving a NC (Not Complete)

Cameron Waters was running up  the front of the race but then  a car problem forced an unscheduled pit stop.. He lost the lead  and when he rejoined he was at least a lap down. After starting on Pole and holding the lead it was bad luck he didnt manage to at least stay up the front. He finished 20th and was short 6 laps short of the winner.

It was at this stage that  Shane Van Gisbergen became the race leader  with the cars behind him  battling for 2nd , 3rd and 4th.

Shane Van Gisbergen held the number one position from that point on. It seemed no one was able to catch him. In the last minutes of the race Will Davison was battling with Tim Slade for 3rd spot. 5 laps from the finish Tim Slade had a bone shattering side-on with the wall at Forrest Elbow. He bounced off the wall with such force it took everyone’s breath away. He was lucky enough to be able to roll the car out of the way onto the grass area. The damage was severe and he wasn’t rejoining the race and the team couldnt even get the repairs done for the next day’s race. It must have been a tough race as his was the 4th NC for the day.

Results for Race 1

1st Shane Van Gisberen – Red Bull Ampol Racing Team.

2nd Chaz Mostert – Walkinshaw Andretti United.

3rd Will Davison – Dick Johnson Racing.

In Race 2 Shane Van Gisbergen started on pole position, alongside him was Cameron Waters. Cameron Waters led into turn 1 for the first of 40 laps.

Shane Van Gisbergen stayed in 2nd place. Behind them Will Davison was battling with Chaz Mostert for positions 3 and 4.

Cameron Waters kept his lead in the opening stages while Shane Van Gisbergern stayed close copping a lot of hot air.

Further back Jamie Whincup was trying to catch up with his teammate, Shane Van Gisbergen.

but the cars in front of him didn’t make it easy  to get by .

By the middle of the race Shane Van Gisbergen had the lead and was charging his way to  victory. He held fast to the number 1 spot and it appeared he just couldn’t be caught. He crossed the line 6.1277 seconds ahead of his nearest rival, Cameron Waters and earned himself 2 out 2 victories for the weekend.

Shane Van Gisbergen now leads the championship with 300 points.

His team, Red Bull Ampol Racing Team leads the teams championship by 54 points.

Results for Race 2

1st Shane Van Gisbergen – Red Bull Ampol Racing Team.

2nd Cameron Waters – Tickford Racing.

3rd Chaz Mostert – Walkinshaw Andretti United.

The next race is the Penrite Oil Sandown Superspint on the 20th and 21st of March, 2021.

Supercars

Bathurst 2006

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Hi to all you Supercars Fans around the world!

It is still the ‘off season’ for Supercars so there are no races to review.

COVID – 19 is re-emerging as a health risk in the Sydney community bringing most things to a boring standstill.

As I once said in a previous V8-Log on my YouTube channel ‘COVID, COVID, COVID…. I’m Bored!!’

So to keep myself occupied and maybe info-tain my readers, I am doing a post covering the 2006 Bathurst 1000.

The 2006 Bathurst 1000 was run on October 8. It was a sombre moment as they moved into position to start the race. They left the front row of the grid vacant as a mark of respect to the ‘King of the Mountain’, Peter Brock or as most Aussies would know him, “Brocky” . Brocky was a living legend of the track and died tragically in the Targa West ’06 Rally one month prior on September 8.  This was the man who had been out on the track since the late 60’s, was 9 times winner of the Bathurst 1000 (amongst many other titles that are too great in number to mention here) and pretty much the face of Holden for 40 years.

That’s not to say there were no great drivers out on the track that day. Mark Skaife and Garth Tander started on pole position. Alongside was Jason Bright and Mark ‘Frosty’ Winterbottom.

As the race got underway Mark Skaife had a slipping clutch off the start line. When he got close to  the end of Mountain Straight he left the track, hitting the wall and damaging front and back of the car.  They were already out of the race on lap 1.

The drivers did 3 laps under safety car while car 2 (Skaife’s) got removed from mountain straight area.

On the restart Jason Bright was the race leader and the dominant car. During those opening laps the Jason Bright and Mark Winterbottom car was flying, it was just so fast.

Craig Lowndes was battling with Jason Richards for 2nd place. Greg Murphy was battling with his former teammate, Steven Richards in the Jack Daniels Racing, car 7.

Heading into the 06 Bathurst 1000 Craig Lowndes was the championship leader over Rick Kelly by 27 points.

Rick Kelly was battling with Steven Johnson for position 8 and 9.

Dean Canto was following Russell Ingall but couldn’t get by him.

Jason bright was leading until he got a flat spot on the front right tyre, then Craig Lowndes took the race lead and just took off.

On lap 22 he had a handy 4.1 second lead lead over Jason Richards in car 3 for Tasman Motorsport.

Skaife’s Holden Racing Team (HRT) teammate, Jim Richards had no luck either. On lap 25 he hit the wall coming out of ‘The Dipper’.

On the 2nd restart, Steven Johnson was running 2nd  but lost control on lap 28 and also hit the wall.

When the safety car came out for the 3rd time Craig Lowndes pitted to hand over to Jamie Whincup. The handover put them back in 22nd position.

The the pits were very busy with cars coming in but so badly damaged not going back out.

When the race restarted Cameron McConville was leading followed by Todd Kelly.

Around the middle of the 161 lap race, the main drivers were back behind the wheel.

On lap 90 Craig Lowndes did the fastest lap of the race.

When the co drivers got back in the cars Todd Kelly was leading.

The cars back in the pack seemed to have no hope of catching the race leaders; Todd Kelly, Jamie Whincup and James Courtney.

Towards the end of the race it was green until Jason Richards went off the track causing the 10th and final safety car deployment.

Soon after Paul Radisich rolled the Team Kiwi Holden Commordore, car 021.

Rick Kelly was chasing Crag Lowndes in the last laps but he just couldn’t find the opportunity to overtake. Craig Lowndes driving was flawless and kept his lead to the finish line.

Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup were the fist to receive the newly titled trophy, ‘The Peter Brock Trophy’.

Results for Bathurst 2006

1st Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup – Team Betta Electrical
2nd Rick Kelly and Todd Kelly – Toll HSV Dealer Team
3rd James Courtney and Glen Seton – Stone Brothers Racing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.