VASC(Virgin Aus. SuperCars) 2017 Discussion

[theracer120]

Bottom post of the previous page:

Richie Stanaway's abandoned European racing to try and make it down here:
http://www.supercars.com/news/champions ... supercars/

[Everso Biggyballies]

This weekend the VASC heads to Queensland International Raceway (aka The Paperclip) for the next round (#8) of the title fight.

Scotty McLaughlan led P1 and Chas Mostert set the pace in P2. (In P2 Chas set a 1:08.9960, well under the existing qualy record)

P2 top 10

1 Supercheap Auto Racing Chaz Mostert Ford Falcon FG/X 1:08.9960
2 Shell V-Power Racing Team Fabian Coulthard Ford Falcon FG/X 1:09.1059 0:00.1099
3 Red Bull Holden Racing Aust Shane Van Gisbergen Holden Commodore VF 1:09.2165 0:00.2205
4 Sengled Racing Rick Kelly Nissan Altima 1:09.2533 0:00.2573
5 Erebus Penrite Racing David Reynolds Holden Commodore VF 1:09.2645 0:00.2685
6 The Bottle-O Racing Team Mark Winterbottom Ford Falcon FG/X 1:09.2740 0:00.2780
7 TeamVortex Craig Lowndes Holden Commodore VF 1:09.3144 0:00.3184
8 Preston Hire Racing Lee Holdsworth Holden Commodore VF 1:09.4067 0:00.4107
9 Monster Energy Racing Cameron Waters Ford Falcon FG/X 1:09.4105 0:00.4145
10 Shell V-Power Racing Team Scott McLaughlin Ford Falcon FG/X 1:09.4135 0:00.4175

Whincup down in 20th.

P3 qualy and race 1 tomorrow (SAturday)

Drivers Championship is close at the top:

POS DRIVER POINTS
1 Scott McLaughlin 1608
2 Jamie Whincup 1602
3 Fabian Coulthard 1450
4 Shane van Gisbergen 1377
5 Chaz Mostert 1257

Teams

1 Shell V Power Racing 3093
2 Red Bull Holden Racing Team 2979
3 Bottle O Racing/Monster Energy Racing 2271
4 Wilson Security Racing GRM 1968
5 Erebus Motorsport 1560

Some QIR Stats.

QUALY RECORD
1m09.0593s - Will Davison
Ford Falcon FG 2013

RACE LAP RECORD
1m10.0423s - Lee Holdsworth
Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG 2014

MOST POLE POSITIONS
Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup
6 Pole Positions

MOST RACE VICTORIES
Craig Lowndes
12 Race Wins

[theracer120]

Race 1 had a few battles towards the front.

McLaughlin won from Mostert and SVG who passed Slade with a good move on the second last corner. Lowndes was 5th I think after battling for the lead with Scott but dropping back a bit later on.

[theracer120]

Will Davison will have a Lightning McQueen livery at Sydney






In all seriousness it's not bad, it will certainly stand out.

[MonteCristo]

I've seen far worse.

[Everso Biggyballies]

I quite like the current practice of rotating liveries.... it adds a bit of interest, although sometimes it gets a bit confusing to follow

[theracer120]

Alex Davison will be in the #3 car for Sydney and he will also be running for LDM in the three enduros:
http://www.speedcafe.com/2017/08/14/ale ... s-enduros/

[Everso Biggyballies]

Supercars to conduct SMP night race test

Interesting experiment to be held at Sydney Motorsports Park (AKA Eastern Creek) tomorrow night, with a view to potentially including a night race to next years VASC calendar. It is only a two car test to check lighting levels at this stage.
From Speedcafe:

Plans to host a Supercars night race at Sydney Motorsport Park next year will step up a notch with a two car lighting test due to take place at the venue on Thursday night.
This is the latest stage of the championship’s bid to revamp the Sydney Super Sprint event which has struggled to attract crowds in recent years.
Supercars has long been pushing to bring back night racing after an attempt to introduce the element at Darwin’s Hidden Valley fell through following a change of government in the region.
CEO James Warburton highlighted renewed plans for a future night racing event at Sydney Motorsport Park, which could involve a quick-fire format, earlier this year.
The concept has now reached a point where a test will be held to ensure the lighting required to put on a night race will produce pictures of a sufficient standard for television.
Supercars drivers Simona de Silvestro (Nissan Motorsport) and Fabian Coulthard (DJR Team Penske) have been enlisted to take part in a test and provide feedback on visibility.
Sections of the track will be floodlight with the pair due to conduct runs through Turns 1-2 in front of television cameras, which have been set up to cover this weekend’s Red Rooster Sydney Super Sprint.
Floodlights will be moved around the circuit during a three hour test to ensure a thorough set of data is gathered corner by corner, with the Safety Car, driven by a Supercar driver, expected to complete the runs on the rest of the circuit.
The feedback from the test will be crucial in determining the possibility of a night race at the venue next year, according to Warburton.
Sydney Motorsport Park has previously hosted a night race for the opening round of the Australian Touring Car Championship in 1996.
“It is now really proving the concept in terms of the format,” Warburton told Speedcafe.com.
“The excitement between the broadcast partners is done. The logistics and costings are done as well.
“It is actually a television test to ensure that the quality is there and that is what we are going to conduct on Thursday night.
“If the lighting and the visuals are to standard then there should be no reason why that isn’t the format we follow into 2018 for our Sydney Motorsport Park race.
“Essentially what it means is we will be lighting components of the track and testing the lighting for broadcast. If that is successful then it should get the green light.”
Warburton has indicated that the format for a proposed night race would see the event completed inside three hours with Supercars due to conduct a qualifying session followed by a pit stop race.
After suggestions the event could be a non-championship round, the Supercars Commission has voted for championship points to be awarded.
However, the time slot for the event is up for discussion with a midweek race a possibility.
“We need to look at all other sporting calendars and school holidays etcetera,” he added.
“There are still a lot of moving parts in place. It could be a Thursday night or a Friday night or Saturday night. It is matter of working out what night everyone feels is the best shot.
“There will be qualifying and a long race which counts for championship points, which is the direction the commission has voted. Everyone feels comfortable with that.

[theracer120]

There was talks about a redevelopment of Queensland Raceway but judging by this I think that won't be happening, at least as it stands right now.

For some background information, Councillor Tully is the current acting mayor of Ipswich (though the position is up for election on Saturday). He came to hold that position a few months back (after previously being the deputy mayor) when the previous mayor stood down because he has multiple sclerosis, however it then emerged that he was under investigation by the state crime & corruption commission and he was later arrested and charged with three charges including one count of extortion.

https://qldraceways.com.au/news/2017/08 ... he-council

[Everso Biggyballies]

Hopefully Tully will get his arse kicked out at the forthcoming election.
There are some very valid points regarding the processes and morality of some of the dealings and indeed intentions of the seemingly corrupt (ego building) rationale that appears to have been used in this seemingly sordid potential waste of ratepayers money.

Those observations made on the basis of a quick read of the long but seemingly honest article from the current owner operator of the facility. (linked in Racers post).

It is certainly exposing a side to the councillors I was unaware of and in reality not surprised by.

[theracer120]

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/sport/m ... xxu0s.html

[theracer120]

Last night a two-car test was held at Eastern Creek under the lights (they're racing there this weekend).

[theracer120]

There was some big drama in race 1.

Fabs won from Chas and Jamie.

McLaughlin spun out SVG while they were battling for the lead and got a 15 sec penalty. Whincup got damaged in that incident too.

Also there were more tire failures.

[Everso Biggyballies]

There was some big drama in race 1.

And also the controversy that goes hand in hand with drama. A good race with action a plenty.

Not relevant to this race but the main support race today was a 500klm Australian GT 'Enduro' which also provided action from the start.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Race 2 was interesting and had a great finish for the podium. as the leaders compressed, following different strategies, played out.

Race report from Speedcafe in spoiler.

Jamie Whincup produced a faultless drive to claim Race 18 and assume the record of most race wins in Supercars/Australian Touring Car Championship histo
ry.
The six-time champion made the most of a slick strategy from his Red Bull team to score a relatively comfortable 106th career Supercars race win to overtake team-mate Craig Lowndes in the record books.

Whincup pitted early shortly before a brief Safety Car period but it was a strong second stint on fresh rubber that saw him move to the lead, with 10 laps to go when van Gisbergen surrendered the lead.

The 34-year-old took the flag by 9.8 seconds from Fabian Coulthard (DJR Team Penske), who utilised his seven-lap tyre advantage to pass van Gisbergen for second with two laps remaining.

Van Gisbergen just held off a charging polesitter Scott McLaughlin (DJR Team Penske) and Prodrive’s Chaz Mostert for the final podium spot.

Whincup’s victory has seen him close to within 12 points of the championship leader McLaughlin.
Mostert made the most of the start to leap into the lead on the run to Turn 1 while polesitter McLaughlin, for the second race in succession, was swamped.

McLaughlin dropped to fifth as Mostert stormed into the lead from Whincup, van Gisbergen and Coulthard.
Mostert quickly galloped into a 1.2 second lead but his advantage soon came under threat from Whincup once he found his rhythm.
Will Davison was the first to pit and he was followed by fifth placed McLaughlin and second-placed Whincup.

However, the race was soon neutralised when Rick Kelly (Nissan Motorsport) suffered massive right rear tyre failure on the start/finish straight spraying debris all over the track.

The lap 12 Safety Car period prompted a flurry of action in the pits with the top 18 all entering the lane.
Van Gisbergen elected for a longer fuel stop along with Brad Jones Racing’s Nick Percat which saw the pair join in fourth and seventh respectively.

Having already pitted, Whincup inherited the lead from Mostert and McLaughlin, while Coulthard filed back into fifth ahead of Mark Winterbottom and Percat.

In clean air, Whincup managed to open up a seven second lead as he looked to establish a 10 second advantage required to regain the lead after the second round of stops.

Meanwhile, van Gisbergen reeled in and passed McLaughlin for third at Turn 5 before the pair dived into the pits for their second stop.
Requiring less fuel than his rival, the reigning champion emerged from the pits comfortably ahead.

Race leader Whincup, who built up a 9.8s margin over Mostert, responded two laps later by taking on four new tyres.

He initially rejoined ahead of van Gisbergen before the latter shot down the inside of his team-mate for the lead at Turn 2.
New leader Mostert built up a 37s gap over van Gisbergen before choosing to make his second stop along with second-placed Coulthard.
Coulthard jumped Mostert in the stops as the pair slotted into an effective fourth and fifth positions.

At the front, leader van Gisbergen had his mirrors full of Whincup while McLaughlin was 2.5s adrift with 15 laps remaining.
Armed with fresher rubber, Whincup assumed the lead as van Gisbergen allowed his opposite number through.

This gave Whincup the chance to bolt into healthy lead while the battle for second between van Gisbergen, McLaughlin and Coulthard raged.

The two DJRTP Falcon had tyres seven laps fresher than the Red Bull Holden and eventually it told as Coulthard assumed second after passing McLaughlin, who fell shy of third.

Percat came through to finish sixth ahead of a second consecutive top 10 for Michael Caruso (Nissan Motorsport).
Prodrive’s Jason Bright scored his best result since Race 5 at Phillip Island in eighth, while the top 10 was rounded out by Reynolds, who recovered from an early puncture and Nissan Motorsport’s Todd Kelly.

Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport’s Alex Rullo and Cameron Waters retired after an incident at Turn 4 midway through the race.

Results: Virgin Australia Supercars Championship Red Rooster Sydney Super Sprint Race 18
1 Red Bull Holden Racing Aust Jamie Whincup Holden Commodore VF 52 01:24:01.8616
2 Shell V-Power Racing Team Fabian Coulthard Ford Falcon FG/X 52 01:24:11.7246
3 Red Bull Holden Racing Aust Shane Van Gisbergen Holden Commodore VF 52 01:24:15.8217
4 Shell V-Power Racing Team Scott McLaughlin Ford Falcon FG/X 52 01:24:15.9641
5 Supercheap Auto Racing Chaz Mostert Ford Falcon FG/X 52 01:24:17.7858
6 ACDelco Racing Nick Percat Holden Commodore VF 52 01:24:22.6672
7 Nissan Motorsport Michael Caruso Nissan Altima 52 01:24:22.7075
8 MEGA Racing Jason Bright Ford Falcon FG/X 52 01:24:27.5046
9 Erebus Penrite Racing David Reynolds Holden Commodore VF 52 01:24:34.6420
10 carsales Racing Todd Kelly Nissan Altima 52 01:24:38.6052
11 Wilson Security Racing GRM Garth Tander Holden Commodore VF 52 01:24:42.1891
12 TEKNO Woodstock Racing Will Davison Holden Commodore VF 52 01:24:42.4205
13 Team CoolDrive Tim Blanchard Holden Commodore VF 52 01:24:44.5968
14 Wilson Security Racing GRM James Moffat Holden Commodore VF 52 01:24:46.6471
15 Preston Hire Racing Lee Holdsworth Holden Commodore VF 52 01:24:50.1667
16 Mobil 1 HSV Racing James Courtney Holden Commodore VF 52 01:24:50.4300
17 Freightliner Racing Tim Slade Holden Commodore VF 52 01:24:50.9626
18 Mobil 1 HSV Racing Scott Pye Holden Commodore VF 52 01:24:51.6265
19 The Bottle-O Racing Team Mark Winterbottom Ford Falcon FG/X 52 01:24:59.1781
20 Sengled Racing Rick Kelly Nissan Altima 52 01:25:03.5343
21 Repair Management Aust Racing Alex Davison Holden Commodore VF 52 01:25:34.4257
22 Erebus GB Galvanizing Racing Dale Wood Holden Commodore VF 51 01:25:01.5781
23 Team Harvey Norman Simona De Silvestro Nissan Altima 51 01:25:18.3323
24 TeamVortex Craig Lowndes Holden Commodore VF 39 01:25:15.9300
DNF Repair Management Aust Racing Alex Rullo Holden Commodore VF 15 26:32.1436
DNF Monster Energy Racing Cameron Waters Ford Falcon FG/X 15 27:05.1223

(Lowndes suffered an engine problem a few laps from the end, and was a non finisher, but classified on race distance covered.)
The results of the weekend have had a major impact on championship standings (points gaps rather than positions).

We now have only 12 points between McLaughlan and Whincup, which will set up the interest going into the Enduros, where co drivers can in reality affect main driver's championship hopes.

Championship Standings
1 Scott McLaughlin 2058
2 Jamie Whincup 2046
3 Fabian Coulthard 1951
4 Shane Van Gisbergen 1800
5 Chaz Mostert 1794
6 Mark Winterbottom 1503
7 Craig Lowndes 1446
8 David Reynolds 1395
9 Garth Tander 1368
10 Cameron Waters 1264
11 Tim Slade 1113
12 Lee Holdsworth 1089
13 James Moffat 1035
14 Rick Kelly 1026
15 Nick Percat 1017
16 Will Davison 1014
17 Michael Caruso 1011
18 Scott Pye 1006
19 Todd Kelly 937
20 James Courtney 903
21 Jason Bright 867
22 Tim Blanchard 828
23 Simona De Silvestro 732
24 Dale Wood 573
25 Alex Rullo 438
26 Taz Douglas 198
27 James Golding 162
28 Shae Davies 153
29 Macauley Jones 147
30 Alex Davison 141
31 Jack Le Brocq 135
32 Todd Hazelwood 90
33 Cameron McConville 81
34 Aaren Russell 69
35 Matthew Brabham 57

[theracer120]

I have some good and bad news regarding QR.

The good news is that Tully conceded defeat in the mayoral election and that Antionilli was the victor of that contest.

The bad news is that last night during a drag racing event on the main straight of the circuit, a road registered (?) Monaro got a stuck throttle and went through the sand trap before smashing violently into the wall on an acute angle and rolling over onto its roof. The car then proceeded to burst into flames but that was quickly extinguished. The car sustained significant roof and side damage and tragically, it seems the driver and his passenger either died on impact or very shortly after having had no chance of survival.

This came only a few hours after an RX7 crashed in a rally in Tasmania, with the driver of that vehicle also succumbing to his injuries, capping off a black day for grassroots Aussie motorsports.

May all three of those men rest in peace.