Virgin Australia LASTCAR Championship: March 2015

Monday 30 March 2015

More Volvo Engine issues leaves Wall last at Launceston.

David Wall picked up his 8^th last-place finish of his career when his #34 Valvoline/Wilson Security Volvo retired with Engine failure on the opening lap of the final race at Symmonds Plains. The finish came in Wall's 49^th start.

On the second turn go the opening lap David Reynolds in the #55 Bottle-O Holden was spun out by Craig Lowndes in the #888 Red Bull Holden, dropping him to the rear. Moments later, Will Davison in the #9 Solar Mercedes broke a Steering Rack, sending him to the garage. On the same lap, David Wall in the #34 Valvoline/Wilson Security was forced to the garage with Engine failure, dropping Davison and Wall to 25th and 24th, respectively. Davison returned to the track on lap 19, dropping Wall to last. Davison would be second-last until the final lap when Tim Slade in the #300 Supercheap Auto Holden retired with Fuel Pressure issues to be the only other retirement of the race.

Rounding out the bottom five was James Moffat in the #99 Nismo Nissan, who delaminated a tire early in the race and Ash Walsh in the unsponsored #4 Erebus Mercedes.

The Bottom Five

David Wall	0 Laps	Engine
Tim Slade	82 Laps	Fuel Pressure
Will Davison	65 Laps	Running
James Moffat	83 Laps	Running
Ashley Walsh	83 Laps	Running

Driver's Championship

Scott McLaughlin: 2

Will Davison Ashley Walsh, Andre Heimgartner, David Wall: 1

Team's Championship

Gary Rodgers Motorsports: 3

Erebus Motorsports: 2

Super Black Racing: 1

Manufacturer's Championship:

Volvo: 3

Mercedes: 2

Ford: 1

Beaching leaves Heimgartner last at Launceston

Andre Heimgartner picked up his 1st Last-Place finish of his carrer when is unsponsored #111 Super Black Racing Ford finished under power, 2 laps down in the fifth race of the 2015 Australian V8 LASTCAR Championship. The finish came in Heimgartner's 3rd round start.

David Wall in the #34 Valvoline/Wilson Security Volvo fell to the rear early in the race. On lap 4 Rookie Andrew Heimgartner in the unsponsored #111 Super Black Racing Ford got beeched in the sand, triggering the first safety car of the race and dropping Heimgartner to the rear. Dale Wood in the #21 GB Galvanising/Advam Holden, who suffered a puncture on the same lap Heimgartner went off.

Rounding out the bottom five is Michael Caruso in the #23 Nismo Nissan, who got punted off the road by David Wall in the #34 Valvoline/Wilson Security Volvo, Ash Walsh in the unsponsored #4 Erebus Mercedes and Tim Blanchard in the #3 Cooldrive Distribution/GB Galvanising Holden.

The Bottom Five

Andre Heimgartner	23 Laps	Running
Dale Wood	24 Laps	Running
Michael Caruso	25 Laps	Running
David Wall	25 Laps	Running
Tim Blanchard	25 Laps	Running

Driver's Championship

Scott McLaughlin: 2

Will Davison Ashley Walsh, Andre Heimgartner: 1

Team's Championship

Erebus Motorsports, Gary Rodgers Motorsports: 2

Super Black Racing: 1

Manufacturer's Championship:

Mercedes, Volvo: 2

Ford: 1

McLaughlin takes Early Lead after more Engine issues at Launceston

Scott McLaughlin picked up his 6th Last-Place finish of his career when his #33 Valvoline/Wilson Security Volvo retired with Engine failure without completing a single lap of the fourth race of the year. The finish came in McLaughlin's 34th round start, and puts McLaughlin in the lead of the 2015 Australian V8 LASTCAR series.

On the opening lap at turn 4 Will Davison in the #9 Solar Mercedes was turned around and sent to the rear by James Courtney in the #22 Holden Racing Team Holden, who was pushed into Davison by Chazz Mostert in the #6 Pepsi Max Ford, However on lap 2 Scott McLaughlin in the #33 Valvoline/Wilson Security Volvo was forced to the garage with Engine Failure. Next to fall out was Ash Walsh in the unsponsored #4 Eerebus Mercedes, who retired after 10 laps with the same issue that left McLaughlin last.

Rounding out the bottom five was Todd Kelly in the #7 Jack Daniel's Nissan, who was rotated by fellow bottom-five finisher Lee Holdsworth in the #18 FUCHS/Clipsal Holden, who got a drive-through penalty for the spin and Tim Blanchard in the #3 Cooldrive Distribution/GB Galvanizing Holden.

Australian V8 LASTCAR Stats

-Scott McLaughlin now has more last-place finishes this year after 4 races than he had for the whole of last year.

The Bottom Five

Scott McLaughlin	0 Laps	Engine
Ash Walsh	11 Laps	Engine
Todd Kelly	25 Laps	Running
Lee Holdsworth	25 Laps	Running
Tim Blanchard	25 Laps	Running

Driver's Championship

Scott McLaughlin: 2

Will Davison Ashley Walsh: 1

Team's Championship

Erebus Motorsports, Gary Rodgers Motorsports: 2

Manufacturer's Championship:

Mercedes, Volvo: 2

Sunday 22 March 2015

Defending V8 LASTCAR Scott Pye to race at Launceston

After the fourth race at Albert Park, Marcos Ambrose asked to be relieved of his racing duties as he continues to transition back into the main game after 9 years out at NASCAR.

The winner from this, and the driver who replaces Ambrose? The Defending Australian V8 LASTCAR Driver's champion Scott Pye.

At this point, there are only 3 drivers who have last-place finishes. Scott McLaughlin who retired on the warm-up lap after the Oil Pump failed on his #33 Valvoline/Wilson Security Volvo and Eerebus Mercedes teammates Will Davison in the #9 Solar Mercedes, who retired with a Clutch drama before the race began, and Ash Walsh in the unsponsored #4 Mercedes, who retired with engine issues after 22 laps. Scott Pye, discounting the Albert Park races, did not get his first of seven last-place finishes of the season until the third race at Eastern Creek in August, so it is possible that Pye could defend his title.

But we'll see at this weekend's second round at Symmonds Plains, where Todd Kelly, Nick Percat and Garth Tander had last-place finishes last year.

Oh and if anybody is wondering, Marcos Ambrose's solitary last-place finish in the Australian V8 Supercar championship came a decade ago in the 2005 Gillette V8 Supercar Challenge first race, when his #1 Pirtek Ford retired with Clutch dramas after 1 of the race's 31 laps, narrowly beating out Todd Kelly, who retired on the same lap with Oil Line dramas.

Marcos Ambrose will be back at the endurance events at Sandown, Bathurst and Surfer's Paradise.

Sunday 1 March 2015

Walsh Misfires to last in the final race at Adelaide

Ashley Walsh picked up his 4^th last-place finish of his career when his unsposored #4 Erebus Mercedes retired with Engine issues after 22 of the race's 78 laps. The finish came in Walsh's 7^th start.

Early on in the race Will Davison in the #9 Solar Erebus Mercedes dropped a cylinder in the engine, forcing Davison to the garage for 5 laps, dropping him to last place. Davison stayed in last until lap 23 when his team-mate Ashley Walsh in the unsponsored #4 Erebus Mercedes, who had been reporting a misfire in his car for several laps prior, suddenly came to a stop between turns 7 and 8, triggering the first safety car of the race.

Rounding out the bottom five was Lee Holdsworth in the #18 FUCHS/Clipsal Holden who crashed at turn 8 on lap 26, bringing out the second safety cars of the race, James Moffat in the #99 Steadfast Insurance Brokers Nissan who was part of a scary last-lap crash with fellow bottom five dweller Chazz Mostert in the #6 Pepsi Max/Castrol Ford. Andre Heimgartner in the unsponsored #111 Super Black Racing Ford, who suffered driveline issues throughout the second-half of the race, eventually leaving him 16 laps adrift of the leaders.

The Bottom Five

Ashley Walsh	22 Laps	Engine
Lee Holdsworth	31 Laps	Crash
James Moffat	77 Laps	Crash
Chazz Mostert	77 Laps	Crash
Andre Heimgartner	62 Laps	Running

Driver's Championship

Scott McLaughlin, Will Davison Ashley Walsh: 1

Team's Championship

Erebus Motorsports (2 drivers, 2 last-place finishes): 1

Gary Rodgers Motorsports (2 drivers, 1 last-place finish): 0.5

Manufacturer's Championship:

Mercedes: 2

Volvo: 1

Clutch Failure leaves Davison last Adelaide

Will Davison picked up his 12^th last-place finish of his career when his #9 Solar Erebus Mercedes lost the Clutch before the start of the race. The finish came in Davison's 133^rd start.

In the first race Will Davison in the #9 Solar Erebus Mercedes suffered an engine issue after bounding over the kerbs at turn 2, and carryover damage from race 1 included Clutch drama which eventually ended his race.

Rounding out the bottom five is Chazz Mostert in the #6 Pepsi Max Ford, who crashed out at turn 8 on lap 4, Michael Caruso in the #23 Nismo's Nissan who firstly tangled with Mark Winterbottom in the #5 Pepsi Max Ford and David Reynolds in the #55 Bottle-O Ford on lap 15, the tire then went flat on the following lap, sending Caruso into the wall at turn 8, ending his race, Tim Slade in the #47 Supercheap Auto Holden after breaking the left-front suspension after contact with Shane Van Gisbergen in the #97 STIX Holden in turn 9 on lap 26 and 6-time Australian V8 Supercar champion Jamie Whincup in the #1 Red Bull Holden who suffered a left-rear puncture on lap 27, dropping him to the final spot on the bottom five.

The Bottom Five

Will Davison	0 Laps	Clutch
Chazz Mostert	3 Laps	Crash
Michael Caruso	16 Laps	Crash
Tim Slade	25 Laps	Crash
Jamie Whincup	39 Laps	Running

Driver's Championship

Scott McLaughlin, Will Davison: 1

Team's Championship

Gary Rodgers Motorsports (2 drivers, 1 last-place finish), Erebus Motorsports (2 drivers, 1 last-place finish):0.5

Manufacturer's Championship:

Volvo, Mercedes: 1

Scott McLaughlin Last as "Warming Up" Takes a more literal tone.

Scott McLaughlin picked up his 5th Last-Place finish of his career when his #33 Valvoline/Wilson Security Volvo retired with an Oil Pump failure on the warm-up lap of the first race of the 2015 Australian V8 LASTCAR series at the Clipsal 500. The finish came in McLaughlin's 32nd round start, and his first last-place finish in more than a year.

While Scott McLaughlin was warming up the tires on his #33 Valvoline/Wilson Security Volvo, the Oil Pump failed, leading to a spin between turns 3 and 4 and bumping the wall. The resulting fire prevented McLaughlin from making a single lap in the race, leaving McLaughlin last.

Rounding out the bottom five was Will Davison in the #9 Solar Erebus Mercedes who's car shut down suddenly on lap 29 due to an engine issue, Andre Heimgartner in the unsponsored #111 Super Black Racing ford, who was part of a three-car incident with fellow bottom five member Dale Wood in the #21 GB Galvanising Holden who was relegated to the bottom five after a post-race penalty and Ash Walsh in the unsponsored #4 Erebus Mercedes, who finished out of the bottom five. Michael Caruso in the #36 Nismo Nissan completed the bottom five after an early-race tire failure.

Australian V8 LASTCAR statistics

This is Scott McLaighlin's first last-place finish since the first race at Homebush in 2013, where McLaughlin retired with a drive-line failure after 10 of the race's 74 laps.

The Bottom Five

Scott McLaughlin	0 Laps	Did not Start
Will Davison	28 Laps	Engine
Andre Heimgartner	32 Laps	Running
Dale Wood	33 Laps	Running
Michael Caruso	33 Laps	Running

Driver's Championship

Scott McLaughlin: 1

Team's Championship

Gary Rodgers Motorsports (2 drivers, 1 last-place finish): 0.5

Manufacturer's Championship:

Volvo: 1

How Juniorgeneric defines a Last-Place finisher

Australian V8 LASTCAR'S Official Definition of a "Last-Place Finisher" (LPF)

For the purposes of the Australian V8 LASTCAR championship rankings and statistics, a "Last-Place Finisher" (LPF) is a driver(s) who, after qualifying for a V8 Supercars Championship Points-Paying race, the result must be confirmed from official sources, or unofficial sources failing that. Only one driver (or two in a endurance race) can be classified as the LPF for that race.

Meeting those requirements, the LPF can be any driver classified as such for any reason, including, but not limited to.
1) A "did not start" although it should be noted that there is a difference between my definition of "did not start" and Brock Beard's definition of "Did not Start".
For example, in Bathurst 2015 Chazz Mostert and Cameron Waters' #6 Pepsi Max Ford had a huge accident during practice that injured Mostert and all but wrote off the car. Car #6 was withdrawn, and therefore I don't count Mostert and Waters as finishing last. Under Brock Beard's definition, however, Mostert and Waters would have finished last instead of David Wall and Chris Pither.
2) An entrant who encounters an event once the race has started which prevents the driver(s) from finishing ahead of any other qualified entrants, including both DNFs and drivers who finish under power but laps down*

*Only when all the cars in the race are running ahead of the LPF

3) A decision to “start and park” the driver’s entry (Extremely rare in V8 Supercars)
(4) a disqualification handed down by V8 Supercars and/or track officials that subsequently classifies the driver(s) in the final position behind the unofficial LPF.

Australian V8 LASTCAR shall not consider the LPF as anything else, including but not limited too
1) Any DNQ's
2) Any driver's who's car withdrew before the race start.
3)The lowest-ranked driver who finishes the race under power (unless all cars finished under power, actually quite common in V8 Supercars)
4) A driver(s) who finished last initially, however post-race disqualifications usurped the spot.
5) A driver(s) who may be catagorised as finishing last for exhibition events (I may bring these back at some point in the near future, I need more accurate numbers for the events before I start them up again)
6) Anything in non-V8 Supercar Main game (again, insufficent historical data)
7) A driver who was running last when the checkered flag fell, however because they greeted the checkered flag but a drive who was in front of them at the end of the race, however was not running at the end of the race. In that instance the driver who doesn't finish the race will fall behind the driver whom is still running at the end of the race.

In the rare event where official results or a preponderance of unofficial results are later updated with more accurate information about who was the LPF for that event, Australian V8 LASTCAR rankings and statistics shall be updated to reflect that change.