Virgin Australia LASTCAR Championship: November 2015

Friday 27 November 2015

Several updates to LASTCAR standing heading into Final Round.

With 1 round left to go, I have gone over several drivers and have found that I have inconsistencies with results and what I reported on.

The first is the first race at Darwin, where I had reported that Fabian Coulthard had picked up his 8th last-place finish of his career. However I have since checked the results and it turns out the Scott McLaughlin was classified as last, moving Scott McLaughlin's last-place total count for the season to six, and the number of last-place finishes acquired by Gary Rodgers Motorsports to 8, and McLaughlin's career last-place finish tally to 10. Additionally, Scott McLaughlin has 7 appearances in the bottom five. The only driver who can claim the title from Scott McLaughlin outright is Nick Percat, however Percat must finish last in all three of the final races at Homebush.

James Moffat and Lee Holdsworth are the only two contenders left for the 2015 Australian LASTCAR championship. Moffat, Holdsworth and Percat all have six appearances in the bottom five, with McLaughlin at seven bottom-five appearances. At least one of Moffat or Holdsworth will be eliminated at the conclusion of the first race, and both will be eliminated if neither finish last.

Scott McLaughlin can wrap up the 2015 Australian V8 LASTCAR championship as early as the conclusion of race 1 if McLaughlin finishes last in the first race and Nick Percat fails to finish in the bottom five.

If none of David Wall, Scott McLaughlin, Will Davison or whomever is going to be running car #4 in the final round of the championship fail to finish last, then Gary Rodgers Motorsport will clinch the 2015 Australian V8 LASTCAR Team's Championship, with the nearest team, Erebus Motorsports, being 2-last place finishes behind Gary Rodgers Motorsports.

Holden has already clinched the Manufacturer's championship for 2015.

So unlike the Australian V8 Supercar Championship, which will go down to the final race, the 2015 Australian V8 LASTCAR Championship could very well be decided in the first race of the final round.

Sunday 22 November 2015

Holden claims Manufacturer's title after crash leaves Holdsworth last.

Lee Holdsworth picked up his 11^th last-place finish of his career when his #18 FUCKS/Beko/W547 Holden was involved in a multi-car incident on the opening lap of the final race at Philip Island. The finish came in Holdsworth's 153^rd round start.

Tim Blanchard in the #3 Cooldrive Holden started the race in the rear, but at turn 2 Dale Wood in the #21 GB Galvanising/ADVAM Holden, James Courtney in the #22 SP Tools Holden and Lee Holdsworth in the #18 FUCHS/Beko/W547 tangled, dealing heavy damage to car #18, forcing Holdsworth to the garage and to the rear. Dale Wood would continue but further issues in car #21 left Wood in the bottom five.

Rounding out the bottom five was Jason Bright in the #8 BOC Holden after a drive-through penalty for an unsafe release on lap 2, Michael Caurso in the #23 Nismo Nissan after a drive-through penalty for wheels spinning during a pit-stop and Paul Dumbrell in the #222 Repair Management Australia Holden after a late-race mistake dropped him behind Cameron Waters in the #6 Pepsi Max Ford for 21^st.

The Bottom Five

Lee Holdsworth	0 Laps	Crash
Dale Wood	43 Laps	Running
Jason Bright	44 Laps	Running
Michael Caruso	45 Laps	Running
Paul Dumbrell	45 Laps	Running

Driver's Championship

Scott McLaughlin: 5

Nick Percat: 4

Ashley Walsh, James Moffat, Lee Holdsworth: 3

Will Davison, Andre Heimgartner, Todd Kelly, David Wall: 2

Garth Tander, Chazz Mostert, Fabian Coulthard, Jason Bright, Chris Pither, Sebastien Bourdais, Jack LeBrocq, Craig Lowndes, David Reynolds, Dean Canto: 1

Team's Championship

Gary Rodgers Motorsports: 7

Erebus Motorsport: 6

Lucas Dumbrell Motorsports: 4

Nissan Motorsports, Charlie Schwerkolt Racing: 3

Super Black Racing, Brad Jones Racing, Jack Daniel's Racing: 2

Holden Racing Team, Prodrive Racing Australia, Red Bull Racing Australia, Rod Nash Racing/Prodrive Racing Australia: 1

Manufacturer's Championship:

Holden: 11

Volvo: 7

Mercedes: 6

Nissan: 5

Ford: 4

Driver change can't save Erebus as Canto finishes last at the Island.

David Reynolds picked up his 6^th last-place finish of his career when his #55 Bottle-O Ford finished under power, on the lead lap in the first race at Philip Island. The finish came in Reynolds' 95^th round start.

Dean Canto, substituting for Ashley Walsh in the #4 Wendy’s Mercedes started the race in the rear, however turn 2 chaos left Tim Blanchard in the #3 Cooldrive Holden off the road and to the rear. On lap 2 Shane Van Gisbergen in the #97 STIX Holden spun out David Reynolds in the #55 Bottle-O Ford at Siberia, dropping Reynolds to the rear, where he remained for the rest of the race.

Rounding out the bottom five was Chris Pither in the unsponsored #111 Super Black Racing Ford substituting for Andre Heimgartner, David Wall in the #34 Wilson Security/Valvoline Mercedes, Dean Canto in the #4 Wendy's Mercedes and Paul Dumbrell in the #222 Repair Management Australia Holden.

The Bottom Five

David Reynolds	14 Laps	Running
Chris Pither	14 Laps	Running
David Wall	14 Laps	Running
Dean Canto	14 Laps	Running
Paul Dumbrell	14 Laps	Running

Driver's Championship

Scott McLaughlin: 5

Nick Percat: 4

Ashley Walsh, James Moffat: 3

Will Davison, Andre Heimgartner, Todd Kelly, Lee Holdsworth, David Wall: 2

Garth Tander, Chazz Mostert, Fabian Coulthard, Jason Bright, Chris Pither, Sebastien Bourdais, Jack LeBrocq, Craig Lowndes, David Reynolds: 1

Team's Championship

Gary Rodgers Motorsports: 7

Erebus Motorsport: 5

Lucas Dumbrell Motorsports: 3

Nissan Motorsports: 3

Super Black Racing, Brad Jones Racing, Jack Daniel's Racing, Charlie Schwerkolt Racing: 2

Holden Racing Team, Prodrive Racing Australia, Red Bull Racing Australia, Rod Nash Racing/Prodrive Racing Australia: 1

Manufacturer's Championship:

Holden: 10

Volvo: 7

Mercedes: 6

Nissan: 5

Ford: 4

Title-hopes end with last-place run for Reynolds at the island.

The Bottom Five

David Reynolds	14 Laps	Running
Chris Pither	14 Laps	Running
David Wall	14 Laps	Running
Dean Canto	14 Laps	Running
Paul Dumbrell	14 Laps	Running

Driver's Championship

Scott McLaughlin: 5

Nick Percat: 4

Ashley Walsh, James Moffat: 3

Will Davison, Andre Heimgartner, Todd Kelly, Lee Holdsworth, David Wall: 2

Garth Tander, Chazz Mostert, Fabian Coulthard, Jason Bright, Chris Pither, Sebastien Bourdais, Jack LeBrocq, Craig Lowndes, David Reynolds: 1

Team's Championship

Gary Rodgers Motorsports: 7

Erebus Motorsport: 5

Lucas Dumbrell Motorsports: 3

Nissan Motorsports: 3

Super Black Racing, Brad Jones Racing, Jack Daniel's Racing, Charlie Schwerkolt Racing: 2

Holden Racing Team, Prodrive Racing Australia, Red Bull Racing Australia, Rod Nash Racing/Prodrive Racing Australia: 1

Manufacturer's Championship:

Holden: 10

Volvo: 7

Mercedes: 6

Nissan: 5

Ford: 4

Sunday 8 November 2015

Rough weekend ends with last-place for Percat in Auckland finale

Nick Percat picked up his 5th last-place finish of his career when his #222 OPS Gateway Holden was involved in a crash that ended his race after 6 of the race's 69 laps. The finish came in Percat's 37th start, and moves Percat into 2nd for the Australian V8 LASTCAR Championship, 1 finish behind Scott McLaughlin.

The field returned to 25 cars, with Jason Bright in the #8 BOC Holden was repaired in time to start race 3, along with previous race last-place finisher Craig Lowndes in the #888 Red Bull Racing Australia Holden.

In the race itself Dale Wood started the race in the rear in the #21 GB Galvnizing/ADVAM Holden, but by the end of lap 2 Mark Winterbottom in the #5 Pepsi Max Ford was spun around, dropping to the rear. Then, by lap 5 Andre Heimgartner in the unsponsored #111 Super Black Racing Ford fell to the rear, with David Wall in the #34 Wilson Security/Valvoline Volvo dropped to the rear.

On lap 8 Nick Percat in the #222 OPS Australia Holden was around at turn 8, with major damage to the side of his car, triggering the only safety car of the race and dropping him to the rear, the only retirement of the race. Ashley Walsh in the #10 10 Tenths Mercedes pulled into the pit-lane on lap 63 with an overheating engine, but managed to continue and finish 24th, 2 laps down.

Rounding out the bottom five was Tim Slade in the #47 Supercheap Auto Holden after he exceeded the pit-lane speed limit on lap 35, copping a Drive-Through penalty and dropping him into the bottom five, a lap down, Cameron Waters in the #6 Pepsi Max Ford went three-wide with Garth Tander in the #2 SP Tools Holden and James Courtney in the #22 SP Tools Holden, spinning the latter and copping a drive-through penalty that dropped him into the bottom five, also a lap down and Andre Heimgartner in the unsponsored #111 Super Black Racing Ford.

The Bottom Five

Nick Percat	6 Laps	Crash
Ashley Walsh	67 Laps	Running
Tim Slade	68 Laps	Running
Cameron Waters	68 Laps	Running
Andre Heimgartner	68 Laps	Running

Driver's Championship

Scott McLaughlin: 5

Nick Percat: 3

Ashley Walsh, James Moffat: 3

Will Davison, Andre Heimgartner, Todd Kelly, Lee Holdsworth, David Wall: 2

Garth Tander, Chazz Mostert, Fabian Coulthard, Jason Bright, Chris Pither, Sebastien Bourdais, Jack LeBrocq, Craig Lowndes: 1

Team's Championship

Gary Rodgers Motorsports: 7

Erebus Motorsport: 6

Lucas Dumbrell Motorsports: 3

Nissan Motorsports: 3

Super Black Racing, Brad Jones Racing, Jack Daniel's Racing, Charlie Schwerkolt Racing: 2

Holden Racing Team, Prodrive Racing Australia, Red Bull Racing Australia: 1

Manufacturer's Championship:

Holden: 10

Volvo: 7

Mercedes: 6

Nissan: 5

Ford: 3

Tire safety changes after Lowndes tire failure leaves him last at Auckland

Craig Lowndes picked up his 6th last-place finish of his career when his #888 Red Bull Racing Australia Holden was involved in a single-car crash that ended his race after 12 of the race's 21 laps. The finish came in Lowndes' 248th round start.

The field shrank for race 29 to 24 cars after Jason Bright in the #8 BOC Holden was unable to make it to the grid, running out of time to replace the engine on car 8 after it failed late in the previous race. Ashley Walsh in the #10 10 tenths Mercedes started the race in the rear after car #10 was unable to set a lap time in Qualifying 2 due to damage sustained in a collision with Cameron Waters in the #6 Pepsi Max Ford in turn 5. Very quickly David Wall in the #34 Wilson Security/Valvoline Volvo fell to the rear, which he held until lap 7 when Nick Percat in the #222 OPS Gateway Australia Holden who suffered a pit-lane penalty for not redressing position to Michael Caruso in the #23 Nismo Nissan, dropping him to the rear on lap 8, and held it until Craig Lowndes in the #888 Red Bull Racing Australia Holden suffered a tire explosion and a big crash in turn 1 while leading on lap 12, ending his race and dropping him to last.

After the safety car, Percat worked his way up to 20th. Between Lowndes and Percat was Tim Blanchard in the #3 Cooldrive Mercedes, David Wall in the #34 Wilson Security/Valvoline Volvo and Ashley Walsh in the #10 10 tenths Mercedes.

The Bottom Five

Craig Lowndes	11 Laps	Crash
Tim Blanchard	21 Laps	Running
David Wall	21 Laps	Running
Ashley Walsh	21 Laps	Running
Nick Percat	21 Laps	Running

Driver's Championship

Scott McLaughlin: 5

Ashley Walsh, James Moffat, Nick Percat: 3

Will Davison, Andre Heimgartner, Todd Kelly, Lee Holdsworth, David Wall: 2

Garth Tander, Chazz Mostert, Fabian Coulthard, Jason Bright, Chris Pither, Sebastien Bourdais, Jack LeBrocq, Craig Lowndes: 1

Team's Championship

Gary Rodgers Motorsports: 7

Erebus Motorsport: 6

Nissan Motorsports. Lucas Dumbrell Motorsports: 3

Super Black Racing, Brad Jones Racing, Jack Daniel's Racing, Charlie Schwerkolt Racing: 2

Holden Racing Team, Prodrive Racing Australia, Red Bull Racing Australia: 1

Manufacturer's Championship:

Holden: 9

Volvo: 7

Mercedes: 6

Nissan: 5

Ford: 3

Erebus firms for Team's Championship after first-lap crash leaves Davison last at Auckland

Will Davison picked up his 12th last-place finish of his career when his #9 Penrite Mercerdes was taken out in a 3-car pileup without completing a single lap of the first race at Auckland. The finish came in Davison's 149th round start.

Nick Percat in the #222 OPS Gateway Australia Holden started the race in the rear, however at turn 6 Will Davison in the #9 Penrite Mercedes was spun around by Tim Slade in the #47 Supercheap Auto Holden, then collected by Fabian Coulthard in the #14 Freightliner Holden, damaging both cars and forcing Davison to the rear. The only other retirement of the race was Jason Bright in the #8 BOC Holden who suffered engine failure on the second-to-final lap, dropping him to 24th.

Rounding out the bottom five was Fabian Coulthard in the #14 Freightliner Holden after the collision with Will Davison, Tim Blanchard in the #3 Cooldrive Holden and Dale Wood in the #21 GB Galvanising/ADVAM Holden after a mechanical black flag for loose bodywork.

The Bottom Five

Will Davison	0 Laps	Crash
Jason Bright	19 Laps	Engine
Fabian Coulthard	20 Laps	Running
Tim Blanchard	21 Laps	Running
Dale Wood	21 Laps	Running

Driver's Championship

Scott McLaughlin: 5

Ashley Walsh, James Moffat, Nick Percat: 3

Will Davison, Andre Heimgartner, Todd Kelly, Lee Holdsworth, David Wall: 2

Garth Tander, Chazz Mostert, Fabian Coulthard, Jason Bright, Chris Pither, Sebastien Bourdais, Jack LeBrocq: 1

Team's Championship

Gary Rodgers Motorsports: 7

Erebus Motorsport: 6

Nissan Motorsports. Lucas Dumbrell Motorsports: 3

Super Black Racing, Brad Jones Racing, Jack Daniel's Racing, Charlie Schwerkolt Racing: 2

Holden Racing Team, Prodrive Racing Australia: 1

Manufacturer's Championship:

Holden: 8

Volvo: 7

Mercedes: 6

Nissan: 5

Ford: 3

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.