Sunday, 2 August 2015

Post-Race Exclusion leaves Percat from another last-place finish

James Moffat picked up his 9th last-place finish of his career when his #99 Toshiba/Nismo Nissan was disqualified post-race after an engine irregularity after -20 of the race's 20 laps. The finish came in Moffat's 70th round start.

Dale Wood in the #21 GB Galvanising/ADVAM Holden started the race in the rear, however when the race began the Gearbox broke in Shane's #97 Darrell Lea STIX Holden, bringing out the only Safety Car of the race.

Then heading into turn 3 Nick Percat in the #222 Repair Management Australia Holden, Lee Holdsworth in the #18 Fuchs/Beko Holden and Tim Blanchard in the #3 Cooldrive Distribution/GB Galvanising Holden came together, tearing the rear door off of Percat's car and ending his race. Strangely, Percat wound up being scored behind Van Gisbergen. Holdsworth would eventually finish 22nd.

Next to fall out was Ashley Walsh in the #4 Infant's Friend/3M/Repsol Mercedes when on lap 5 a hose blew off the Power Steering on his #4, forcing Walsh to the garage and out of the race. Holdsworth was elevated to the final position in the bottom five when James Moffat's #99 Toshiba/Nismo Nissan was found to have an engine irregularity, resulting in an exclusion for both races 1 and 2, leaving Moffat last for both races.

The Bottom Five
James Moffat
-20 Laps
Excluded
Nick Percat
0 Laps
Crash
Shane Van Gisbergen
0 Laps
Gearbox
Ashley Walsh
5 Laps
Power Steering
Lee Holdsworth
20 Laps
Running

Driver's Championship
Scott McLaughlin: 5
Andre Heimgartner, Ashley Walsh, James Moffat: 2
Will Davison, David Wall, Garth Tander, Lee Holdsworth, Chazz Mostert, Fabian Coulthard, Nick Percat: 1

Team's Championship
Gary Rodgers Motorsports: 6
Erebus Motorsport: 3
Super Black Racing, Nissan Motorsports: 2
Holden Racing Team, Charlie Schwerkolt Racing, Prodrive Racing Australia, Lucas Dumbrell Motorsports, Brad Jones Racing: 1

Manufacturer's Championship:
Volvo: 6
Holden: 4
Ford, Mercedes: 3
Nissan: 2

Post-Race Exclusion keeps Bright out of last at Ipswich.

James Moffat picked up his 8th last-place finish of his career when his #99 Toshiba/Nismo Nissan was disqualified post-race after an engine irregularity after -20 of the race's 20 laps. The finish came in Moffat's 70th round start.

Jason Bright in the #8 BOC Holden started the race in the rear after troubles in Qualifying. At the first corner, Dale Wood in the #21 turned Todd Kelly in the #7 Jayco Nissan, among other cars involved in the resulting concertina included Jason Bright as well as David Wall in the #34 Wilson Security/Payce/Valvoline Volvo, damaging both cars, ending Bright's race and knocking him to last, while Wall came home 2 laps down in 23rd.

Splitting Bright and Wall was Scott Pye in the #17 Western Star Trucks Holden, who retired with a broken Oil Cooler after 10 laps. Rounding out the bottom five was Dale Wood in the #21 GB Galvanising/ADVAM Holden. Tim Blanchard in the #3 Cooldrive Distribution/GB Galvanizing Holden was originally in the bottom five, however when James Moffat's #99 Toshiba/Nismo Nissan was found to have an engine irregularity, Moffat was excluded from both race 1 and race 2, elevating Blanchard out of the bottom five.

The bottom five
James Moffat -20 Laps Excluded
Jason Bright 0 Laps Crash
Scott Pye 10 Laps Oil Cooler
David Wall 18 Laps Running
Dale Wood 20 Laps Running

Driver's Championship
Scott McLaughlin: 5
Andre Heimgartner, Ashley Walsh: 2
Will Davison, David Wall, Garth Tander, Lee Holdsworth, Chazz Mostert, Fabian Coulthard, Nick Percat, James Moffat: 1

Team's Championship
Gary Rodgers Motorsports: 6
Erebus Motorsport: 3
Super Black Racing: 2
Holden Racing Team, Charlie Schwerkolt Racing, Prodrive Racing Australia, Lucas Dumbrell Motorsports, Brad Jones Racing, Nissan Motorsports: 1

Manufacturer's Championship:
Volvo: 6
Holden: 4
Ford, Mercedes: 3
Nissan: 1

Sunday, 12 July 2015

McLaughlin, Team, Manufacturer with one hand on titles after another last-place at Townsville

Scott McLaughlin picked up his 9th last-place finish of his career when his #33 Wilson Security/Valvolime Volvo broke a Water Pump after 19 of the race's 70 laps. The finish came in McLaughlin's 38th start, and leave McLaughlin, Gary Rodgers Motorsports and Volvo with one hand on the 2015 Australian V8 LASTCAR championship in the drivers, teams and manufacturer's championships, respectively.
Tim Blanchard in the #3 Cooldrive Distribution/GB Galvanizing Holden started the race last, however by the end of ther first lap David Wall in the #34 Wilson Security/Payce/Valvoline Volvo fell to the rear. On lap 9 Michael Caruso in the #23 Nissan GT Academy/Nissan Nismo Nissan pitted, dropping him to the rear of the field, which he held until lap 15 when Ashley Walsh fell to the rear after pitting, followed by Ashley Walsh in the #4 Infant's Friend/3M/Repsol Mercedes, then Craig Lowndes in the #888 Red Bull Holden, then Tim Blanchard in the #3 Cooldrive Distribution/GB Galvanizing Holden. Then on lap 21 Scott McLaughlin in the #33 Wilson Security/Valvoline Volvo suffered his roundly Mechanical failure, forcing McLaughlin out of the race and dropping him to last.

Rounding out the bottom five was Will Davison in the #9 Solar Australia Mercedes, Ashley Walsh in the #4 Infant's Friend/3M/Repsol Mercedes, David Wall in the #34 Wilson Security/Payce/Valvoline Volvo after a Pit-lane drive through penalty for speeding and Tim Blanchard in the #3 Cooldrive Distribution/GB Galvanizing Holden.

The bottom five
Scott McLaughlin 19 Laps Water Pump
Will Davison 69 Laps Running
Ashley Walsh 70 Laps Running
David Wall 70 Laps Running
Tim Blanchard 70 Laps Running

Driver's Championship
Scott McLaughlin: 5
Andre Heimgartner, Ashley Walsh: 2
Will Davison, David Wall, Garth Tander, Lee Holdsworth, Chazz Mostert, Fabian Coulthard, Nick Percat: 1

Team's Championship
Gary Rodgers Motorsports: 6
Erebus Motorsport: 3
Super Black Racings: 2
Holden Racing Team, Charlie Schwerkolt Racing, Prodrive Racing Australia, Brad Jones Racing, Lucas Dumbrell Motorsports: 1

Manufacturer's Championship:
Volvo: 6
Holden: 4
Ford, Mercedes: 3

Mechanical woes leave Percat last at Townsville

Nick Percat picked up his 2nd last-place finish of his career when his #222 Repair Management Australia Holden retired with Mechanical woes after 57 of the race's 70 laps. The finish came in Percat's 31st start.

After having his qualifying time disallowed for a car violation committed by the team, Shane Van Gisbergen in the #97 STIX Holden started the race in the rear. However at turn 4 Andre Heimgartner in the unsponsored #111 Super Black Racing Ford collided with Todd Kelly in the #7 Jayco Nissan, with the damage suffered by car #111 leading to the loss of 4 laps for repairs.

Heimgartner held last until lap 57 when Nick Percat in the #222 Repair Management Australia Holden, who had been suffering intermittent issues throughout the race to this point, retired from the race with Mechanical dramas, dropping him to the rear. Dale Wood in the #21 Galvanising GB/Advam Holden would also fall behind Heimgartner after suffering Electrical issues late in the race.

Rounding out the bottom five was Ashley Walsh in the #4 Infant's Friend/3M/Repsol Mercedes and Tim Blanchard in the #3 Cooldrive Distribution/GB Galvanizing Holden.

The Bottom Five
Nick Percat
57 Laps
Mechanical
Dale Wood
64 Laps
Running
Andre Heimgartner
65 Laps
Running
Ashley Walsh
69 Laps
Running
Tim Blanchard
69 Laps
Running

Driver's Championship
Scott McLaughlin: 4
Andre Heimgartner, Ashley Walsh: 2
Will Davison, David Wall, Garth Tander, Lee Holdsworth, Chazz Mostert, Fabian Coulthard, Nick Percat: 1

Team's Championship
Gary Rodgers Motorsports: 5
Erebus Motorsport: 3
Super Black Racings: 2
Holden Racing Team, Charlie Schwerkolt Racing, Prodrive Racing Australia, Brad Jones Racing, Lucas Dumbrell Motorsports: 1

Manufacturer's Championship:
Volvo: 5
Holden: 4
Ford, Mercedes: 3

Sunday, 21 June 2015

Suepsnion failure nets Walsh last-place at Darwin

Ashley Walsh picked up his 5th last-place finish of his career when his #4 Infant's Friend/Snap-On/Repsol Mercedes retired with Suepsnion failure after 33 of the race's 70 laps.The finish came in Walsh's 12th round start.

David Wall in the #34 Valvoline/Wilson Security Volvo started the race in the rear, which, during the first 34 laps, switched between David Walls, Jamie Whincup in the #1 Red Bull/Caltex Holden, Michael Caruso in the #23 NP300 Navara Nissan, Todd Kelly in the #7 Jayco Nissan, Andre Heimgartner in the unsponsored #111 Super Black Racing Ford who was the first to lose a lap, although he and the kelly brothers Todd and Rick in the #15 Jack Daniel's Nissan got their lap back at the end of pitstops, Craig Lowndes in the #888 Red Bull/Caltex Holden and Scott Pye in the #17 Shell Helix Holden, with the order of last-place finishers going, in order,

Wall, Whincup, Caruso, Todd Kelly, Heimgartner, Wall, Lowndes then Pye before lap 34.

On lap 34 Ashley Walsh, who was running 20th at the time, suffered a rear-suspension failure on the #4 Infant's Friend/Snap-On/Repsol Merdeces, forcing Walsh to the garage and to the only retirement of the race.

Rounding out the bottom five was Walsh's teammate Wil Davison in the #9 Solar Australia Mercedes, Tim Blanchard in the #3 Cooldrive Distribution/ GB Galvanizing Holden, Jamie Whincup in the #1 Red Bull/Caltex Holden after a tire delamination late in the race and Michael Caruso in the #23 NP300 Navara Nissan.

The Bottom Five
Ashley Walsh
33 Laps
Suspension
Will Davison
69 Laps
Running
Tim Blanchard
69 Laps
Running
Jamie Whincup
69 Laps
Running
Michael Caruso
69 Laps
Running

Driver's Championship
Scott McLaughlin: 4
Andre Heimgartner, Ashley Walsh: 2
Will Davison, David Wall, Garth Tander, Lee Holdsworth, Chazz Mostert, Fabian Coulthard: 1

Team's Championship
Gary Rodgers Motorsports: 5
Erebus Motorsport: 3
Super Black Racings: 2
Holden Racing Team, Charlie Schwerkolt Racing, Prodrive Racing Australia, Brad Jones Racing: 1

Manufacturer's Championship:
Volvo: 5
Holden, Ford, Mercedes: 3

Davison blamed by Percat for multi-car crash that left Heimgartner last at Darwin

The entire bottom five are present in this shot.

Andre Heimgartner picked up his 2nd last-place finish of his career when his unsponsored #111 Super Black Racing Ford was in a seven-car collision that ended his race without completing a single lap of the 14th race of the season. The finish came in Heimgartner's 6th round start.

Fabian Coulthard in the #14 Freightliner Holden dropped to the rear in turn 1 after he was hit by Rick Kelly in the #15 Jack Daniel's Nissan. The incident, along with a drive-through penalty, left Rick Kelly bookending the bottom five. Near the end of lap 1, Andre Heimgartner in the unsponsored #111 Super Black Racing Holden was spun by Will Davison in thre #9 Solar Energy Mercedes collided with Nick Percat in the #222 Heavy Haulage Australia Holden, Jamie Whincup in the #1 Red Bull Holden, Lee Holdsworth in the #18 Fuchs/Walkinshaw/Beko Holden and Percat's teammate Tim Blanchard in the #3 Cooldrive Distribution/GB Galvanising Holden, with Percat calling Davison and Whincup a "tool", and threatening to punch Davison.

On lap 10 Dale Wood in the #21 ADVAM/GB Galvanising Holden collided with David Wall in the #34 Wilson Security/Valvoline Volvo, damaging Dale Wood's car and dropping him down to 22nd, 2 laps down. Blanchard's retirement was due to engine failure, not crash damage.

Greatest congratulations for Craig Lowndes in the #888 Red Bull Racing Holden on 100 race wins.

The bottom five
Andre Heimgartner 0 Laps Crash
Nick Percat 1 Lap Crash
Tim Blanchard 9 Laps Engine
Dale Wood 18 Laps Running
Rick Kelly 21 Laps Running


Driver's Championship
Scott McLaughlin: 4
Andre Heimgartner: 2
Will Davison Ashley Walsh, David Wall, Garth Tander, Lee Holdsworth, Chazz Mostert, Fabian Coulthard: 1

Team's Championship
Gary Rodgers Motorsports: 5
Erebus Motorsport, Super Black Racings: 2
Holden Racing Team, Charlie Schwerkolt Racing, Prodrive Racing Australia, Brad Jones Racing: 1

Manufacturer's Championship:
Volvo: 5
Holden, Ford: 3
Mercedes: 2

Turn 1 collision leaves Coulthard last at Darwin

Fabian Coulthard picked up his 8th last-place finish of his career when his #14 Freightliner Holden was involved in a two car crash that ended his race without completing a single lap of the 13th race of the season. The finish came in Coulthard's 131st start.

David Wall in the #34 Valvoline Volvo started the race in the rear, and in a chaotic race 13, and just at the first corner of the first race, Fabian Coultard in the #14 Freightliner Holden collided with Jamie Whincup in the #1 Red Bull Holden, destroying a rear tire and damaging the suspension on car #14, ending Coultard's race.

During a subsequent crash in turn 6, Scott Mclaughlin in the #33 collided with Craig Lowndes in the #888 Red Bull Racing Australia and Tim Blanchard in the #3 Cooldrive Holden tangled with Will Davison in the #9 Solar Energey Mercedes, ending McLaughlin's race. However, as McLaughlin was higher in the field than Coulthard, last-place was credited to Coulthard.

Despite incidents involving David Reynolds in the #55 Bottle-O Ford's final turn spin, Jason Bright in the #8 BOC Holden and Andre Heimgartner in the unsponsored #111 Super Black Racing Ford tangling in turn 1 shortly after the first restart, a second spin by Craig Lowndes on lap 15, the resulting fire triggering a second caution flag, Shane Van Gisbergen in the #97 STIX Holden, James Courtney in the #22 SP Tools Holden and his team-mate Garth Tander in the #2 SP Tools Holden crash on the second-to-final lap, only James Courtney finished in the bottom five, finishing 23rd, with the last two of the bottom five holding Andre Heimgartner only after a second off-road excursion on the second-to-last lap and Ash Walsh in the #4 Infant's Friend/Snap-On/Repsol Mercedes.

The Bottom Five
Fabian Coulthard
0 Laps
Crash
Scott McLaughlin
0 Laps
Crash
James Courtney
21 Laps
Running
Andre Heimgartnet
21 Laps
Running
AshleyWalsh
21 Laps
Running

Driver's Championship
Scott McLaughlin: 4
Will Davison Ashley Walsh, Andre Heimgartner, David Wall, Garth Tander, Lee Holdsworth, Chazz Mostert, Fabian Coulthard: 1

Team's Championship
Gary Rodgers Motorsports: 5
Erebus Motorsports: 2
Super Black Racing, Holden Racing Team, Charlie Schwerkolt Racing, Prodrive Racing Australia, Brad Jones Racing: 1

Manufacturer's Championship:
Volvo: 5
Holden: 3
Mercedes, Ford: 2