Sunday, 6 November 2016

Whincup narrowly avoids last after drive-through penalties at Pukekohe



Tim Blanchard picked up his 3rd last-place finish of his career when his #21 Cooldrive Distribution Holden finished under power, 1 lap down in the third race at Pukekhoe raceway. The finish came in Blanchard's 106 start.

Andre Heimgartner in the #3 Repair Management Australia Holden started the race in the rear, however by turn 4 Tim Blanchard in the #21 Cooldrive Distribution Holden, then Shae Davies in the #4 Loco Energy Drink / Davbridge Constructions Holden fell to the rear. By the end of lap 2 Chris Pither in the #111 Ice Break Ford had fallen to the rear after contact in Turn 8, possibly with Davies, dropping over 20 seconds by lap 5 and nearly 26 seconds back by lap 10.

Pither held last until lap 13 James Whincup in the #88 Red Bull Racing Holden spun out Shane Van Gisbergen in the #97 Red Bull Racing Australia Holden, and the Drive Through penalty on lap 16, dropping to last. Whincup lost a lap on lap 24. Whincup held last until lap 29 when a Drive-Through penalty was given to Tim Blanchard in the #21 Cooldrive Distribution Holden for 3 shortcuts of the circuits, dropping behind Whincup on lap 31.

Rounding out the bottom five was Shae Davies in the #4 Loco Energy Drink / Davbridge Constructions Holden, Chris Pither in the #111 Ice Break Ford after contact, possibly with Shae, and Andre Heimgartner in the #3 Repair Management Australia Holden.

The Bottom Five
Tim Blanchard
34 Laps
Running
Jamie Whincup
34 Laps
Running
Shae Davies
35 Laps
Running
Chris Pither
35 Laps
Running
Andre Heimgartner
35 Laps
Running

Driver's Championship
Nick Percat: 4
Lee Holdsworth: 3
Scott Pye, David Reynolds, Craig Baird, Chris Pither: 2
Tim Slade, Aaren Russell, Scott McLaughlin, , Fabian Coulthard, Michael Caruso, Cameron Waters, Kurt Kostecki, James Courtney, Will Davison, James Moffat, Karl Reindler Richie Stanaway, Jason Bright, Shae Davies, Tim Blanchard,: 1

Team's Championship
Lucas Dumbrell Motorsports, Charlie Schwerkolt Racing, Erebus Motorsports: 4
DJR Team Penske, BOC Racing: 3
Gary Rodgers Motorsport, Super Black Racing: 2
 Pepsi Max Racing, Nissan Motorsports, Holden Racing Team, Tekno Autosports: 1

Manufacturer’s Championship
Holden: 19
Ford: 6
Volvo: 2
Nissan: 1

Lack of pace leaves Shae Davies last at Pukekohe



Shae Davies picked up his 1st last-place finish of his career when his #4 Loco Energy Drink / Davbridge Constructions Holden finished under power, on the lead lap in the second race at Pukekhoe raceway. The finish came in Davies' 7th start.

The field contracted to 25 after Bright’s withdrawal from race 25. Tim Slade started the race in the rear in the #14 Freightliner Holden after missing the second qualifying session due to damage sustained in the first qualifying session.

Almost immediately Shae Davies in the #4 Loco Energy Drink / Davbridge Constructions Holden fell to the rear. Davies was 11 seconds behind by lap 5, 17.5 seconds behind by lap 10, 24 seconds behind by lap 15. 32 seconds behind by lap 20, 40.5 seconds behind by lap 25, 47 seconds behind by lap 30 and 53 seconds behind by the end of the race.

Rounding out the bottom five was Chris Pither in the #111 Ice Break Ford, Tim Slade in the #14 Freightliner Holden, Andre Heimgartner in the #3 Repair Management Australia Holden and Dale Wood in the #96 ADVAM Holden.

The Bottom Five
Shae Davies
35 Laps
Running
Chris Pither
35 Laps
Running
Tim Slade
35 Laps
Running
Andre Heimgartner
35 Laps
Running
Dale Wood
35 Laps
Running

Driver's Championship
Nick Percat: 4
Lee Holdsworth: 3
Scott Pye, David Reynolds, Craig Baird, Chris Pither: 2
Tim Slade, Aaren Russell, Scott McLaughlin, , Fabian Coulthard, Michael Caruso, Cameron Waters, Kurt Kostecki, James Courtney, Will Davison, James Moffat, Karl Reindler Richie Stanaway, Jason Bright, Shae Davies,: 1

Team's Championship
Lucas Dumbrell Motorsports, Charlie Schwerkolt Racing, Erebus Motorsports: 4
DJR Team Penske: 3
Gary Rodgers Motorsport, Super Black Racing, BOC Racing: 2
 Pepsi Max Racing, Nissan Motorsports, Holden Racing Team, Tekno Autosports: 1

Manufacturer’s Championship
Holden: 18
Ford: 6
Volvo: 2
Nissan: 1



Hard crash leaves Bright last at Pukekohe.



Jason Bright picked up his 16th last-place finish of his career, and his first in four years, when his #8 BOC Holden was involved in a single-car crash that ended his Saturday racing on the opening lap of the first race at Pukekhoe. The finish came in Bright's 542nd start.

Shae Davies in the #4 Loco Energy Drink Holden started the race in the rear. However, at the end of lap 1 Jason Bright in the #8 BOC Holden collided with Chris Pither in the #111 Ice Break Ford, sending car #8 backwards into the wall, before sliding sideways into the pit entrance. causing a 7-minute Red Flag. Pither got a pit-lane penalty for his trouble. Pither lost a lap on lap 18

Splitting Bright and Pither was Dale Wood in the #96 ADVAM Nissan after contact with both Todd Kelly in the #7 Carsales.com Nissan and James Moffat in the #34 First Security Volvo, eventually on lap 20 contact with Moffat in turn 6, after Moffat ran off the road in turn 5, the contact tearing up the front of Wood's ca, sending him to the garage.

Rounding out the bottom five was Shae Davies in the #4 Loco Energy Drink Holden after issues during the race and Andre Heimgartner in the #3 Repair Management Australia Holden.

The Bottom Five
Jason Bright
0 Laps
Crash
Dale Wood
21 Laps
Crash
Chris Pither
34 Laps
Running
Shae Davies
34 Laps
Running
Andre Heimgartner
35 Laps
Running

Driver's Championship
Nick Percat: 4
Lee Holdsworth: 3
Scott Pye, David Reynolds, Craig Baird, Chris Pither: 2
Tim Slade, Aaren Russell, Scott McLaughlin, , Fabian Coulthard, Michael Caruso, Cameron Waters, Kurt Kostecki, James Courtney, Will Davison, James Moffat, Karl Reindler Richie Stanaway, Jason Bright,: 1

Team's Championship
Lucas Dumbrell Motorsports, Charlie Schwerkolt Racing: 4
DJR Team Penske, Erebus Motorsports: 3
Gary Rodgers Motorsport, Super Black Racing, BOC Racing: 2
Pepsi Max Racing, Nissan Motorsports, Holden Racing Team, Tekno Autosports: 1

Manufacturer’s Championship
Holden: 17
Ford: 6
Volvo: 2
Nissan: 1