Supercars 17 - Symmons Plains R3-4

Only a few rounds in and things are already getting interesting.  We took it to a wet Symmons Plains for the second venue and there were some clear winners and losers in the match up.  And there was also some grade A f***ery!  Cheers!

Race 1:

Jamie and his rocket boosters got the pole with Zack and me right around him.  We fogged for mosquitoes and took off.

The turn 4 Brambles Hairpin was fairly tidy on lap one although Darrel did manage to cause some drama.

While keeping it a three-man-show at the front, I overdrove turn 6 and Zack slipped by.

Darrel would continue to harass and be harassed by mid pack drivers.  Here he took a nasty shunt from the wall.

As his teammate, The Bear, came around the apex, one of the Volvo's gave him a hard smash, lifting all four tyres off the ground.

While trying to reclaim my podium spot, I got entangled with Whincup and forfeited more positions.

Webster started using up his rubber as well and overcooked some going through the chicane.

This forced an earlier stop than anticipated.

Once he was back out, he was right in front of Buster but the two went without incident for the better part of a lap before the Clipsal ride slipped by.

The Bear continued having issues throughout the race while struggling with the wet setup, staying just out of points position.  Fortunately, he wouldn't stay there long.

Around lap 18, Gurton Buster came in for his stop but had considerable issues with lining up in his stall.  Fortunately, his mammoth lead not only allowed him to take his time to readjust but he also ordered some take out, made a few Facebook posts and even started learning a foreign language.  When he finally did pull of pit road, I was coming in for my mandatory as was Hamilton.

Some may have missed this odd exchange between Sandy Smith and Fabian Coulthard.  It was quite interesting as there didn't look like there should have been any contact and then suddenly there just was.  Both escaped without injury.

Zack's injuries, however, were mounting.  The tires weren't the only things wearing quickly from these exchanges as he vented frustration at the competition and his spotty network connection. 

Lap 21 and Buster had a very large moment at Brambles but was able to use the banking and Scotty Pye to keep eyes forward and in control of the lead.

The last lap was definitely exciting.  More for avoiding spins and spewing vehicles than anything.

But he held on for his first win of the season.

Race 2:

A similar start to the first go with Jamie popping off an early lead from Zack who was on the front row.

Things immediately went awry as I closed too fast and dropped anchors to try and avoid a collision with GB.

But the tap was too much at a heavily loaded corner and the 008 was around.  Zack capitalized but his spotty connection kept him from knowing exactly where everyone was and...

There was a might hit!  Buster rolled the car and this looked like doom and gloom without even the first lap over.

But he landed and carried on as if nothing happened.

In fact, after only a few laps he was already challenging for the lead back.

While I was only a few spots behind, I was shuffled off course by a now-targeted Jason Bright.

Hamilton was making his presence known around the circuit as he took out Rick Kelly at turn 6.

Not a half lap later and he was collected by Reynolds while fighting for position off the hairpin.

Meanwhile, I was making my charge back to the front, hoping for an eventual shot at a podium finish when Scott McLaughlin took a bite out of my right hand side, sending me into the fence off of 3.

I, along with several other cars, was bashed about, filling the track in one of the fastest spots on the circuit.

Further ahead, Darrel was in trouble again, this time with James Courtney.

Thankfully, it looked like I might be OK if I could only get back to pit road to change out tires.

Alas, Rick Kelly was there to slap me out of the way...

...and into the unrelenting grasp of the tire barriers.  Out and without points.

Up front, Zack Webster was making inroads on the lead, stretching his legs and gaining valuable time on the indomitable GB.

The Bear was having a relatively uneventful race with some backmarkers but it was highlighted by some run-ins with other such as Jamie Whincup.

About a quarter through and Webster came up on Todd Kelly.

The combination of closing speed and flaky net caused him to lose it up into the embankment, causing some real damage and losing him the lead.

If that weren't bad enough, he sped on pit road, had the lug nuts not align properly AND his crew jammed an air hose.  If I had to guess, his crew was not getting ice cream at the end of the race.

Back in the mix, Todd Kelly was giving Hamilton a tour of the beach at 6.

And only a few laps later, Coulthard was returning Sandy's favor from Race 1.

While most everyone continued to struggle with damage, conditions and traffic, Gurton Buster cruised on to his second victory and a massive points lead early on.

We'll take a break this week and continue on the 24th at Philip Island.

Race 1

Track: Symmons Plains Raceway

Session: Practice

P	#	DRIVER	TIME
1	008	J Zolecki	50.658
2	013	T Nadz	52.170
3	023	Z Webster	53.213
4	1	J Whincup	53.498
5	97	S Van Gisbergen	53.859
6	5	M Winterbottom	53.902
7	9	W Davison	54.013
8	6	C Mostert	54.016
9	2	G Tander	54.151
10	888	C Lowndes	54.340
11	21	D Wood	54.430
12	14	F Coulthard	54.438
13	55	D Reynolds	54.502
14	16	S Pye	54.547
15	8	J Bright	54.581
16	15	R Kelly	54.691
17	4	L Holdsworth	54.826
18	22	J Courtney	55.011
19	061	D Hamilton	55.070
20	23	R Ingall	55.094
21	222	N Percat	55.132
22	021	T Bear	55.264
23	18	J Perkins	55.267
24	33	S McLaughlin	55.298
25	17	D Wall	55.317
26	360	J Moffat	55.543
27	47	T Slade	55.590
28	36	M Caruso	56.235
29	7	T Kelly	57.315

Weather: Cloudy, 70 °F, North 0 mph

Session: Qualifying

P	#	DRIVER	TIME
1	008	J Zolecki	51.167
2	013	T Nadz	51.799
3	023	Z Webster	52.122
4	1	J Whincup	54.561
5	9	W Davison	54.623
6	5	M Winterbottom	54.682
7	6	C Mostert	54.702
8	97	S Van Gisbergen	54.732
9	8	J Bright	54.791
10	14	F Coulthard	54.937
11	2	G Tander	55.034
12	888	C Lowndes	55.188
13	21	D Wood	55.573
14	15	R Kelly	55.745
15	18	J Perkins	55.745
16	33	S McLaughlin	55.814
17	16	S Pye	56.030
18	55	D Reynolds	56.201
19	17	D Wall	56.297
20	222	N Percat	56.312
21	360	J Moffat	56.397
22	4	L Holdsworth	56.502
23	23	R Ingall	56.756
24	061	D Hamilton	56.821
25	22	J Courtney	57.065
26	34	R Dahlgren	57.103
27	47	T Slade	57.153
28	7	T Kelly	57.313
29	36	M Caruso	57.690
30	021	T Bear	--

Weather: Cloudy, 70 °F, North 0 mph

Session: Happy Hour

P	#	DRIVER	TIME
1	008	J Zolecki	50.885
2	023	Z Webster	52.647
3	013	T Nadz	52.689
4	1	J Whincup	53.676
5	14	F Coulthard	53.758
6	061	D Hamilton	53.800
7	5	M Winterbottom	53.835
8	888	C Lowndes	54.039
9	97	S Van Gisbergen	54.150
10	9	W Davison	54.235
11	2	G Tander	54.239
12	6	C Mostert	54.316
13	21	D Wood	54.464
14	021	T Bear	54.726
15	8	J Bright	54.745
16	18	J Perkins	55.025
17	55	D Reynolds	55.054
18	33	S McLaughlin	55.211
19	16	S Pye	55.242
20	4	L Holdsworth	55.301
21	360	J Moffat	55.307
22	15	R Kelly	55.327
23	47	T Slade	55.495
24	222	N Percat	55.539
25	22	J Courtney	55.620
26	17	D Wall	55.672
27	7	T Kelly	55.963
28	23	R Ingall	56.024
29	34	R Dahlgren	56.136
30	36	M Caruso	56.874

Weather: Cloudy, 70 °F, North 0 mph

Session: Race

OFFICIAL STANDINGS

F	S	#	DRIVER	INTERVAL	LAPS	LED	POINTS	STATUS
1	1	008	J Zolecki	99.719	30	29*	185	Running
2	2	013	T Nadz	-29.61	30	0	170	Running
3	3	023	Z Webster	-1L	29	0	165	Running
4	5	9	W Davison	-1L	29	0	160	Running
5	11	2	G Tander	-1L	29	0	155	Running
6	13	21	D Wood	-1L	29	0	150	Running
7	9	8	J Bright	-1L	29	0	146	Running
8	15	18	J Perkins	-1L	29	0	142	Running
9	17	16	S Pye	-1L	29	0	138	Running
10	18	55	D Reynolds	-1L	29	0	134	Running
11	7	6	C Mostert	-1L	29	0	130	Running
12	6	5	M Winterbottom	-1L	29	1	132	Running
13	8	97	S Van Gisbergen	-1L	29	0	124	Running
14	10	14	F Coulthard	-1L	29	0	121	Running
15	12	888	C Lowndes	-1L	29	0	118	Running
16	4	1	J Whincup	-1L	29	0	115	Running
17	22	4	L Holdsworth	-1L	29	0	112	Running
18	19	17	D Wall	-1L	29	0	109	Running
19	23	23	R Ingall	-1L	29	0	106	Running
20	16	33	S McLaughlin	-1L	29	0	103	Running
21	27	47	T Slade	-1L	29	0	100	Running
22	20	222	N Percat	-2L	28	0	97	Running
23	21	360	J Moffat	-2L	28	0	94	Running
24	25	22	J Courtney	-2L	28	0	91	Running
25	26	34	R Dahlgren	-2L	28	0	88	Running
26	30	021	T Bear	-3L	27	0	85	Running
27	29	36	M Caruso	-3L	27	0	82	Tire
28	24	061	D Hamilton	-3L	27	0	79	Running
29	14	15	R Kelly	-15L	15	0	76	Accident
30	28	7	T Kelly	-22L	8	0	73	Gearbox

Caution Flags: 0 (0 laps)

Lead Changes: 2 (2 drivers)

Weather: Cloudy, 70 °F, North 0 mph

Pitstop Frequency: 2x

AI Strength: 93%

PENALTIES

LAP

#

INFRACTION

PENALTY

Race 2

Session: Qualifying

P	#	DRIVER	TIME
1	008	J Zolecki	51.230
2	023	Z Webster	51.784
3	013	T Nadz	52.075
4	1	J Whincup	54.393
5	5	M Winterbottom	54.700
6	6	C Mostert	54.737
7	888	C Lowndes	54.967
8	97	S Van Gisbergen	54.981
9	8	J Bright	54.996
10	9	W Davison	55.020
11	14	F Coulthard	55.037
12	2	G Tander	55.094
13	061	D Hamilton	55.263
14	15	R Kelly	55.510
15	21	D Wood	55.563
16	16	S Pye	55.883
17	33	S McLaughlin	56.074
18	18	J Perkins	56.144
19	55	D Reynolds	56.274
20	47	T Slade	56.444
21	222	N Percat	56.604
22	23	R Ingall	56.664
23	4	L Holdsworth	56.692
24	22	J Courtney	57.000
25	17	D Wall	57.105
26	7	T Kelly	57.258
27	36	M Caruso	57.512
28	34	R Dahlgren	57.569
29	360	J Moffat	57.636
30	021	T Bear	--

Weather: Cloudy, 70 °F, North 0 mph

Session: Race

F	S	#	DRIVER	INTERVAL	LAPS	LED	POINTS	STATUS
1	1	008	J Zolecki	98.381	30	19*	185	Running
2	6	6	C Mostert	-28.12	30	2	175	Running
3	4	1	J Whincup	-36.82	30	0	165	Running
4	5	5	M Winterbottom	-37.99	30	0	160	Running
5	11	14	F Coulthard	-43.27	30	0	155	Running
6	10	9	W Davison	-47.81	30	0	150	Running
7	8	97	S Van Gisbergen	-47.82	30	0	146	Running
8	7	888	C Lowndes	-54.73	30	0	142	Running
9	9	8	J Bright	-54.75	30	0	138	Running
10	15	21	D Wood	-1L	29	0	134	Running
11	18	18	J Perkins	-1L	29	0	130	Running
12	17	33	S McLaughlin	-1L	29	0	127	Running
13	20	47	T Slade	-1L	29	0	124	Running
14	19	55	D Reynolds	-1L	29	0	121	Running
15	21	222	N Percat	-1L	29	0	118	Running
16	2	023	Z Webster	-1L	29	9	120	Running
17	29	360	J Moffat	-1L	29	0	112	Running
18	14	15	R Kelly	-1L	29	0	109	Running
19	25	17	D Wall	-1L	29	0	106	Running
20	12	2	G Tander	-2L	28	0	103	Running
21	26	7	T Kelly	-2L	28	0	100	Running
22	24	22	J Courtney	-2L	28	0	97	Running
23	28	34	R Dahlgren	-2L	28	0	94	Running
24	13	061	D Hamilton	-2L	28	0	91	Running
25	27	36	M Caruso	-2L	28	0	88	Running
26	30	021	T Bear	-3L	27	0	85	Running
27	16	16	S Pye	-3L	27	0	82	Running
28	23	4	L Holdsworth	-24L	6	0	79	Retired
29	22	23	R Ingall	-24L	6	0	76	Accident
30	3	013	T Nadz	-25L	5	0	73	Accident

Caution Flags: 0 (0 laps)

Lead Changes: 2 (3 drivers)

Weather: Cloudy, 70 °F, North 0 mph

Pitstop Frequency: 2x

AI Strength: 93%