Hi to all you v8 Supercars fans around the world.
This weekend event 3 of the 2016 V8 Supercars it is also the 500th round in the Australian Touring Car history – V8 supercars championship. The WD 40 Phillip Island Supersprint.
Let’s take a look back at what happened in 2015.
Before the event started both the Pepsi Max Crew had to change the engine of Mark Winterbottom’s car and the Red Bull Racing Australia team had to bleed the brakes on Jamie Whincup’s car to make sure there was no air leaking from the brakes. Welcome back to James Courtney after his terrible accident at Eastern Creek… Meanwhile Paul Dumbrell is generously driving car 222 for Nick Percat…
Jamie Whincup started on pole position alongside him was Scott McLaughlin on lap 1 of 14 Craig Lowndes started from 3rd position and got the jump on everyone else and led the whole race. With his teammate behind him, there were 3 cars out in the weeds Chris Pither, Dale Wood and Rick Kelly. Tim Blanchard and David Wall ran wide on the exit of the last turn.
On lap 2 Shane Van Gisbergen turned around David Reynolds and got a 25 point penalty as a result, which ruined his chances of increasing his total points…
On lap 3 everybody was settling down into a race rhythm, no incidents on this lap.
On lap 4 Craig Lowndes, Jamie Whincup and Scott McLaughlin were just pulling away from the rest of the pack.
On lap 5 Jamie Whincup was helping Craig Lowndes to close the gap on Frosty for 2015 V8 Supercars championship.
The top 3 cars were just pulling away on lap 6.
In the middle of the race Tim Slade and Todd Kelly were battling for positions 10th and 11th. Rick Kelly locked a brake while battling with Lee Holdsworth approaching MG Corner.
Towards the end of the race Todd Kelly and Tim Slade touched which sent Todd Kelly out into the boonies, but in the end no one could catch the top 3 cars of Craig Lowndes, Jamie Wnincup and Scott Mclaughlin.
Results for race 31
1st – Craig Lowndes – Red Bull Racing Australia
2nd – Jamie Whincup – Red Bull Racing Australia
3rd – Scott Mclaughlin – Volvo Polstar Racing
In race 32 Scott Mclaughlin started on pole position alongside him was Jamie Whincup on lap 1 of 14. Jamie got the jump meaning he got a better launch and reaction time and his teammate Craig Lowndes had dropped down to 3rd. The 2 Holden Racing team Commodores of Garth Tander and James Courtney were side by side on approach to the Southern Loop turn 2.
Tim Slade was battling with Will Davison further back in the pack, but he was on the wrong side of the track for the hairpin at turn 4. Jason Bright had to get back the Nissan Altama driven by James Moffatt car 99, then Garth Tander passed Fabain Coulthard at turn 5, then he tried to do the same maneuver that Garth did 1 corner before. Towards the end of the first lap he and Cameron Waters made contact coming out of the 2nd last corner.
On lap 2 Todd Kelly, Dale Wood, Tim Blanchard and David Wall along with Paul Dumbrell were battling together near the back of the field James Moffatt gave Fabain Coulthard a little bump, just to remind him that he was there.
On lap 3 Scott Pye was battling with the two Nissans of Micheal Caruso and Rick Kelly, also on that same lap Jamie Whincup’s race start was under investigation.
On lap 4 Foxsports showed a replay of the start of the race and there was no one breach for him so that meant he could press on.
In the middle of the race Scott McLaughlin was chasing David Reynolds.
Towards the end of the race no one could catch the race leaders. That race win for Jamie Whincup took his career tally up to 95.
Results for race 32
1st – Jamie Whincup – Red Bull Racing Australia
2nd – Scott Mclaughlin – Volvo Polstar racing
3rd – Craig Lowndes – Red Bull Racing Australia
In race 33 Mark Winterbottom started on pole position alongside him was Craig Lowndes on lap 1 of 45 Mark Winterbottom got the jump off the start line from position 1. Scott Mclaughlin got swamped by the two Red Bull cars. Dale Wood and Lee Holdsworth on the exit of turn 2. Rick Kelly ran wide at turn 4, he and Cameron Waters made contact on approach to Lukie height and they both went off as a result. Then when Cameron Waters rejoined he was limping around the track due to the damage that was on his car.
On lap 2 Jamie Whincup was the first of the two Red Bull cars to pit so that Craig did not have to double stack. In the pits,
Jason Bright got a drive thru penalty for an unsafe pit release by the car controller at Brad Jones Racing. Scott Pye also came in as well for his pit stop, along with David Reynolds, James Courtney, Tim Blanchard and also Cameron Waters and David Wall.
On lap 3 Frosty had a lead of 1.3 seconds over Scott Pye. Meanwhile Craig Lowndes was trying to getup close and personal to Scott McLaughlin to be able to pass him. At this time Jamie Whincup was doing a pit stop and his car dropped off the jacks the car controller at Red Bull had hold him so that he didn’t end up being released into oncoming traffic, in the fast lane. Tim Slade and Fabain Coulthard were battling for positions 9th and 10th.
On lap 4 Garth Tander and Shane Van Gisbergen were battling till Shane had to come into the pit lane for the first of his two pit stops that took them into lap 5.
Todd Kelly and Will Davison joined him as well, when he rejoined James Moffatt tried to come up the inside at turn 2 which he did. But then Shane Van Gisbergen tried to go around the outside which didn’t work.
On lap 6 Garth Tander came in for his pit stop along with Paul Dumbrell and Chris Pither. Chris Pither had damage on the front of Superblack racing Ford Falcon car 111.
On lap 7 James Courtney left space for Shane Van Gisbergen to go up the inside at turn 4. Lee Holdsworth was not a very happy chappy about the fact that he was out of race 33.
In the middle of the race Greg Murphy was talking to Mark Dutton about the Red Bull cars tyre lifespan and why Craig Lowndes appeared had good tyre life and how Jamie Whincup didn’t.
Towards the end of the race no one could catch the top 3, Craig Lowndes, Scott Mclaughlin and Jamie Whincup. Tim Edwards was not very happy with the move that Jamie put on Frosty.
Results for race 33
1st – Craig Lowndes – Red Bull Racing Australia.
2nd – Scott Mclaughlin – Volvo Polstar racing.
3rd – Jamie Whincup – Red Bull Racing Australia.
Congratulations to Craig Lowndes, Jamie Whincup and Scott Mclaughlin for a fantastic weekend, No one could take these guys out…
The next and final event is the Coates Hire Sydney 500 on the 4th – 6th of December 2015. There is only 71 points now between the Pepsi Max Crew and Red Bull Racing Australia in terms of the teams championship and in terms of the drivers’ championship there is only 179 points between Mark Winterbottom and Craig Lowndes, there are now only 2 drivers left in contention.
Who will win the championship?
Lowndesy is now on 102 career wins. There are just 3 races left this season Red Bull took 60 point out of leader over the Phillip Island race weekend.
The commentators were Greg Rust and Neil Crompton, the pit reporters were Greg Murphy and Riana Crehan. 1 race meeting to go.