wombat666
Administrator
The format for this weekend was different (again), with Saturday split into two 125K races and Sunday a single 250K event.
Intense racing from the front of the grid right through to the back!
Several of the four car squads have dropped back to two cars, several of the single car teams are running two cars, and sanity has prevailed (finally!) with the departure of the Mercedes mobile chicanes.
Saturday was hot!
Up to 38C which melted the soft rubber (and the drivers) but brought some fresh faces to the front and gave us one outstanding race with the last ten laps of race 2, Courtney and Whincup right on the edge through the infamous
'Turn 8', including several 'speedway' moments through Australia's fastest corner.
Sunday .......................... qualifying was run in 39C+ heat, race started in 33C, with an enormous thunderstorm halting proceedings at mid distance!
Race was restarted but eventually red flagged at roughly 75% distance as more rain laid a couple of inches of extra water on the circuit.
Over the three races Team Penske had both Fords right up at the pointy end, wet or dry the cars looked good and rode the bumps very well, while RBR/888 and HSV Commodores were the quickest cars over the weekend, whith the Pro-Drive Fords
never in with a chance, thoroughly beaten up by the Nissan team and several privateers!
I still haven't figured out who won on Sunday, aside from the carnage caused by rain on track, comms went down due to lightning and even Race Control were having problems figuring out the rule book.
Good start to the series and I actually enjoyed the weekend, despite the idiotic addition of Robbie Gordon and the 'Stadium Trucks' circus. Fortunately that particular rubbish will only return late in the year at Surfers Paradise.
But the performance of Team Penske was the most pleasing part of the Clipsal for me.
Next weekend, Phillip Island Historic Races and a week later the Formula 1 Circus kicks off at Albert Park.
I might just survive!
Michael Caruso left Adelaide leading the Championship in a Nissan!!! --------------------------------- Fresh face: Nick Percat has his first win on Saturday.
Intense racing from the front of the grid right through to the back!
Several of the four car squads have dropped back to two cars, several of the single car teams are running two cars, and sanity has prevailed (finally!) with the departure of the Mercedes mobile chicanes.
Saturday was hot!
Up to 38C which melted the soft rubber (and the drivers) but brought some fresh faces to the front and gave us one outstanding race with the last ten laps of race 2, Courtney and Whincup right on the edge through the infamous
'Turn 8', including several 'speedway' moments through Australia's fastest corner.
Sunday .......................... qualifying was run in 39C+ heat, race started in 33C, with an enormous thunderstorm halting proceedings at mid distance!
Race was restarted but eventually red flagged at roughly 75% distance as more rain laid a couple of inches of extra water on the circuit.
Over the three races Team Penske had both Fords right up at the pointy end, wet or dry the cars looked good and rode the bumps very well, while RBR/888 and HSV Commodores were the quickest cars over the weekend, whith the Pro-Drive Fords
never in with a chance, thoroughly beaten up by the Nissan team and several privateers!
I still haven't figured out who won on Sunday, aside from the carnage caused by rain on track, comms went down due to lightning and even Race Control were having problems figuring out the rule book.
Good start to the series and I actually enjoyed the weekend, despite the idiotic addition of Robbie Gordon and the 'Stadium Trucks' circus. Fortunately that particular rubbish will only return late in the year at Surfers Paradise.
But the performance of Team Penske was the most pleasing part of the Clipsal for me.
Next weekend, Phillip Island Historic Races and a week later the Formula 1 Circus kicks off at Albert Park.
I might just survive!
Michael Caruso left Adelaide leading the Championship in a Nissan!!! --------------------------------- Fresh face: Nick Percat has his first win on Saturday.