2023 Round 1 Cup Results
Dyson pops up to win overtime Daytona 500!
If not officially “The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year” the ANZCAR Daytona 500 must surely be the most anticipated for series legends and rookies alike. The days of build up through practice, talk is always of who is looking quick and who has some work to do. The familiar faces always feature, and everyone has their eyes on the newcomers, each year bringing a slew of rookie and returning drivers as everyone buys in to the new season hype.
Qualifying day is where at least some of the questions are answered. How long ago the days seem when Steven Williams and Phil Otto were the only DPR cars in the field, as since that time the team haven't so much put their stamp on ANZCAR as trodden all over it without wiping their feet. Locking out the front row with Pearson and O'Shea was a statement of intent.
SRM locked in a second row start through Urquijo in a thrilling first Duel, while Foster would join him with a much more sedate victory in the second Duel race.
Come Sunday, forty shiny new paintschemes would glimmer under the winter Florida sun. At least it should have been, Natari rookie Stent was unable to take his place due to connection issues. He would appear later and run a handful of laps before ultimately retiring.
The green flag would see O'Shea slot down in front of teammate Pearson for an early lead, before Foster and Carroll-Walden would hook up to push to the front a couple of laps later. A high line led by Douglas and Trahair would persevere for a while, dragging Michelmore with them to slot down in front of Foster on lap six. Having got the majority of their sparring out the way and nerves settled, attention turned to the long game. The entire field was in a single file train by lap thirteen, as everyone settled in for the long haul.
This would last until lap 31, when rookie Bratka would get loose and collect McLeod, bringing out the first caution of the day. Precisely one pit stop later, Douglas would lead from Foster, Pearson and Carroll-Walden for the restart. It took several laps for the high line to come alive, but the two Natari cars dropped in front of Douglas to lead once more, leaving Michelmore leading the high line which began to quickly empty. It would not re-form until some thirty laps later, with Black Arrows Clark and Nankervis leading a large train to the outside. Before this could fully play out we were under caution for the second time, Griffiths striking the wall and collecting Raymond, Kenny and others.
More pitstops, and Carroll-Walden would skip to the lead ahead of Foster, with Clark and Nankervis on row two. Foster and Nankervis would drop in front of JCW to lead, with O'Shea pushing Douglas hard on the outside line, and eventually to the lead. The field strung out into single file again, seemingly content with the 10's leadership. Green flag stops came around lap 110, with Mitch Motorsports making their first big move of the race, Martin leading Michelmore at the head of the train. This would continue until lap 136, when Clark would spin out of fifth place, wiping out Carroll-Walden and the laps down Stent.
Another round of stops, and it was Michelmore leading Martin this time however the green would not last long with Jackson and Turner making contact and catching Kenny, Hobbs, Paton and Bratka in the melee.
The restart would see the low line break out, led by Martin with DPR boys O'Shea and Pearson leading up top. The high line began to find some legs after a handful of laps and gained several extra takers, with O'Shea striking out to the lead before eventually re-forming on the bottom. Another round of green flag stops would only just play out before Bratka and Carrol-Walden would come together, bringing the caution once more and collecting several cars including Purnell, Curtis, Nankervis, Finlay and McKenzie.
This would see Jaeger to the lead for the first time, ahead of Williams, Dyson and Foster. On the restart the outside line would initially drop back, with Foster and Carroll-Walden diving to the middle lane. Contact with Trahair on the inside would spin Foster and Williams, with most others emerging unscathed.
The green would fly on lap 190 with Jaeger leading, however he stood no chance against the combined power of Dyson and O'Shea, moving to the lead and then successfully controlling both lanes with a big push from Douglas. Urquijo would look to the inside before Trahair, Foster and Jaeger would be the next to try the low line, which despite numerous drivers trying leading it did not seem to be able to gather momentum. A wreck between Carroll-Walden and Jaie Schultz would give us a green/white/checquer, which would lead Dyson, O'Shea, Pearson and Foster to strike out to the lead, with Douglas and Trahair trying to make the low lane go. No sooner had Douglas moved up behind the lead four that the race ending caution came, with Phelps and Martin making contact.
This lead Dyson clear to win from O'Shea, Pearson, Foster and Douglas, with Michelmore, Williams, Jordan, Trahair and Jaeger completing the top ten. A quite sedate finish by comparison to the mayhem of the previous laps. Just like that, it was done.
Incidents
Lap 31 - Russell Bratka
Lap 67 - Scott Griffiths
Lap 136 - Norman Clark
Lap 186 - Luke Trahair
Lap 196 - Josh Carroll-Walden
Restart Infringements
N/A
No Further Action
Lap 139 - Paul Jackson/Kye Turner - accordion effect in front, no-one's fault
Lap 177 - Russell Bratka/Josh Carroll-Walden - accordion effect in front, no-one's fault
Lap 200 – Martin/Phelps – minute movements, some netcode, racing deal
If not officially “The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year” the ANZCAR Daytona 500 must surely be the most anticipated for series legends and rookies alike. The days of build up through practice, talk is always of who is looking quick and who has some work to do. The familiar faces always feature, and everyone has their eyes on the newcomers, each year bringing a slew of rookie and returning drivers as everyone buys in to the new season hype.
Qualifying day is where at least some of the questions are answered. How long ago the days seem when Steven Williams and Phil Otto were the only DPR cars in the field, as since that time the team haven't so much put their stamp on ANZCAR as trodden all over it without wiping their feet. Locking out the front row with Pearson and O'Shea was a statement of intent.
SRM locked in a second row start through Urquijo in a thrilling first Duel, while Foster would join him with a much more sedate victory in the second Duel race.
Come Sunday, forty shiny new paintschemes would glimmer under the winter Florida sun. At least it should have been, Natari rookie Stent was unable to take his place due to connection issues. He would appear later and run a handful of laps before ultimately retiring.
The green flag would see O'Shea slot down in front of teammate Pearson for an early lead, before Foster and Carroll-Walden would hook up to push to the front a couple of laps later. A high line led by Douglas and Trahair would persevere for a while, dragging Michelmore with them to slot down in front of Foster on lap six. Having got the majority of their sparring out the way and nerves settled, attention turned to the long game. The entire field was in a single file train by lap thirteen, as everyone settled in for the long haul.
This would last until lap 31, when rookie Bratka would get loose and collect McLeod, bringing out the first caution of the day. Precisely one pit stop later, Douglas would lead from Foster, Pearson and Carroll-Walden for the restart. It took several laps for the high line to come alive, but the two Natari cars dropped in front of Douglas to lead once more, leaving Michelmore leading the high line which began to quickly empty. It would not re-form until some thirty laps later, with Black Arrows Clark and Nankervis leading a large train to the outside. Before this could fully play out we were under caution for the second time, Griffiths striking the wall and collecting Raymond, Kenny and others.
More pitstops, and Carroll-Walden would skip to the lead ahead of Foster, with Clark and Nankervis on row two. Foster and Nankervis would drop in front of JCW to lead, with O'Shea pushing Douglas hard on the outside line, and eventually to the lead. The field strung out into single file again, seemingly content with the 10's leadership. Green flag stops came around lap 110, with Mitch Motorsports making their first big move of the race, Martin leading Michelmore at the head of the train. This would continue until lap 136, when Clark would spin out of fifth place, wiping out Carroll-Walden and the laps down Stent.
Another round of stops, and it was Michelmore leading Martin this time however the green would not last long with Jackson and Turner making contact and catching Kenny, Hobbs, Paton and Bratka in the melee.
The restart would see the low line break out, led by Martin with DPR boys O'Shea and Pearson leading up top. The high line began to find some legs after a handful of laps and gained several extra takers, with O'Shea striking out to the lead before eventually re-forming on the bottom. Another round of green flag stops would only just play out before Bratka and Carrol-Walden would come together, bringing the caution once more and collecting several cars including Purnell, Curtis, Nankervis, Finlay and McKenzie.
This would see Jaeger to the lead for the first time, ahead of Williams, Dyson and Foster. On the restart the outside line would initially drop back, with Foster and Carroll-Walden diving to the middle lane. Contact with Trahair on the inside would spin Foster and Williams, with most others emerging unscathed.
The green would fly on lap 190 with Jaeger leading, however he stood no chance against the combined power of Dyson and O'Shea, moving to the lead and then successfully controlling both lanes with a big push from Douglas. Urquijo would look to the inside before Trahair, Foster and Jaeger would be the next to try the low line, which despite numerous drivers trying leading it did not seem to be able to gather momentum. A wreck between Carroll-Walden and Jaie Schultz would give us a green/white/checquer, which would lead Dyson, O'Shea, Pearson and Foster to strike out to the lead, with Douglas and Trahair trying to make the low lane go. No sooner had Douglas moved up behind the lead four that the race ending caution came, with Phelps and Martin making contact.
This lead Dyson clear to win from O'Shea, Pearson, Foster and Douglas, with Michelmore, Williams, Jordan, Trahair and Jaeger completing the top ten. A quite sedate finish by comparison to the mayhem of the previous laps. Just like that, it was done.
Incidents
Lap 31 - Russell Bratka
Lap 67 - Scott Griffiths
Lap 136 - Norman Clark
Lap 186 - Luke Trahair
Lap 196 - Josh Carroll-Walden
Restart Infringements
N/A
No Further Action
Lap 139 - Paul Jackson/Kye Turner - accordion effect in front, no-one's fault
Lap 177 - Russell Bratka/Josh Carroll-Walden - accordion effect in front, no-one's fault
Lap 200 – Martin/Phelps – minute movements, some netcode, racing deal
