2023 Round 1 Cup Results
Pearson takes Autoclub win after Worley DQ!
There is a weird type of time compression that happens in ANZCAR around this time of year. The Daytona 500 is done, with all the lead up and fanfare of a new season beginning. For a week or so it is the centre of the series' universe. Then only four days later the race seems a distant memory, for the real season begins now. Time to sort the contenders from the pretenders.
It was a new beginning in another way too, for ANZCAR has been a fixed setup championship through and through since its very inception. On this day a new era dawned. The drivers, although locked to a single setup, would be able to adjust their cars during the race for the first time ever. With that came strict post-race technical inspections that were bound to catch out the unprepared.
So to the race then, and Neil Pearson would remain the only person to hold a pole position in 2023 as he qualified ahead of Jaiden Russell. Neale and Foster would make up the second row.
Pearson would duly lead away as Neale made short work of relieving Russell of second place, Dyson slipping through to third not long after. The forty car pack bustling its way through the opening laps was one of the sights of the year so far, as the entire field settled in. On lap four Neale would take the lead with a trademark dive to the bottom, and Foster would take second place half a lap later. Jaie Schultz would pioneer the high line right from the off, using it to good effect to move from ninth on the grid to the lead by lap eight. He would begin to fade ten laps later, seemigly having used the best of his tyres.
The field would be under caution after twenty laps when Tompkins came together with Trahair, an incident which also ended up involving Malone. The entire field would come down pit road to make the first mid-race adjustments ever seen in a Cup Series race, outside of the special open races seen in recent years. Pearson would lead them off however Roffey would be the big mover as he elected to take fuel only, using his short stop to jump into second place.
The restart would see Roffey plummet while Neale, Pearson and Foster comprised a three car breakaway. Their progress would be halted when Roffey's tyres eventually cried enough leading the Rogue Mustang to spin harmlessly on lap thirty-two. The resulting caution would see all bar Neale and Otto come to pit. Neale would cede the lead to Foster within a couple of laps, with McKenzie making his first big move of the race to take the lead himself on lap forty-two. A long green flag run would begin here, with Pearson fighting McKenzie for the lead and finally taking it at the start of lap fifty. As the laps wore on, the lead two cars of Pearson and Foster began to wag their tails, looking looser and looser. This would see Worley and Stent start to move forward, with Worley relieving his teammate of his lead on lap sixty-two. Stent would lead on lap sixty-six, and green flag stops would begin eight laps later.
When everything shook out McKenzie would lead from Worley, who had a good lead over Foster and Griffiths. Worley would lead again on lap eighty-one as McKenzie began to fall back toward his pursuers. He would join a huge battle for second place comprising himself, Foster, Griffiths, Pearson, Urquijo and Stent, with Pearson and Stent being the two standouts and moving to the lead of that pack. Dyson, Phelps and O'Shea would join the party not long after, with Curtis and Kenny also having their own furious battle over the lucky dog spot right in the middle of it all.
Dyson would come together with McKenzie, who entered an early contender for save of the year as he kept the race green. Phelps would carve his way to second place before chaos ensued in the lucky dog battle, Kenny coming together with Curtis and O'Shea, bringing the caution out to set up the second green/white/chequer in as many races.
Also for the second time in as many races, the end would prove an anticlimax as Turner came together with Douglas and Lobb midpack. Worley would cross the line first ahead of Pearson and Stent, with Dyson, Foster, Phelps, Hetterscheid, Urquijo, Carroll-Walden and McKenzie completing the ten.
Unfortunately Worley would be disqualified after his telemetry was unable to be used to verify his setup parameters, handing Pearson the victory.
Incidents
Lap 19 - Noddy Tompkins
Lap 32 - Craig Roffey
Lap 106 - Luke Kenny
Lap 111 - Kye Turner
Restart Infringements
Lap 36 - Craig Roffey - Lane Change
Lap 36 - Daniel Hetterscheid - Lane Change
Lap 111 - Aiden Schultz - Lane Change
Other
Adam Malone - DQ no telemetry supplied
Kye Turner - DQ no telemetry supplied
Mirko Dautanac - DQ no telemetry supplied
Noddy Tompkins - DQ no telemetry supplied
Scott Griffiths - DQ no telemetry supplied
Matthew Raymond - DQ no telemetry supplied
Jaiden Russell - DQ no telemetry supplied
Phillip Worley - DQ no setup data
Christopher Tomlin - DQ no telemetry supplied
There is a weird type of time compression that happens in ANZCAR around this time of year. The Daytona 500 is done, with all the lead up and fanfare of a new season beginning. For a week or so it is the centre of the series' universe. Then only four days later the race seems a distant memory, for the real season begins now. Time to sort the contenders from the pretenders.
It was a new beginning in another way too, for ANZCAR has been a fixed setup championship through and through since its very inception. On this day a new era dawned. The drivers, although locked to a single setup, would be able to adjust their cars during the race for the first time ever. With that came strict post-race technical inspections that were bound to catch out the unprepared.
So to the race then, and Neil Pearson would remain the only person to hold a pole position in 2023 as he qualified ahead of Jaiden Russell. Neale and Foster would make up the second row.
Pearson would duly lead away as Neale made short work of relieving Russell of second place, Dyson slipping through to third not long after. The forty car pack bustling its way through the opening laps was one of the sights of the year so far, as the entire field settled in. On lap four Neale would take the lead with a trademark dive to the bottom, and Foster would take second place half a lap later. Jaie Schultz would pioneer the high line right from the off, using it to good effect to move from ninth on the grid to the lead by lap eight. He would begin to fade ten laps later, seemigly having used the best of his tyres.
The field would be under caution after twenty laps when Tompkins came together with Trahair, an incident which also ended up involving Malone. The entire field would come down pit road to make the first mid-race adjustments ever seen in a Cup Series race, outside of the special open races seen in recent years. Pearson would lead them off however Roffey would be the big mover as he elected to take fuel only, using his short stop to jump into second place.
The restart would see Roffey plummet while Neale, Pearson and Foster comprised a three car breakaway. Their progress would be halted when Roffey's tyres eventually cried enough leading the Rogue Mustang to spin harmlessly on lap thirty-two. The resulting caution would see all bar Neale and Otto come to pit. Neale would cede the lead to Foster within a couple of laps, with McKenzie making his first big move of the race to take the lead himself on lap forty-two. A long green flag run would begin here, with Pearson fighting McKenzie for the lead and finally taking it at the start of lap fifty. As the laps wore on, the lead two cars of Pearson and Foster began to wag their tails, looking looser and looser. This would see Worley and Stent start to move forward, with Worley relieving his teammate of his lead on lap sixty-two. Stent would lead on lap sixty-six, and green flag stops would begin eight laps later.
When everything shook out McKenzie would lead from Worley, who had a good lead over Foster and Griffiths. Worley would lead again on lap eighty-one as McKenzie began to fall back toward his pursuers. He would join a huge battle for second place comprising himself, Foster, Griffiths, Pearson, Urquijo and Stent, with Pearson and Stent being the two standouts and moving to the lead of that pack. Dyson, Phelps and O'Shea would join the party not long after, with Curtis and Kenny also having their own furious battle over the lucky dog spot right in the middle of it all.
Dyson would come together with McKenzie, who entered an early contender for save of the year as he kept the race green. Phelps would carve his way to second place before chaos ensued in the lucky dog battle, Kenny coming together with Curtis and O'Shea, bringing the caution out to set up the second green/white/chequer in as many races.
Also for the second time in as many races, the end would prove an anticlimax as Turner came together with Douglas and Lobb midpack. Worley would cross the line first ahead of Pearson and Stent, with Dyson, Foster, Phelps, Hetterscheid, Urquijo, Carroll-Walden and McKenzie completing the ten.
Unfortunately Worley would be disqualified after his telemetry was unable to be used to verify his setup parameters, handing Pearson the victory.
Incidents
Lap 19 - Noddy Tompkins
Lap 32 - Craig Roffey
Lap 106 - Luke Kenny
Lap 111 - Kye Turner
Restart Infringements
Lap 36 - Craig Roffey - Lane Change
Lap 36 - Daniel Hetterscheid - Lane Change
Lap 111 - Aiden Schultz - Lane Change
Other
Adam Malone - DQ no telemetry supplied
Kye Turner - DQ no telemetry supplied
Mirko Dautanac - DQ no telemetry supplied
Noddy Tompkins - DQ no telemetry supplied
Scott Griffiths - DQ no telemetry supplied
Matthew Raymond - DQ no telemetry supplied
Jaiden Russell - DQ no telemetry supplied
Phillip Worley - DQ no setup data
Christopher Tomlin - DQ no telemetry supplied
