2023 Round 34 Cup Results
Round 34 and round 8 of the chase marked a pivotal moment at Homestead Miami, as several drivers made their return to the racing scene after being sidelined for weeks, and for some, months.
Andrew Dyson secured the pole position, his car running faster than a powerboat loaded with Colombian BamBam. Ruben Phelps shared the front row with Dyson, and Toby Stent, making a comeback, lined up in third. Brenton Henderson made an impressive start from fourth, with Dave Douglas and Phil Otto rounding out the top 6 starting positions.
As the race kicked off, Stent boldly powered around the outside to lead the first lap, even kissing the wall in the process. However, Phelps quickly snatched the lead from him, while Dyson seemingly dropped back, possibly to preserve his car for the long haul.
Jaie Schultz displayed remarkable early prowess, making an impressive gain of 10 positions in just 10 laps. His desperate need to secure a win for a chance to advance to the championship 4, after missing last week's race, led Schultz to experiment with various strategies during the race. Stent, hugging the wall, engaged in a side-by-side battle with Dyson, struggling to complete a pass on the low line for second place.
The race's sole caution emerged on lap 17, prompting all drivers but one to dive into the pits. Otto chose to stay out and led the field on old tires during the restart. However, the gamble didn't pay off as cars with fresh rubber swarmed past him.
Neil Pearson, starting from 8th, emerged as a challenger for the lead by lap 25. He engaged in a fierce battle with Phelps and Stent for the top spot, exchanging the lead several times. The rest of the field seemed content to conserve their tires and fuel at this stage. As the tires heated up, the cars became trickier to handle.
Lap 51 saw Schultz pit on his own, while Lachlan Urquijo made significant contact with the inside wall, necessitating a trip to the pits for repairs. After repairs, Urquijo returned to the track with noticeable toe-in on the left front wheel.
By lap 60, Pearson an
d Stent, along with the entire field, cycled through a green flag pit stop. Pearson assumed a commanding lead over Dyson, Stent, and Phelps. With 30 laps remaining, the final round of pit stops unfolded under green flag conditions. Pearson retained the lead after the cycle. Brad Fenly's out-of-sequence pit strategy saw him in the top 3 for several laps.
Matthew Raymond engaged in a fierce battle to stay on the lead lap with 15 laps to go. Ongoing battles to put other cars a lap down while they fought among themselves allowed Dyson to close in on Pearson.
With 12 laps remaining, a heated battle for the lead unfolded, as Pearson and Dyson took turns sliding their cars off the corners and jockeyed for the top spot.
In the closing stages of the race, Dyson managed to secure the lead with 3 laps to go and pulled away, ensuring his victory. Meanwhile, Douglas, Raymond, and Henderson engaged in a hard-fought battle right up to the checkered flag for their respective positions.
Next week for the penultimate round of the season we head to Martinsville for 150 laps.
Race Statistics:
Total Laps: 130
Cautions: 1 For 3 Laps
Lead Changes: 15
Incidents
Lap 17 - Ryan Jones
Restarts
N/A Other N/A
Post-race Tech
Lachlan Urquijo - No Submission DQ
Derek Jacobs - No Submission DQ
Noddy Tompkins - No Submission DQ(5th Offence, 2 Race Ban)
Top 10 Finishers:
1: Andrew Dyson
2: Neil Pearson
3: Toby Stent
4: Ruben Phelps
5: Ryan Jones
6: Brenton Henderson
7: Matthew Raymond
8: Dave Douglas
9: Riley Curtis
10: Norman Clark
Andrew Dyson secured the pole position, his car running faster than a powerboat loaded with Colombian BamBam. Ruben Phelps shared the front row with Dyson, and Toby Stent, making a comeback, lined up in third. Brenton Henderson made an impressive start from fourth, with Dave Douglas and Phil Otto rounding out the top 6 starting positions.
As the race kicked off, Stent boldly powered around the outside to lead the first lap, even kissing the wall in the process. However, Phelps quickly snatched the lead from him, while Dyson seemingly dropped back, possibly to preserve his car for the long haul.
Jaie Schultz displayed remarkable early prowess, making an impressive gain of 10 positions in just 10 laps. His desperate need to secure a win for a chance to advance to the championship 4, after missing last week's race, led Schultz to experiment with various strategies during the race. Stent, hugging the wall, engaged in a side-by-side battle with Dyson, struggling to complete a pass on the low line for second place.
The race's sole caution emerged on lap 17, prompting all drivers but one to dive into the pits. Otto chose to stay out and led the field on old tires during the restart. However, the gamble didn't pay off as cars with fresh rubber swarmed past him.
Neil Pearson, starting from 8th, emerged as a challenger for the lead by lap 25. He engaged in a fierce battle with Phelps and Stent for the top spot, exchanging the lead several times. The rest of the field seemed content to conserve their tires and fuel at this stage. As the tires heated up, the cars became trickier to handle.
Lap 51 saw Schultz pit on his own, while Lachlan Urquijo made significant contact with the inside wall, necessitating a trip to the pits for repairs. After repairs, Urquijo returned to the track with noticeable toe-in on the left front wheel.
By lap 60, Pearson an
d Stent, along with the entire field, cycled through a green flag pit stop. Pearson assumed a commanding lead over Dyson, Stent, and Phelps. With 30 laps remaining, the final round of pit stops unfolded under green flag conditions. Pearson retained the lead after the cycle. Brad Fenly's out-of-sequence pit strategy saw him in the top 3 for several laps.
Matthew Raymond engaged in a fierce battle to stay on the lead lap with 15 laps to go. Ongoing battles to put other cars a lap down while they fought among themselves allowed Dyson to close in on Pearson.
With 12 laps remaining, a heated battle for the lead unfolded, as Pearson and Dyson took turns sliding their cars off the corners and jockeyed for the top spot.
In the closing stages of the race, Dyson managed to secure the lead with 3 laps to go and pulled away, ensuring his victory. Meanwhile, Douglas, Raymond, and Henderson engaged in a hard-fought battle right up to the checkered flag for their respective positions.
Next week for the penultimate round of the season we head to Martinsville for 150 laps.
Race Statistics:
Total Laps: 130
Cautions: 1 For 3 Laps
Lead Changes: 15
Incidents
Lap 17 - Ryan Jones
Restarts
N/A Other N/A
Post-race Tech
Lachlan Urquijo - No Submission DQ
Derek Jacobs - No Submission DQ
Noddy Tompkins - No Submission DQ(5th Offence, 2 Race Ban)
Top 10 Finishers:
1: Andrew Dyson
2: Neil Pearson
3: Toby Stent
4: Ruben Phelps
5: Ryan Jones
6: Brenton Henderson
7: Matthew Raymond
8: Dave Douglas
9: Riley Curtis
10: Norman Clark
