2022 Round Cup Results
Foster takes Charlotte after Pearson DQ!
Thirty-eight drivers would unload for ANZCAR's longest race of the year aside from the Daytona 500. Three hundred miles at Charlotte was on the menu for this late day in May, and would represent one of the few occasions that ANZCAR drivers are allowed to tweak their cars to their liking rather than stomach what they were given.
Pearson would sit on pole next to Michelmore, who has been enjoying something of a renaissance over the past week. The surprise package of qualifying would be Pinnacle Esports, with Raymond Jaeger a brilliant third and Nigel Paton rolling off sixth.
Michelmore would jump out to an early lead as the first quarter of the race was punctuated with several caution periods. Drivers had clearly set up their cars with night time in mind, and with the race still under bright sunlight the hot track caught many out.
The first properly long green flag run began on lap fifty-eight, with Pearson back in the lead from Hobson, Jaeger, Paton and Schulz. On lap seventy-one Paton moved past Hobson to take second and set after the 9, however succumbed to Dyson on lap ninety. The caution would fly again on lap ninety-eight sending the entire field down pit road for fuel and to replace their ruined rubber. They would come out much as they came in, with Pearson leading Dyson, Paton, Hobson... and So On.
On the resulting restart Pearson would lead with Paton moving under Dyson to take second, and Dave Douglas making his first impression on the race in fifth. Four laps into the run Paton would move past Pearson to take the lead.
Luke Trahair would come together with Barry Neale on the front stretch to bring the pace car out once again, sending the field down the lane one more time. As night had fallen, each driver would experiment with tyre pressure changes to adapt their cars best for the run into the dark. The race would resume with fifty-five laps still to go, Pearson back in the lead from Dyson, Douglas, Paton and Whitcher, with Mitch boys Martin and Michelmore running sixth and seventh.
Paton would take a lurid slide across the infield on lap 146 but recover, however lap 192 would prove pivotal as Douglas, Dyson and Whitcher disputed second place. Dyson, running in the middle of a three wide formation, would get loose and collect Whitcher, sending both cars spinning across the front stretch infield and bringing out the caution again.
The field once again came down for fresh tyres, with Hobson opting only for two and shooting out in the lead ahead of everybody else on four. The green flag would barely be out for a lap before being withdrawn once more, as Pearson ran into new leader Hobson, spinning the 88 and collecting multiple cars in the process. With the front stretch littered with broken cars, Foster and Michelmore managed to avoid the carnage and looked set to start on a new front row until Pearson was waved back through to the lead.
The race would have one opportunity to end under a green/white/chequer, and one chance was all that would be needed, with Pearson easily leading Foster and Michelmore home with Paton managing to recover to fourth. Pearson would however be disqualified following the race for the contact with Hobson promoting Foster to the winner, ahead of Michelmore and Paton.
Incidents
Lap 7 - Jamie Nankervis
Lap 14 - Billy Hickey
Lap 27 - Steven Williams
Lap 46 - Devon Stove
Lap 53 - Scott Griffiths
Lap 97 - Stu Paterson
Lap 138 - Barry Neale
Lap 193 - Andrew Dyson
Lap 198 - Neil Pearson
Restart Infringements
None
Other
Lap 198 - Neil Pearson - intentional wrecking - DQ, 1 race ban and 6 months probation
No Further Action
Protest against car 50 for a start infringement dismissed. Car number does not exist.
Lap 39 - Phelps/Wellman/Knight - netcode contact
Thirty-eight drivers would unload for ANZCAR's longest race of the year aside from the Daytona 500. Three hundred miles at Charlotte was on the menu for this late day in May, and would represent one of the few occasions that ANZCAR drivers are allowed to tweak their cars to their liking rather than stomach what they were given.
Pearson would sit on pole next to Michelmore, who has been enjoying something of a renaissance over the past week. The surprise package of qualifying would be Pinnacle Esports, with Raymond Jaeger a brilliant third and Nigel Paton rolling off sixth.
Michelmore would jump out to an early lead as the first quarter of the race was punctuated with several caution periods. Drivers had clearly set up their cars with night time in mind, and with the race still under bright sunlight the hot track caught many out.
The first properly long green flag run began on lap fifty-eight, with Pearson back in the lead from Hobson, Jaeger, Paton and Schulz. On lap seventy-one Paton moved past Hobson to take second and set after the 9, however succumbed to Dyson on lap ninety. The caution would fly again on lap ninety-eight sending the entire field down pit road for fuel and to replace their ruined rubber. They would come out much as they came in, with Pearson leading Dyson, Paton, Hobson... and So On.
On the resulting restart Pearson would lead with Paton moving under Dyson to take second, and Dave Douglas making his first impression on the race in fifth. Four laps into the run Paton would move past Pearson to take the lead.
Luke Trahair would come together with Barry Neale on the front stretch to bring the pace car out once again, sending the field down the lane one more time. As night had fallen, each driver would experiment with tyre pressure changes to adapt their cars best for the run into the dark. The race would resume with fifty-five laps still to go, Pearson back in the lead from Dyson, Douglas, Paton and Whitcher, with Mitch boys Martin and Michelmore running sixth and seventh.
Paton would take a lurid slide across the infield on lap 146 but recover, however lap 192 would prove pivotal as Douglas, Dyson and Whitcher disputed second place. Dyson, running in the middle of a three wide formation, would get loose and collect Whitcher, sending both cars spinning across the front stretch infield and bringing out the caution again.
The field once again came down for fresh tyres, with Hobson opting only for two and shooting out in the lead ahead of everybody else on four. The green flag would barely be out for a lap before being withdrawn once more, as Pearson ran into new leader Hobson, spinning the 88 and collecting multiple cars in the process. With the front stretch littered with broken cars, Foster and Michelmore managed to avoid the carnage and looked set to start on a new front row until Pearson was waved back through to the lead.
The race would have one opportunity to end under a green/white/chequer, and one chance was all that would be needed, with Pearson easily leading Foster and Michelmore home with Paton managing to recover to fourth. Pearson would however be disqualified following the race for the contact with Hobson promoting Foster to the winner, ahead of Michelmore and Paton.
Incidents
Lap 7 - Jamie Nankervis
Lap 14 - Billy Hickey
Lap 27 - Steven Williams
Lap 46 - Devon Stove
Lap 53 - Scott Griffiths
Lap 97 - Stu Paterson
Lap 138 - Barry Neale
Lap 193 - Andrew Dyson
Lap 198 - Neil Pearson
Restart Infringements
None
Other
Lap 198 - Neil Pearson - intentional wrecking - DQ, 1 race ban and 6 months probation
No Further Action
Protest against car 50 for a start infringement dismissed. Car number does not exist.
Lap 39 - Phelps/Wellman/Knight - netcode contact
