2022 Round 32 Cup Results
Red 9 comes up in Las Vegas!
There has always been something a little odd about Las Vegas, aside from the shameless tackiness and the uncanny ability to be both hugely expensive and cheap simultaneously. There is also the fact that it exists as a major city in the middle of a desert that never runs short of water, and the fact that it serves as a large tourist attraction not far from several top secret military installations. It is several facades and undercurrents stacked right on top of one another, yet also manages to be entirely up front about it.
So then to the race, as the ANZCAR Cup moves into its final throes. The title battle serving as the story within the story with the one and a half mile speedway serving as the stage.
Qualifying could not have gone better for points leader Dyson as he lined up on the pole with Pearson alongside. Natari teammates Hetterscheid and Carroll-Walden would form row two. Dyson would shoot out to an early lead but would barely have enough time to hit fifth gear before the caution flew, Worley losing control out of turn four and collecting Tompkins who would in turn collect Jaiden Russell. The restart would be much more sedate as Dyson would lead away again, with Hetterscheid disputing second place with Pearson.
Scurlock would move to second place on the tenth tour, while Martin would battle hard with Carroll-Walden and Foster at the back of the top five. Everyone from second place back would continue to swap positions, with Barry Neale showing good long run pace to move to second place on lap forty-four.
Foster would jump out of the train and pit at lap forty-nine, with Pearson following suit four laps later. Most of the others would elect to run long, with leader Dyson making his way down on lap sixty. This would leave Neale and Hetterscheid to take turns up front, but by the time everyone had cycled through Foster would lead from Pearson with Dyson gaining fast on his fresh tyres, regaining the lead some twenty laps later.
The second caution of the night would fall immediately after Dyson retook the lead, with Luke Trahair involved in a solo spin on the backstretch. The field would reset with everyone coming for tyres, and at the resumption Dyson and Foster would break out on their own while Pearson, Martin and Neale would dispute third.
For the next thirty laps Dyson and Foster would run right on the knife edge never more than half a second apart, the driver of the year versus the reigning champion. It would all come to a head on lap 116, when Foster sent one down the inside going into turn three. The cars touched and slid but both held on, with Pearson (who had won the battle for third place) being able to sweep through to the lead.
The caution would fly again on lap 123 when Michelmore lost it out of turn four, smacking the wall and destroying the front end of the 31 Camaro. Everyone would pit for tyres, with Hetterscheid doing as the locals do, taking a gamble along with the race lead by changing only his right side tyres.
The restart would see the Natari cars away well with Hetterscheid in the lead. Foster would attempt to sweep by up high but instead lost a place to Pearson who was charging for the lead. Foster and Dyson would run the final laps side by side in their own title battle, while Pearson would move for the lead on the last lap. Hetterscheid would try everything, trading paint with the 9 all the way down the backstretch before Pearson completed the move on the final turn.
Pearson would win from Hetterscheid, Foster beating Dyson for third by 0.001 of a second. Martin would be fifth, with Phelps, Jackson, Urquijo, Williams and Raymond completing the top ten.
We move to Homestead Miami this week with the title looking like coming down to the wire.
Incidents
Lap 1 – Phillip Worley
Lap 79 – Luke Trahair
Lap 123 – Josh Michelmore
There has always been something a little odd about Las Vegas, aside from the shameless tackiness and the uncanny ability to be both hugely expensive and cheap simultaneously. There is also the fact that it exists as a major city in the middle of a desert that never runs short of water, and the fact that it serves as a large tourist attraction not far from several top secret military installations. It is several facades and undercurrents stacked right on top of one another, yet also manages to be entirely up front about it.
So then to the race, as the ANZCAR Cup moves into its final throes. The title battle serving as the story within the story with the one and a half mile speedway serving as the stage.
Qualifying could not have gone better for points leader Dyson as he lined up on the pole with Pearson alongside. Natari teammates Hetterscheid and Carroll-Walden would form row two. Dyson would shoot out to an early lead but would barely have enough time to hit fifth gear before the caution flew, Worley losing control out of turn four and collecting Tompkins who would in turn collect Jaiden Russell. The restart would be much more sedate as Dyson would lead away again, with Hetterscheid disputing second place with Pearson.
Scurlock would move to second place on the tenth tour, while Martin would battle hard with Carroll-Walden and Foster at the back of the top five. Everyone from second place back would continue to swap positions, with Barry Neale showing good long run pace to move to second place on lap forty-four.
Foster would jump out of the train and pit at lap forty-nine, with Pearson following suit four laps later. Most of the others would elect to run long, with leader Dyson making his way down on lap sixty. This would leave Neale and Hetterscheid to take turns up front, but by the time everyone had cycled through Foster would lead from Pearson with Dyson gaining fast on his fresh tyres, regaining the lead some twenty laps later.
The second caution of the night would fall immediately after Dyson retook the lead, with Luke Trahair involved in a solo spin on the backstretch. The field would reset with everyone coming for tyres, and at the resumption Dyson and Foster would break out on their own while Pearson, Martin and Neale would dispute third.
For the next thirty laps Dyson and Foster would run right on the knife edge never more than half a second apart, the driver of the year versus the reigning champion. It would all come to a head on lap 116, when Foster sent one down the inside going into turn three. The cars touched and slid but both held on, with Pearson (who had won the battle for third place) being able to sweep through to the lead.
The caution would fly again on lap 123 when Michelmore lost it out of turn four, smacking the wall and destroying the front end of the 31 Camaro. Everyone would pit for tyres, with Hetterscheid doing as the locals do, taking a gamble along with the race lead by changing only his right side tyres.
The restart would see the Natari cars away well with Hetterscheid in the lead. Foster would attempt to sweep by up high but instead lost a place to Pearson who was charging for the lead. Foster and Dyson would run the final laps side by side in their own title battle, while Pearson would move for the lead on the last lap. Hetterscheid would try everything, trading paint with the 9 all the way down the backstretch before Pearson completed the move on the final turn.
Pearson would win from Hetterscheid, Foster beating Dyson for third by 0.001 of a second. Martin would be fifth, with Phelps, Jackson, Urquijo, Williams and Raymond completing the top ten.
We move to Homestead Miami this week with the title looking like coming down to the wire.
Incidents
Lap 1 – Phillip Worley
Lap 79 – Luke Trahair
Lap 123 – Josh Michelmore
