2022 Round 33 Cup Results
Dyson tightens the vice with Miami win!
Formerly the home of the title decider, Homestead Miami Speedway has the unique attribute of being the only intermediate “paperclip” layout left on the Cup Series trail, the rest having been either built as or converted to the tri-oval or quad-oval “cookie cutter” layouts.
Qualifying was a Natari affair with Hetterscheid and Foster locking out the front row, both still in the hunt for the title. Row two would be points leader Dyson with Michelmore alongside, and at the drop of the green flag the top runners would remain largely in grid order for the opening laps. Foster would move under Hetterscheid for the lead on the fifth lap, with Dyson relieving the 035 of second place two laps later.
After a brief breakaway, the top three were pulled back by the second group, led by Josh Michelmore. Dyson would make a couple of runs for the lead as the race approached lap twenty, but clearly had the long run in mind.
Tom Pritchard made contact with the turn four wall on lap twenty-seven, managing to pull his Mustang off the track in time to avoid the caution, the race remaining green. Foster would eek out a gap of just under a second while Hetterscheid began to work on retaking second place. Further back, Martin and Pearson had moved past Michelmore who was also coming under pressure from Neale.
As lap fifty approached Dyson managed to catch and pass Foster for the lead. Carroll-Walden had been the first to make a pit stop and was working his way back on fresh rubber, with Pearson and Hetterscheid following suit on lap forty-eight. As these stops cycled through, the first caution of the race would happen when Neale and Carroll-Walden came together, with the 35 making moderate contact with the outside wall.
When the field was let loose again, Dyson would lead Hetterscheid and Foster, from Michelmore and Neale. For a handful of laps it appeared we would see a repeat of the memorable battle between the contenders from a week prior, however Dyson was able to hold Foster at arm's length, always appearing to have an answer for anything thrown at him.
Pitstops would begin again around lap 100, with many drivers looking to take fresh rubber for the run to the flag. Carroll-Walden and Neale would find each other again however, the second caution flying when the former got loose into the path of the latter. Dyson, Martin, Phelps, Michelmore, Williams and Urquijo would stay out, having not long ago made their stops. Hetterscheid would lead the pitters, Foster being the odd one out having taken only right side tyres.
As Dyson streaked away with only twenty-five laps to go, mayhem would erupt behind as the fresh tyred group tried to make their way by those on older rubber.
Three-wide, door-banging action was the order of the next few laps, with the squabbling continuing right up to the chequered flag. Dyson would win clearly from Pearson, Foster third ahead of Neale, Hetterscheid and Williams. Worley would be seventh after some tight racing with Michelmore, with Urquijo and Raymond rounding out the top ten.
This week sees the series head to Martinsville for the penultimate round. The last two years have seen big points swings at the tight little paperclip, what will it produce this time?
Incidents
Lap 52 - Barry Neale
Lap 102 - Joshua Carroll-Walden
Formerly the home of the title decider, Homestead Miami Speedway has the unique attribute of being the only intermediate “paperclip” layout left on the Cup Series trail, the rest having been either built as or converted to the tri-oval or quad-oval “cookie cutter” layouts.
Qualifying was a Natari affair with Hetterscheid and Foster locking out the front row, both still in the hunt for the title. Row two would be points leader Dyson with Michelmore alongside, and at the drop of the green flag the top runners would remain largely in grid order for the opening laps. Foster would move under Hetterscheid for the lead on the fifth lap, with Dyson relieving the 035 of second place two laps later.
After a brief breakaway, the top three were pulled back by the second group, led by Josh Michelmore. Dyson would make a couple of runs for the lead as the race approached lap twenty, but clearly had the long run in mind.
Tom Pritchard made contact with the turn four wall on lap twenty-seven, managing to pull his Mustang off the track in time to avoid the caution, the race remaining green. Foster would eek out a gap of just under a second while Hetterscheid began to work on retaking second place. Further back, Martin and Pearson had moved past Michelmore who was also coming under pressure from Neale.
As lap fifty approached Dyson managed to catch and pass Foster for the lead. Carroll-Walden had been the first to make a pit stop and was working his way back on fresh rubber, with Pearson and Hetterscheid following suit on lap forty-eight. As these stops cycled through, the first caution of the race would happen when Neale and Carroll-Walden came together, with the 35 making moderate contact with the outside wall.
When the field was let loose again, Dyson would lead Hetterscheid and Foster, from Michelmore and Neale. For a handful of laps it appeared we would see a repeat of the memorable battle between the contenders from a week prior, however Dyson was able to hold Foster at arm's length, always appearing to have an answer for anything thrown at him.
Pitstops would begin again around lap 100, with many drivers looking to take fresh rubber for the run to the flag. Carroll-Walden and Neale would find each other again however, the second caution flying when the former got loose into the path of the latter. Dyson, Martin, Phelps, Michelmore, Williams and Urquijo would stay out, having not long ago made their stops. Hetterscheid would lead the pitters, Foster being the odd one out having taken only right side tyres.
As Dyson streaked away with only twenty-five laps to go, mayhem would erupt behind as the fresh tyred group tried to make their way by those on older rubber.
Three-wide, door-banging action was the order of the next few laps, with the squabbling continuing right up to the chequered flag. Dyson would win clearly from Pearson, Foster third ahead of Neale, Hetterscheid and Williams. Worley would be seventh after some tight racing with Michelmore, with Urquijo and Raymond rounding out the top ten.
This week sees the series head to Martinsville for the penultimate round. The last two years have seen big points swings at the tight little paperclip, what will it produce this time?
Incidents
Lap 52 - Barry Neale
Lap 102 - Joshua Carroll-Walden
