2022 Round Cup Results
JCW pops up to take victory at Phoenix as Dyson takes maiden championship!
Despite being the final round of the Cup Series since 2020, the odd little oval in Phoenix has never been the scene of a true decider. In the last two years it has been little more than a formality, something to be completed because the calendar said so.
This season was different as Dyson and Foster took The Chase as their own personal tournament. It would be the victory lane regular versus the relentless collector of points, the new gun versus the established champion. Neither one had been able to strike the killer blow so far, but at this race it was guaranteed to end.
Qualifying saw Hetterscheid on pole (himself a creditable third in the standings) with Foster alongside. Jones and Russell would make up row two with Dyson gridding up inside row four.
Hetterscheid would sprint away at the green with Foster fighting off Jones and Russell before eventually settling into second, before taking the lead with very little resistance on lap four.
Dyson for his part had made good progress and sat in third place. This would continue until Worley self spun on lap nineteen, bringing out the first caution.
The next few laps were punctuated by short runs between cautions as the drivers found the running tricky. Martin would lead as he elected to stay on track rather than pit for tyres, with Nankervis, Carroll-Walden, Urquijo and others. When some green running was achieved Foster led Dyson and the battle for the lead was the battle for the title. The two ran side by side, rubbing panels and each taking turns leading the other. The largest the gap would ever get was 0.7 seconds on lap seventy before the caution would fly with a self spin from Michelmore.
This would send the entire field down for tyres with the exception of Jackson, who would lead briefly before spinning into the turn one wall shortly after the restart, leaving Dyson and Foster to their own devices once more. The two would run nose to tail with Foster's front bumper meeting Dyson's rear on more than one occasion, with Pearson and Hetterscheid never far behind. The caution would fly again on lap ninety-three, when Phelps spun after clipping the apron in turn two.
This would kick off a rather odd chain of events. Dyson and Foster would restart side by side on the front row with Dyson getting a storming restart to lead into the dogleg. A little too good as it turned out, as for the second race in a row he would find himself on the receiving end of a jump start penalty and wind up a lap down.
Meanwhile some drivers who had stopped for tyres were now working their way through. Carroll-Walden, Michelmore and Martin would work their way through to the top three positions. Foster was running fifth and Dyson was a lapped sixteenth, and the Cup looked to be heading to South Australia for another year.
Then would come another odd moment, when Tompkins would attempt an abstract impression of a pitlane entry, winding up back on the track and bringing out the caution, leaving Dyson with the lucky dog and back in contention.
Carroll-Walden would lead the restart from Martin and Urquijo with Foster seventh and Dyson thirteenth. After another quick caution after contact between Raymond and Jones, the racing would resume with both Foster and Dyson trying to make their way through, the points situation on a knife edge. On lap 132 Jackson would have another spin, however just as Barney reached for his flag Pearson would get into Foster, spinning him into the infield. The 53 wouldn't be damaged, but the tyres had suffered badly in the spin and there were no more in the shed.
This left Carroll-Walden out front to lead the remaining laps from Martin and Dyson while Urquijo and Michelmore would have an intense dogfight over fourth. “JCW” would eventually lead Martin home by 1.8 seconds, with the new champion Dyson running third. Urquijo would just hold off Michelmore for fourth, with Foster sixth ahead of Pearson, with Hetterscheid, Douglas and Neale completing the top ten.
So with that ends a compelling Chase and a brilliant season. Outside of a dramatic final race with more twists than bag of Twisties, a new champion and a veteran grabbing a last gasp win, we had ten different drivers go to victory lane in total. Add to this several drivers showing huge improvement throughout the season, it would be hard to find someone who could not draw positives from their year. With a brand new race car added to the mix, 2022 will be a season to remember.
2023 will bring with it some fresh challenges as the ANZCAR Cup continues its growth. Drivers intending to run the full schedule should keep their eyes open for information on the new charter system being released soon.
Stewards Report
Incidents
Lap 20 - Phillip Worley
Lap 25 - Jaiden Russell
Lap 30 - Luke Trahair
Lap 36 - Luke Trahair
Lap 71 - Josh Michelmore
Lap 93 - Ruben Phelps
Lap 119 - Noddy Tompkins
Lap 126 - Matthew Raymond
Lap 132 - Paul Jackson
Restart Infringements
Lap 23 - Noddy Tompkins - Lane Change
Lap 29 - Noddy Tompkins - Lagging Behind
Lap 29 - Phillip Worley - Lagging Behind
Despite being the final round of the Cup Series since 2020, the odd little oval in Phoenix has never been the scene of a true decider. In the last two years it has been little more than a formality, something to be completed because the calendar said so.
This season was different as Dyson and Foster took The Chase as their own personal tournament. It would be the victory lane regular versus the relentless collector of points, the new gun versus the established champion. Neither one had been able to strike the killer blow so far, but at this race it was guaranteed to end.
Qualifying saw Hetterscheid on pole (himself a creditable third in the standings) with Foster alongside. Jones and Russell would make up row two with Dyson gridding up inside row four.
Hetterscheid would sprint away at the green with Foster fighting off Jones and Russell before eventually settling into second, before taking the lead with very little resistance on lap four.
Dyson for his part had made good progress and sat in third place. This would continue until Worley self spun on lap nineteen, bringing out the first caution.
The next few laps were punctuated by short runs between cautions as the drivers found the running tricky. Martin would lead as he elected to stay on track rather than pit for tyres, with Nankervis, Carroll-Walden, Urquijo and others. When some green running was achieved Foster led Dyson and the battle for the lead was the battle for the title. The two ran side by side, rubbing panels and each taking turns leading the other. The largest the gap would ever get was 0.7 seconds on lap seventy before the caution would fly with a self spin from Michelmore.
This would send the entire field down for tyres with the exception of Jackson, who would lead briefly before spinning into the turn one wall shortly after the restart, leaving Dyson and Foster to their own devices once more. The two would run nose to tail with Foster's front bumper meeting Dyson's rear on more than one occasion, with Pearson and Hetterscheid never far behind. The caution would fly again on lap ninety-three, when Phelps spun after clipping the apron in turn two.
This would kick off a rather odd chain of events. Dyson and Foster would restart side by side on the front row with Dyson getting a storming restart to lead into the dogleg. A little too good as it turned out, as for the second race in a row he would find himself on the receiving end of a jump start penalty and wind up a lap down.
Meanwhile some drivers who had stopped for tyres were now working their way through. Carroll-Walden, Michelmore and Martin would work their way through to the top three positions. Foster was running fifth and Dyson was a lapped sixteenth, and the Cup looked to be heading to South Australia for another year.
Then would come another odd moment, when Tompkins would attempt an abstract impression of a pitlane entry, winding up back on the track and bringing out the caution, leaving Dyson with the lucky dog and back in contention.
Carroll-Walden would lead the restart from Martin and Urquijo with Foster seventh and Dyson thirteenth. After another quick caution after contact between Raymond and Jones, the racing would resume with both Foster and Dyson trying to make their way through, the points situation on a knife edge. On lap 132 Jackson would have another spin, however just as Barney reached for his flag Pearson would get into Foster, spinning him into the infield. The 53 wouldn't be damaged, but the tyres had suffered badly in the spin and there were no more in the shed.
This left Carroll-Walden out front to lead the remaining laps from Martin and Dyson while Urquijo and Michelmore would have an intense dogfight over fourth. “JCW” would eventually lead Martin home by 1.8 seconds, with the new champion Dyson running third. Urquijo would just hold off Michelmore for fourth, with Foster sixth ahead of Pearson, with Hetterscheid, Douglas and Neale completing the top ten.
So with that ends a compelling Chase and a brilliant season. Outside of a dramatic final race with more twists than bag of Twisties, a new champion and a veteran grabbing a last gasp win, we had ten different drivers go to victory lane in total. Add to this several drivers showing huge improvement throughout the season, it would be hard to find someone who could not draw positives from their year. With a brand new race car added to the mix, 2022 will be a season to remember.
2023 will bring with it some fresh challenges as the ANZCAR Cup continues its growth. Drivers intending to run the full schedule should keep their eyes open for information on the new charter system being released soon.
Stewards Report
Incidents
Lap 20 - Phillip Worley
Lap 25 - Jaiden Russell
Lap 30 - Luke Trahair
Lap 36 - Luke Trahair
Lap 71 - Josh Michelmore
Lap 93 - Ruben Phelps
Lap 119 - Noddy Tompkins
Lap 126 - Matthew Raymond
Lap 132 - Paul Jackson
Restart Infringements
Lap 23 - Noddy Tompkins - Lane Change
Lap 29 - Noddy Tompkins - Lagging Behind
Lap 29 - Phillip Worley - Lagging Behind
