07/11/2023
Australasian Supercar eSeries Season 7
Round 10 brought us back to the iconic 1.5-mile Oval of Charlotte Motor Speedway.
In qualifying, it was Adam Malone who secured the pole position, and he was joined on the front row by the ever-competitive Troy Davidson. The 2nd row was occupied by the formidable Garry Wellman and the tenacious Chris Finlay. The 3rd row had Kym Roffey joined by Darren McKenzie.
The early stages of the race saw Malone setting a blistering pace while the pack behind him battled two-wide, trying to find their rhythm. However, just as things were heating up, the race's first caution flag flew on lap 6, interrupting their charge to the front. It appeared that the cars were a handful in the early going, struggling to get their tires up to the right temperature.
With the exception of the front two, the rest of the field opted to pit for a quick fuel top-up during the caution period. On the restart, Malone and McKenzie led the way, maintaining control at the front as the other drivers settled into single-file racing for the top 10 positions.
Several drivers attempted to make the high line work, but it wasn't until lap 19 when Justin Whitcher decided to give it a go from 9th position. By lap 24, he had made his way into the top 3, only to fall victim to a dreaded "net code" issue between 2 other drivers, causing a pileup that involved several front runners, including Whitcher.
The pit road saw a flurry of activity with drivers seeking repairs, fuel, and fresh tires. Aiden Schultz would lead the field to the next restart, but an unfortunate incident involving contact with Kayd Donnelly led to a chain reaction wreck, inflicting massive damage on Schultz, Donnelly, and Malone. Craig Roffey, a contender for the series championship, narrowly escaped a stationary car in the chaos.
Peter Mattson briefly led after the next race restart but was soon overtaken by Garry Wellman and Tom Pritchard, who traded the lead position. On lap 42, Andy Barber, who had started the race from the 23rd position had done his best Cole Trickle impression and “Dropped the Hammer” taking over the lead of the race. The front rows engaged in tough side-by-side racing.
Troy Davidson's streak of bad luck continued as he slowed down to avoid a car recovering from a half-spin, only to be hit from behind, resulting in damage. Once again, all drivers made their way to pit road for necessary supplies.
Whitcher led the next restart and engaged in a fierce side-by-side battle with Todd Maxfield for nearly 30 laps. The field stacked up side-by-side behind them, making for an intense spectacle. Just as the drivers were gearing up for green flag pit stops, another caution emerged. With the final required pit stop needed for the night done and dusted, it was Parry Anastakis of Rogue Sim Sports leading the restart, with Craig Roffey now alongside him in the outside lane.
The racing that followed was nothing short of fascinating, as the Simbois, Maxfield and Wellman, controlled the front, while C. Roffey battled tenaciously for several laps, trying to figure out a way around their tactic. At times, C. Roffey managed to make it three-wide in the middle but had to back off to avoid contact, resulting in a tightly packed field vying for position. Maxfield left a brief opening, and Roffey seized the opportunity to pass. However, Maxfield swiftly reclaimed his position, leading to an exciting cat-and-mouse battle.
Another caution brought the race to a restart with just 14 laps to go. Maxfield and Barber led the lines after opting not to pit during this caution. Once again, Maxfield and Wellman executed their strategy perfectly up front, but Whitcher decided to go three-wide, making it work for a few laps before contact with the outside wall on the exit of the Tri-Oval forced him into contact with Wellman, ending the night for both drivers and setting up a green-white-checkered finish.
The final two laps delivered a thrilling battle among the top five cars, but it was Barber who found the perfect run off turn 4, securing the victory. Maxfield claimed 2nd place, and Koby Jordan also managed a brilliant run off turn 4 to sn**ch 3rd place in an action-packed finish.
Next week, the drivers head to the Classic Daytona Super Speedway for 100 laps with the championship on the line!!
Race Details:
135 Laps
7 cautions for 28 laps
41 Lead Changes
1: Andy Barber
2: Todd Maxfield
3: Koby Jordan
4: Craig Roffey
5: Adam Johnson
6: Tim Blundell
7: Kym Roffey
8: Parry Anastakis
9: Noddy Tompkins
10: Peter Mattson
To watch a replay of the live race broadcast head here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JqM33XQLGg
Australasian supercar eSeries
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Hot Toddys
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RKJ Web Services
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United Electrical Solutions
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Whitcher Electrix
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