POWER RANKINGS: TOWNSVILLE 1.0
JAMIE WHINCUP back to his absolute peak we can understand.. but the Shell Fords struggling for one-lap pace? McLaughlin qualifying outside the Top One? No Lex Kelly on the TV? There was sure some mad stuff going on in the Tropical North of Queensland.
WORDS: Richard Craill / Mark Walker / Dale Rodgers / Tony Schibeci / Social Contributors
IMAGES: Mark Hosburgh / Supercars
THIS WEEK brings yet another big dose of the TRT Power Rankings, this time from Townsville. We’re lucky we had 10 weeks of ESeries (Remember that?) to practice for this whole week-by-week stuff. It’s gruelling.
Anyway, as always we start with what rose to the top in Townsville last weekend and as always, it was the cream..
HOT
1. JAMIE WHINCUP
TO THINK that earlier this year people were saying that COVID-19 may prolong his career? What will prolong his career is the scintillating form in which he finds himself. Cut a chunk out of points out of McLaughlin this weekend, looks as good as he ever has and what’s more his Townsville strike rate is incredible. What track do we go back to next weekend? There’s nothing sheepish about the GOAT this year. Game on.
Jamie Whincup and the Townsville street circuit, still a better love story than Twilight #VASC
— Oliver Caffrey (@ollycaffrey) August 30, 2020
2. TOWNSVILLE TIN TOPS
WHAT a genius idea this turned out to be. Easy to be sceptical about seven different categories mashed together, but in the end turned out to be utterly excellent. The varied performance between cars was super and the diversity great. Most of all, hugely entertaining, competitive racing.
Big tick, and one endorsed by our social community as well.
2020 sure is a strange year… ?#TripleEight pic.twitter.com/H92g73pFTR
— Triple Eight Race Engineering (@tripleeightaus) August 29, 2020
The ‘Tin tops’ are amazingly entertaining. #VASC
— Mat ?? (@Simmo99_) August 29, 2020
Maaate how good is this mixed class tonight tops ! #VASC
— mark mark mk 2 (@theLOGICALman) August 29, 2020
The Townsville Tintops #VASC support races are very entertaining. I assume that the placegetters will win either a meat tray, a slab of full-strength or both
— Here Be Branners (@philbranagan) August 29, 2020
This is a really great idea for a support category in the current circumstances #VASC
— Motorsport Matty (@motorsportmatty) August 29, 2020
Whoever came up with the idea of the Townsville Tin Tops category – take a bow. This is brilliant! #VASC
— Nims Azoor (@docnims) August 29, 2020
Oh haha it literally is. #vasc
— Coronalert, not Coronalarmed Keating (@D_Keating) August 29, 2020
3. WATERS
CAM WATERS was firing on the weekend and you get the feeling Tickford are gradually engineering themselves into being proper contenders every weekend from here on in.. but this was the kind of team-leading performance that everyone has been looking for from Cam. 2nd, 4th and 2nd are great results and running with McLaughlin shows how close it is.
4. QUALIFYING
WE have been quite clear about our lack of affection for the knockout qualifying into top 15 shootout format. How refreshing, then, to have the ‘old’ system back this weekend? The second part of qualifying is SO MUCH MORE INTENSE when they’re trying to get 10 cars through to the shootout. It’s much, much better.
This quick-fire Q1-Q2-TTSO within 45 mins total is much better than the Qual format from previous rounds. I like this. #vasc
— Jono Beikoff (@JonoBeikoff) August 29, 2020
6. NEW CAMERAS
SUPERCARS media always innovate and it’s not like a pandemic to stop it. The new aerial camera at turn one was a cool addition and the added use of the low-down in ground / in wall cameras was awesome, given how close the grid was. Nice to have the chopper back too. Superb, as always.
7. PITHER
PUNCHED well above his weight on the weekend and is, we reckon, quietly achieving well above the machinery he has.
This guy… again! Bloody good job @ChrisPither! #VASC pic.twitter.com/qzHyUfY3C2
— Supercars Argentina (@SupercarsAr) August 29, 2020
World championship for 10th place! How good. I reckon Pither has driven really, really well this year given the tools he has at his disposal. #VASC
— Richard Craill (@Craillsy) August 29, 2020
8. McLAUGHLIN COMEBACK
ON A rare weekend where his team struggled for one-lap pace, especially, it’s the mark of a champion team in coming back from that to win the final race the way they did. Big comeback. Triple Eight won the first Darwin weekend, too..
The champ strikes back! ? @smclaughlin93 takes @ARMORALLAusNZ Pole Position for Race 21! #VASC pic.twitter.com/a5r96gs1cm
— Supercars (@supercars) August 30, 2020
9. TEAMS CHAMPIONSHIP
THIS has the potential to be VERY, very spicy by the time we get to Mount Fulladrama in October. Nothing in it between Triple Eight and DJR Team Penske at the moment, and while Whincup and McLaughlin are leading the way you get the feeling that it will be the performances of cars 12 and 97, respectively, that will probably dictate the outcome of this.
10. TEAM 18 / PYE
ON pure race performance Scotty Pye probably has one of the quicker cars on the grid at the moment. If they can fix their one-lap pace in Qualifying there’s a good chance they contend for wins at every race from here on in.
BONUS HOT:
CERTAINTY IN 2020
THE Calendar is locked in and we know when and where we go racing for the remainder of the Supercars championship – and Victorian families know when their other halves can get home. In the most uncertain year ever, certainty is a good thing. Couldn’t get more hotter-er.
WHAT?
CHAZ’S TWIN
SPOOKY, Isn’t it..
So sick seeing you guys in @FollowWAU Merch and my @oakley’s! ? Love the support ??#Mozzie25 #VASC pic.twitter.com/UDlhxfSMyr
— Chaz Mostert (@chazmozzie) August 29, 2020
LARKO’S GEN III PLAN
EVER the optimist, Mark Larkham has a solid plan for the next-gen Supercars, as he demonstrated here:
NOT
1. WHERE’S LEX??
WITHOUT question, nor shadow of doubt this was the number one ‘Not’ from the weekend with the TRT community voicing en-masse that his absence from our screens across the weekend was a massive loss for the sport, neigh, the world.
However, we can confirm Supercars have entered into negotiations with Lex’s Management for a forthcoming return. Lets hope..
Hot – continued good form of Pye, needs better qualifying car
— Paula Alexander (@PAlexander298) August 30, 2020
Hazelwood qualy and race result not to mention how good his car looks
Not – Coulthard – how is his car never as good?
Mosterts phantom flat tyre – what's that about?
No Lex ?
Hot:
— Fiona (@feefeespeaks) August 30, 2020
Chaz in form, his Saturday interview with the booth “Mozzie Weather Report” great banter!
BJR’s Sunday!
Not:
Where was Lex??
Missing Murph
Hot – finally some racing where the leaders actually had to fight! Good mix up of drivers featured at the front of the grid too! Hazelwood P5 in quali today, Fullwood making the T10 shootout on Sat was great to see!
— Em (@hufflepuffcrazy) August 30, 2020
Not – lack of Lex Kelly.
2. RACE 19 START SHUNT
FAR from ideal given the conditions, but Turn 2 at Townsville tends to bite, and it sure did when Race 19 got underway..
Bairdo is going to have his work cut out with this one ? #VASC pic.twitter.com/60tvlNCF6z
— Supercars (@supercars) August 29, 2020
faaaark. what a balls up… #Vasc
— Masked Avenger (@supergrover4) August 29, 2020
I told ya https://t.co/lOJFZhAOxM
— Scott McLaughlin (@smclaughlin93) August 29, 2020
3. JAMIES RADIO / PENALTY
AWKWARD issue for J-Dub on Saturday that caused him to go around again and miss parking up at the podium. Copped a fine for his efforts, too, which is just a bit silly what with the extenuating circumstances and everything. Still, play on..
I don't think you're gonna like the stewards report, Perko… #VASC https://t.co/iXUhcP5eDY
— Andrew van Leeuwen (@avlmelbourne) August 29, 2020
4. SVG STRUGGLES
CARVED some people up as he does but otherwise this was a very odd weekend for SVG. 19th, 3rd and 8th were very off kilter for the Kiwi and indeed Triple Eight, who usually get it right with both cars. But while Whincup sped ahead, Shane struggled and have up plenty of points to his teammate and, for that matter, everyone else. Only 5 podiums from 17 (actual) races this season and yet to win – it’s a very strange one for SVG so far.
5. MOSTERT TYRE
UNLUCKY moment for Chaz who was otherwise firing all weekend, who only held on to third in the championship by the fact that van Gisbergen had such a quiet race as well. WAU seem there or thereabouts nowadays, but it’s the inconsistency like this (even though it was no fault of their own) stopping them from stringing together a very, very good weekend – as opposed to a good one.
6. DJRTP QUALIFYING
JUST.. WHAT? When do you ever see both Red Mustang’s so far down the field, so often, in the same weekend?
Made a mistake, start P16, accept that, eyes forward, bring on the race! #1743 #VASC pic.twitter.com/yhVhfSk5aN
— Scott McLaughlin (@smclaughlin93) August 29, 2020
7. FABIAN STRUGGLES
MORE struggles on the Car 12 side of the garage over the weekend. 4th in Race 19 was just the third time this season Fabian finished in front of McLaughlin this season, but then 15th and 17th in the two Sunday races were mystifying and after what seemed like a turnaround in from across both Darwin weekends, this felt like a step back. 9th in points is not going to be enough for his team to take the Team’s title this year, regardless of what McLaughlin does out in front.
8. BJR’S SATURDAY
HAVING a bit of a bipolar year, the Albury boys and sometimes they must wonder what on earth they have done to deserve the whack’s they’re getting. And just after their drivers end up with damage and in the fence, Nick Percat drops an engine, and Brad has to get out the cheque book again. Fortunately, they’re still fast..
9. FORD LOGO ON CAR 17
HOW on earth did this get though? Roger Penske must have nightmares over stuff like this.
Big ups to McLaughlin for the win, but whoever applied the off-centre Ford insignia sticker on the front splitter has seriously triggered my OCD #VASC pic.twitter.com/IggcW77Dmr
— James Pavey (@jamespavey_) August 30, 2020
10. KELLY RACING
Two Kelly Racing Mustangs heading for the pits after Race 1 on Lap 1 with damage. This team is doing so much work to get up to speed with the Ford Mustang and this was a very tough break.
BIG CALL
Everytime Chaz GOAT Mostert gets a podium I will change my Xbox Profile pic to a shot of Mostert having champange in his face #VASC pic.twitter.com/cRLKkAHSyw
— Mitchie950 (@Mitchie950) August 29, 2020
GOAT CHAT
Absolutely love Jamie Whincup casually just having a yarn to old mate at the podium – followed by the “ooh crap. Sorry mate, I gotta run” to pick up the silverware ?? #VASC
— Nims Azoor (@docnims) August 30, 2020
Good weekend for @redbullholden!! pic.twitter.com/ylfCyNj7lr
GOAT BURN
So not only can Whincup not see yellow lights on a safety car, he also can’t see a checkered flag. Surely Roland’s working on a SpecSavers naming rights deal. #VASC
— Dan Owen (@dano606) August 29, 2020
SHEEP MEH
"Jamie, Scott is dominating the championship.."
— Richard Craill (@Craillsy) August 29, 2020
Jamie: #VASC pic.twitter.com/u0mGuhl2YM
BACK FOR MORE!
Daffodils #vasc
— Aaron Zerefos (@AaronZerefos) August 29, 2020
WE’RE JEALOUS OF SHIRLEY
A perfectly timed selfie at the V8s…and a perfectly relaxing weekend!! #VASC pic.twitter.com/fX0SVOBKtr
— Shirley Bailey (@shirllbailey) August 29, 2020
TYRE CREAM
Tyres at the ends of the race #vasc pic.twitter.com/ENZ23dDLrA
— Riana Crehan (@rianacrehan) August 30, 2020