Team TRTCaltex Power Rankings: Adelaide 500
With thanks to our friends at Caltex, let’s give the Adelaide 500 the full HOT, NOT and WHAT treatment. And wowee, isn’t there a lot of things to rank from that one…
ABOUT THE RANKINGS: The TRT Power Rankings are compiled by your nominations from social media and edited by the TRT editorial team. They’re designed to give a balanced, as fair as possible critical overview of those things that excelled and those things that struggled, at each event. It’s (mostly) a democracy, and what you nominate generates the order, so have your say next event via our social media channels, @theracetorque on Facebook, Twitter and Insta. Look for the call out each evening and get commenting!
HOT
1. The Adelaide 500 is BACK
The event wobbled and waned a bit before being benched due to “COVID”, but this weekend, the event well and truly returned to form. It was completely impressive by absolutely any measure. Access around the precinct was much improved, the sideshows and attractions were big, the concerts massive, and the racing product the perfect mix of classes.
For instance, who knew we needed a Freestyle BMX Olympic qualifying event alongside the Supercars. But it happened, and it was awesome.
Zero complaints, would recommend, the 2024 edition has a bit on beating that…
2. Brodie Kostecki/Erebus Motorsport
What can you say? The underdogs bloody well did it. When they rolled out at the start of the year and were quick, we wondered if they had the ability to maintain the rage. But rage they did.
When a flock of Kosteckis arrived on the scene a few years ago, those in the know noted that the one in the old unloved Falcon was the pick of the litter, and boy, he didn’t disappoint. He arrived front of mind with a gutsy drive in the 2020 Bathurst 1000, where he absolutely stuck it to the big dogs, and the subsequent three years have flown by. Let’s not forget that he only broke through for his maiden Supercars main-game win at the start of this season.
Then there’s Erebus Motorsport. Betty had been around motorsport for a spell before she made a major big buck splash a decade ago with her Mercedes in a class where anything other than the hot rod Volvos had a genuine look in. It’s been a heck of a rollercoaster ride since, including a win in the Bathurst 1000. Her plucky group of misfits punched above in season 2023 in chalking one up for the ‘privateers’, with the sport being a better place with their presence.
3. Matt Payne
Is this the beginning of something big? The young Kiwi ace thoroughly smoked the field on Sunday to win the trophy race. A big, BIG result.
4. Cam Waters
A monster Saturday skid to celebrate victory in the Ken Block special was incredibly fitting.
5. Ford
Nowhere for 10 rounds, had the parity kitchen sink thrown at the Mustang, then dominated Adelaide after a tight Gold Coast battle. Sure, Will Brown and Shane van Gisbergen were out early on Saturday, and Brodie Kostecki was hard into the cruise and collect mode, but the Blue Oval dominated with a top-four sweep, and Payne put a number on everyone Sunday.
It will be interesting to see what comes from prospective off-season parity resets.
6. Shootouts
When all of the cars are essentially the same, it transpires that qualifying can be quite close.
Take for instance the Saturday shootout, where Brodie Kostecki beat David Reynolds by 0.0090sec, who edged out Tom Randle by 0.0008sec.
Sunday was a case of rinse and repeat.
Bloody hell that’s hot…
7. Grove Racing
Came home with a thoroughly wet sail to round out the season. How will Richie Stanaway fit in next year after claiming the Bathurst 1000? Will the floodgates open for Payne? There’s a lot of potential in this squad; watch this space…
8. Tickford Racing
In line with the rise in Ford’s fortunes, the Tickford crew have come out swinging. The combination of Cam Waters/Thomas Randle, with all of the focus and resources squarely behind those entries in 2024, is a spicy prospect.
9. Chaz Mostert
A pair of fourths gave fourth in the final points and first Ford home. Solid.
10. Going Full Super 2
You may notice that Going Full Super 2 gets two gigs in this Caltex Power Rankings: one is HOT, the other is NOT. The HOT version is when the racing is 110% batshit crazy, the NOT version is when stuff gets unnecessarily torn up.
FURTHER HOTS
Carrera Cup
Amazing action throughout the weekend.
Liveries
A couple of bangers from opposing sides of the spectrum came at us for the finale, and we are absolutely here for both. Firstly, the Brad Jones Racing Pizza Hut entry – they’ve wheeled out a few goodies this year, with the design, as crayoned by 10-year-old Grace, thoroughly covering the pre-event headlines.
Then, good old conservative Monster, who you can set your watch to having a green M on a matte black Ford, rolled out with an awesome Ken Block tribute.
Note to the rest of the paddock – do things like this, and people will pay attention to you.
Brad Jones Racing
Third in the team’s championship is a huge result for a very solid season.
Concerts
Holy smokes. Massive crowds, hugely impressive, and mega performances.
F35
On one hand, we can sleep better at night knowing that we have this beast at our disposal.
On the other hand, we can’t sleep at all due to the persistent ear ringing…
Kai Allan
Overcame his Adelaide hoodoo to seal the title. Write that name down for future reference…
Big Rebuilds
Wasn’t this car supposed to hard to repair? The teams pulled some big ones to get multiple racers back on circuit, especially Cam Hill after his mega shunt.
Big Stats
Richard Childress
It’s not every day that you have a NASCAR Hall of Famer attend your event, but then again, it’s not every day that your driver wins his first Supercars title.
Larko
Remains a national treasure, never change.
Ryan Hansford Escape
Smashed the fence at turn eight on Sunday, kept racing. That’s Torana tough…
Cameron Tilley Resurrection
An excellent job to rebuild the TCM Valiant after early weekend dramas.
LITERALLY HOT
Mark Horsborough’s Big Birthday
Somehow, this beautiful specimen of a human being has turned 60, which we believe is a lie. The picture on his cake was taken last year. They don’t build them like that any more…
WHAT
Formal headwear, Adelaide Style
Not now, ducks…
This is standard commentary stuff
JB’s everywhere!
C’mon…
Whoah
Peak Reynolds
Also, did Craig Lowndes give him his kid back?
NOT
1. Race One Start
Ugh. With the title still somewhat on the line, the first lap coming together between Anton De Pasquale and Will Brown, who collected the fence before being drop punted by the unsighted van Gisbergen, sucked the life and a lot of interest out of the weekend. It just wasn’t the weekend for title deciders to play out properly…
2. Shane van Gisbergen
A double DNF was the way the champ was supposed to bow out. Voted the most popular driver, his legion of fans were denied the opportunity to say goodbye on the race track. Sad.
3. Carrera Cup Decider
Like Supercars, the finale for the Porsches was a disappointment. With nothing between Callum Hedge and Jackson Walls, Walls wound up in the Senna Chicane wall on the opening lap.
4. Cam Hill Sunday Qualifying
Huge stack, the one big one for Supercars at turn eight for the weekend.
5. Going full Super 2/3
When Going Full Super2 goes too far, it is a NOT.
6. Zak Best Saturday Penalty
Costly in the scheme of things, 15sec was big, and changed the course of the weekend.
7. JLB’s Sunday
Fenced after an entangling with Nick Percat. Ultimately cost the Matt Stone Racing driver a possible top-ten in the title chase.
8. Danny Buzadvic
A jammed throttle jammed the once pristine Torana hard into the Senna Chicane fence. Ugly stuff.
9. The Bureau of Meteorology
While it would be easy to NOT Thursday’s weather, the first decent rain in Adelaide since September, we’re chucking the BoM under the bus for completely botching the forecast. It rained persistently all day on Thursday, which appeared to be the forecast for Friday. On Sunday, there was a zero per cent chance of rain, but there was definitely precipitation.
10. Pitlane Biffo
Not.
OTHER NOTS
Drugs at the racetrack?
Seriously, who goes to the racetrack to take drugs?
Adrian Cottrell roll at turn six
They got the buff out, and it was good to go later in the weekend.
Rocks at turn one
The end of the runoff at turn one features a liberal coating of large river pebbles, which when hit by errant race cars sprayed right through the adjacent corporate facilities. Sure in 2023, we can do better than that? You don’t go to the race track to get your eye poked out…
S5000
Fell a bit flat with multiple safety car appearances punctuating proceedings. Sad for the finale to end under yellows.
Ryan Hansford
Dropped it from the lead on the last lap of race one.
Simon Fallon Shunt
Early in the weekend in the wet at turn eight, sidelined for the weekend.
Porsche Stack
Not waving the chequered flag at the end of the race
…is a hard not.
Programming Problems
Overall, the schedule was very good, there was lots happening and plenty to see. Although the Supercars schedule was somewhat spread thin over Thursday and Friday.
Smoothing out the Senna Chicane
With the new layer of blacktop installed last year, especially in the Main Game, there was a distinct lack of cars being spectacularly launched into the air. Bring back the olden days…
TWEET
New job bants
Nope
We can’t caption that…
But wait, there’s more…
It’s the place with the balls
Meanwhile, not in Adelaide
Pass
Cya Jack
Six and Out
@marmalade_aus Playing cricket at the Adelaide 500 #cricket #v8supercars #adelaide500 ♬ original sound – Marmalade
There was hype
MEME
