POWER RANKINGS: ESERIES ROUND 8
ONCE AGAIN there was plenty to take in from the eighth round of the BP Supercars All Stars ESeries, with plenty to like and plenty of things to make you go ‘hmm…’. All that in the TRT Power Rankings, powered by Yellow Cover!
WORDS: Richard Craill, Mark Walker, Dale Rodgers, Tony Schibeci, Social Contributors
IMAGES: Supercars
Just two weeks to go now and then we go back to some real racing.. which will be fun. In the meantime.. start with Hot and read on!
HOT
1. SVG v SCOTT
Race 3 battle for the win was an absolute beauty.
McLaughlin posted ‘This is how you race for the lead… good times, well done SVG!’ It was fantastic to watch, but even better was Fabian Coulthard’s response ‘They don’t race like that down the back!!’
What a pass! That had us on the edge of our seats ? #VASC pic.twitter.com/LanCHjWGLa
— Supercars (@supercars) May 27, 2020
2. GT IN COMMENTARY
Seems Gather Tander did not mind jumping on a jet to go to Sydney while old mate Skaifey stays in Melbourne and bemoans the pubs are not open. Garth is cementing himself as a real media star. He is insightful on commentary and is developing a really quick turn of phrase. More, please.
Crompo and GT should commentate everything from now on #VASC
— Nims Azoor (@docnims) May 27, 2020
3. IMPROVEMENT
A back-to-back trip to Phillip Island offered up a chance to see the relative improvement from drivers in eight weeks of sim racing. The result? Some, like Jamie Whincup, were a full 1.5 seconds quicker than they were back in April.. Impressive.
Plus, how good are Lee Holdsworth and Dave Reynolds going now? Very nicely.
4. TWEEKS TO MACHINE… AND MAN
The simulator improvements have been a big story of the Eseries – but how about the drivers tuning themselves up. Scotty’s blue screen glasses a good move to fight off headaches caused from excess screen time..
@smclaughlin93 trying out a new look#vasc pic.twitter.com/paBxluFnA3
— Shane CAPTAIN TRIPS b (@ShaneB19) May 27, 2020
I knew I’d seen @smclaughlin93 glasses before. #Eseries #iRacing #VASC @chadneylon pic.twitter.com/aocb5MvKNA
— ?FormOnePlanet? (@GibboPK) May 27, 2020
5. PHILLIP ISLAND
IT’S a great track and much better the second time around in Eseries.
I understand why the voters decided to go to PI. The chips and dimmies combo at the tuck shop is pretty damn good #VASC
— Here Be Branners (@philbranagan) May 27, 2020
6. RACE 1 FINISH
It’s going to go down to the wire again between @shanevg97 and @A_DePasquale #VASC pic.twitter.com/c6MswODABX
— Supercars (@supercars) May 27, 2020
7. INTERLAGOS
GREAT track and love that they can take the mickey with track limits and get on with it.
8. BELIEBER
James Golding. Good to see Bieber back and he did a ripper job. Great strategy call in Race 3 played him right in to contention. This is the sort of Wildcard that makes sense.
NOT
1. HORROR FOR GAZ
Garry Jacobson has been, and this has not been said very often, an absolute star of the Eseries to date, with a series of outstanding performances in his Yellow Cover Commodore.
Wednesday night, however, did not go well. At all.
Didn’t go our way tonight. Power surge fried the pc and the steering wheel. thanks to all who tried to help ? #VASC pic.twitter.com/ZLsuBWgdlo
— Garry Jacobson (@GarryJacobson) May 27, 2020
2. NO PODIUMS FOR TEAM SYDNEY / 18 YET
Though ring-in James Golding did a good job at Interlagos. As for Team Sydney, we wrote this item before the race expecting it to continue. They’re trying hard..
3. WINNING FRIENDS
If you’re the new guy, racing your heroes, probably don’t take said heroes out.
What a Bunnings Powerpass that was!?#VASC pic.twitter.com/5WobdjWNvh
— SupercarsMaster (@SupercarsMaster) May 27, 2020
4. KELLY RACING BLOWS IT
NOT the right strategy call, here..
5. FABS CHANNELING FRENCHY & COURTNEY
Honda crashes are realistic in iRacing. *Cue bowling ball hitting skittles sound*
A few blokes worse for wear after that one! ? #VASC pic.twitter.com/HBkJAazjT2
— Supercars (@supercars) May 27, 2020
6. REVERSE GRID START
To be fair, they are getting better. Although..
.@VodafoneAU Safety car inbound… #VASC pic.twitter.com/EGgVfhmI5S
— Supercars (@supercars) May 27, 2020
7. PHILLIP ISLAND WASN’T AN OVAL
More ovals are coming, but we don’t want to wait a week. Charlotte was just too bloody good.
BRING BACK THE OVALS BRING BACK THE OVALS !! #vasc #eseries @Fox_Motorsport #supercars #allstarseries
— Terry Welch (@samartan) May 27, 2020
HOT – Scott Pyes debrief
— Shane CAPTAIN TRIPS b (@ShaneB19) May 27, 2020
NOT – Track Choice , yeah i know it was a fan poll but we all raved about ovals last week and we end up going to a repeat track ??…
8. WE NEED ANOTHER GUN WILDCARD
With the greatest respect in the world to Fawzan El-Nabi, the series hasn’t quite nailed the wildcard lately in the same way that Verstappen, especially, and Lando initially moved the proverbial needle. Lets hope that a Nascar star (Dale Jr, surely, has to be a chance) can jump in for the oval next week.
9. THIS GUY HAS A POINT
Hot: the idea of a fan poll to pick a track
— Motorsport Matty (@motorsportmatty) May 27, 2020
Not: Giving fans 3 repeat tracks to choose from
10. AND SO DOES THIS GUY
Hot: that PI race!
— FormulaFish15 (@FormulaFish15) May 27, 2020
Not: James Courtney’s late race antics in the reverse grid race, which, if misjudged, could have ended Shane or Scotty’s races…
WHAT
CONSPIRACY THEORY
SVG ring in? Why is he never on the video stream? Is it really his cat driving?
It’s not him apparently ??? https://t.co/LPrg6MStOH
— Craig Baird MNZM (@cbairdo) May 27, 2020
PI PIT LANE
How come they can use the MotoGP (i.e. safe) pit exit in iRacing but in the real world they use the normal exit that bleeds right into the racing line (i.e. Unsafe)?
GRAHAM
Would have been Hot, but Chad noted that it was probably ‘What’ worthy. Didn’t make ‘Not’ because the broadcast is most certainly not going to the proverbial dogs.
The ‘Dog a Thon’ continues and Graham the new star according to Crompo. “Carpet with eyes……”
Mandatory BP Eseries pet update ? #VASC pic.twitter.com/qvDBuFUznO
— Supercars (@supercars) May 27, 2020
THIS GUY ALSO MAKES A REASONABLE POINT
Unless a circuit is physically blocked (and even then they can just reset to pits), safety cars in an Eseries are ridiculous – even more so when we have time certain finishes! #VASC
— Ed Greenhalgh (@ed24f1) May 27, 2020
TWEETS
PRECIOUS MEMORIES
Now, we cross to Phillip Island to set the grid for #VASC #Eseries Race 24. Last time here, we saw the ‘Kelly-Copter’ as @rickkelly flipped the virtual @KellyRacingAus #Mustang on Gardner Straight. Follow on @Fox_Motorsport @skysportnz @kayosports #tenplay or @Twitch pic.twitter.com/dX19y1Xnly
— Ford Australia (@FordAustralia) May 27, 2020
I sleep in a racing car, do you?
Rick Kelly back in his big boy bed again #VASC #eSausage
— not a virologist (@DrYobbo) May 27, 2020
Shunt
Reverse grid time! #VASC pic.twitter.com/C1yFwx9ASI
— Shell V-Power Racing (@DJRTeamPenske) May 27, 2020
Funny Race
That’s why there should be a fun race at the end of the night. Stadium trucks or Minis, something silly to get revenge and break any tension. #Eseries #iRacing #VASC @supercars @chadneylon
— ?FormOnePlanet? (@GibboPK) May 27, 2020
It Can W8 M8
Texting whilst on the grid, not something you see every day ? #VASC pic.twitter.com/c8NDPfnzZb
— Supercars (@supercars) May 27, 2020
More Graham by popular request.
Graham, for a dog’s name? Surely there’s a story behind that.#VASC
— Samuel Lockhart (@LloydGSR) May 27, 2020
MEME
Richard Craill (administrator)
Working full time in the motorsport industry since 2004, Richard has established himself within the group of Australia’s core motorsport broadcasters, covering the support card at the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix for Channel 10, the Bathurst 12 Hour for Channel 7 and Porsche Carrera Cup & Touring Car Masters for FOX Sports’ Supercars coverage. Pretends to be a PR guy / Journalist and sometimes photographer to make ends meet when not yelling at a television in a padded room.
