Of Marcos, SVG and The "Best EVAH!"-V-8s

[NismoZ]

Been a long season...with a rather horrid finish, if you didn't have a wet suit or maybe a periscope. "Rain" doesn't really describe it...more like "DELUGE Racing" in Sydney. What tire tread/compound would be 2 or 3 beyond "full wets"? Jamie Whincup wins races 36 & 37, putting an exclamation point to an already locked-up SIXTH Aussie V-8 Supercar Championship. Being called "The Best Ever"...Team Red Bull, go figure.:\ Marcos nets a 20th, 21st and a 16th in his first weekend back. Says "I have a lot to learn." Shane Van Gisbergen puts his incredible rain/deluge skills to use by finishing 6-2 & 1 and finally dragging down 2nd place in the season standings. Hearing BIG changes coming to the series, hope it/they work out...but looks pretty drastic.

[opinionated ow]

V8 Supercars brought it on themselves...it doesn't take a genius to predict late afternoon thunderstorms in Sydney in December! Also, they don't have a monsoon wet. Whincup is the best by far. New rules are essentially the same really. From 2017 you will be allowed to run engines other than V8s but the power outputs will be micromanaged for 'parity.' The other change is the car doesn't have to have four doors but must have two back seats. Chassis is the same, same aero testing for 'parity.'

In case you haven't worked it out I hate the word parity :p

[SteveH]

Will be interesting to see how Penske eventually does in this series. I just read where he sent Jeff Swartwought who ran his Porshce ALMS team to AUS to run the team.

[NismoZ]

Yes, I know "OW" doesn't stand for "Taxi Cab":D...BUT...being a million miles away "over HERE", I have to look for good examples of real, entertaining, road and street racing, with excellent teams AND drivers, wherever I can FIND them! (...and finding the V-8s is harder than ever with moronic TV decisions lately:irked:) I haven't missed any NASCAR (on TV) ROAD races since the days of Rusty Wallace and Team Penske proving to everyone what REAL driving is all about. (Penske NEVER hires drivers who can't road race! Fires them for OTHER reasons.:)) Recent SC races at Watkins Glen with Marcos and Kaselowski and Lagano and AJ were fabulous...SO much more entertaining than watching a pack of 20-30 droning around a high bank at 200+. I am also aware of how many here lean more toward "unobtainable" racing than "parity" BUT:D...I'd rather see better DRIVING lead to better results than better results obtained by better cars. Just me...I'm a real techno-feeb. See, I remember the days when an acid-dipping, wind-tunnel and an extra-tall refueling rig using Team Penske, then Turbo Porsches and 4wd turbo Audi's ruined Trans Am. Sure, among other things. Can Am? Fabulous, but a 2 car "race" for YEARS! The Bruce and Denny show and Penske's Porsche Panzers. Usually the best drivers, too. Not much of a contest. More of a show than racing, in retrospect. KNOWING who would win before you went to the race wasn't exactly the main attraction. So... ANYway...when a KIWI wins the V-8 title next year I think I'll know why...especially if it rains...OFTEN!:D

[opinionated ow]

Yes, I know "OW" doesn't stand for "Taxi Cab":D...BUT...being a million miles away "over HERE", I have to look for good examples of real, entertaining, road and street racing, with excellent teams AND drivers, wherever I can FIND them! (...and finding the V-8s is harder than ever with moronic TV decisions lately:irked:) I haven't missed any NASCAR (on TV) ROAD races since the days of Rusty Wallace and Team Penske proving to everyone what REAL driving is all about. (Penske NEVER hires drivers who can't road race! Fires them for OTHER reasons.:)) Recent SC races at Watkins Glen with Marcos and Kaselowski and Lagano and AJ were fabulous...SO much more entertaining than watching a pack of 20-30 droning around a high bank at 200+. I am also aware of how many here lean more toward "unobtainable" racing than "parity" BUT:D...I'd rather see better DRIVING lead to better results than better results obtained by better cars. Just me...I'm a real techno-feeb. See, I remember the days when an acid-dipping, wind-tunnel and an extra-tall refueling rig using Team Penske, then Turbo Porsches and 4wd turbo Audi's ruined Trans Am. Sure, among other things. Can Am? Fabulous, but a 2 car "race" for YEARS! The Bruce and Denny show and Penske's Porsche Panzers. Usually the best drivers, too. Not much of a contest. More of a show than racing, in retrospect. KNOWING who would win before you went to the race wasn't exactly the main attraction. So... ANYway...when a KIWI wins the V-8 title next year I think I'll know why...especially if it rains...OFTEN!:D

If a kiwi wins next year it'll be Scott McLaughlin :p

(kiwis have won before too...Jim Richards & Robbie Francevic have done so. Allan Moffatt too, he's a Canadian).

What I pine for in Touring Car racing is something between WTCC and the old Super Touring BTCC days

[NismoZ]

No need for the :p...Is McGlaughlin even 21 yet? Another great story from Down Under. In a Volvo, to boot! I'm always on the lookout for new young talent to cheer for and don't get too caught up in whether they are Aussie, Kiwi, Ford, Holden or any of that. Just fun to watch those guys DRIVE...even if it IS limited to all those "highlights" clips on YouTube and the SC website. Looks like Supercars got smart (:() and knocked down the full races that used to appear on YouTube within 24hrs. of the race...heck it was like looking at them live, if I could keep myself away from the results ahead of time. Maybe I'll have to subscribe to get the live streaming? OW, you ever see the "Greg Murphy F-5000 Raw Footage..." on YouTube? His 2 word comment when he pulls into the pits after his 1st ever run in a F-5000 car is HILARIOUS! Nice little track, too...which one is that? (Oh, and... Go GIZ in '15!)

[opinionated ow]

No need for the :p...Is McGlaughlin even 21 yet? Another great story from Down Under. In a Volvo, to boot! I'm always on the lookout for new young talent to cheer for and don't get too caught up in whether they are Aussie, Kiwi, Ford, Holden or any of that. Just fun to watch those guys DRIVE...even if it IS limited to all those "highlights" clips on YouTube and the SC website. Looks like Supercars got smart (:() and knocked down the full races that used to appear on YouTube within 24hrs. of the race...heck it was like looking at them live, if I could keep myself away from the results ahead of time. Maybe I'll have to subscribe to get the live streaming? OW, you ever see the "Greg Murphy F-5000 Raw Footage..." on YouTube? His 2 word comment when he pulls into the pits after his 1st ever run in a F-5000 car is HILARIOUS! Nice little track, too...which one is that? (Oh, and... Go GIZ in '15!)

The circuit is Hampton Downs, it's on the southern outskirts of Auckland, further south than Pukekohe. It's one of the new ones they've built in recent years alongside Taupo which was built primarily for A1GP and Highlands Motorsport Park. The kiwis actually have a crapload of really good circuits, way more than in Australia. I reckon Australia has 5 (Mt Panorama, Eastern Creek, Phillip Island, Sandown, Lakeside) but the kiwis have 6 (Hampton Downs, Pukekohe, Highlands, Taupo, Ruapuna, Teretonga).

Don't stress about not seeing the racing, most of Australia won't either. The new deal done between FOXTEL and Network Ten means only 5 or 6 races will be on tv (basically all the crap street circuits plus Bathurst) live. The other rounds will only be in highlights packages. Only 28% of Australians have pay tv...