The 2015 McCutchen City Auto Race was a SUPRAC Cup race held on August 9, 2015 at Ravenhill Complex in McCutchen, Ianoia. Contested over 180 laps, it was the first race of the season and is notable for being the first race of the newly formed SUPRAC association.
Background
In the week leading up to the first SUPRAC Cup race, several drivers made notable public appearances. Oliver McGuyver of Lehmann Technik praised his rival, Berthold Mentzel from Red Bull Racing, during a television talk show appearance where he expressed his eagerness for their upcoming race. Meanwhile, Jeppe Passer from KALK attended a charity event, engaging with fans through autograph signings and selfies, enhancing his popularity. Additionally, 18-year-old Sander Bolck trended on Instagram for a humorous interaction with a fan at a sponsor event, showcasing his relatable personality.
A significant controversy involved Lachlan Davis of Arcuri Motorsport. His ex-partner, Natalie Brooks, accused him of physical violence from an incident three years prior. Arcuri Motorsport supported Davis, stating they would stand by him until proven guilty. The issue was resolved when Brooks retracted her allegations on Facebook, admitting to fabricating them the day before Qualifying.
Qualifying
The first-ever qualifying session for the inaugural SUPRAC Cup race was a landmark event in the championship’s history. Oliver McGuyver, representing Lehmann Technik, made a sensational start by claiming the pole position. He set an impressive lap time of 29.290 seconds, achieving a speed of 266.044 km/h (165.312 mph). Close behind him was Austin Parkin in the Red Bull Racing car, who finished second with a time of 29.321 seconds.
During the session, Elliot Lindvall of Team MRT encountered a significant setback. He suffered a rules violation during what would have been his fastest lap after he went over the yellow line. This infraction led to the removal of his time from the session’s records, affecting his initial 19th place finish. Consequently, Lindvall was demoted to 31st position on count back.
The session also witnessed a dramatic incident involving Stefan Nørgaard, driving for Oryx, and Nick Ferreira. In the final minutes, the two drivers collided while racing down the back straight, leading to both spinning out and ending their qualifying sessions prematurely. The incident stirred controversy, with both drivers assigning blame to the other. Despite this, they managed to secure the 13th and 14th spots in the qualifying order, respectively. It was a disappointing session all-round for Oryx, who saw two of their three drivers fail to qualify.
Pos | Driver | Team | Time |
---|---|---|---|
1 | 26 - Oliver MCGUYVER | Lehmann Technik | 29.290 |
2 | 8 - Austin PARKIN | Red Bull Racing | 29.321 |
3 | 44 - Bill REDHEAD | Whistler Motorsport | 29.428 |
4 | 82 - Boris VISSER | Whistler Motorsport | 29.481 |
5 | 93 - Anthony CROW | Red Bull Racing | 29.709 |
6 | 27 - Berthold MENTZEL | Red Bull Racing | 29.769 |
7 | 22 - Benoît DOUAY | Whistler Motorsport | 29.810 |
8 | 50 - Hunter DAVIES | Ember Engineering | 29.854 |
9 | 48 - Fabian SCHROTH | Super Nova | 29.918 |
10 | 0 - Blake GILMARTIN | Emerald | 30.008 |
11 | 23 - Jeppe PASSER | KALK | 30.016 |
12 | 45 - Frans VAN SCHOOTEN | Super Nova | 30.169 |
13 | 91 - Stefan NØRGAARD | Oryx | 30.197 |
14 | 68 - Nick FERREIRA | Adams Motorsport | 30.230 |
15 | 28 - Sjoerd SCHOTT | WLD Racing | 30.292 |
16 | 76 - Knud NIELSEN | Arcuri Motorsport | 30.354 |
17 | 79 - Noel JERNSTEN | Sovereign | 30.382 |
18 | 64 - Ulrik WIKLUND | Team Mercury | 30.398 |
19 | 80 - Martijn VAN POPPEL | Adams Motorsport | 30.442 |
20 | 42 - Jakob SCHWEITZER | Ember Engineering | 30.566 |
21 | 97 - Fred GLEESON | Cubley Racing | 30.603 |
22 | 61 - Jack O'CONNELL | Autocrust | 30.606 |
23 | 43 - Jean-Pierre JEGOU | Autocrust | 30.680 |
24 | 62 - Jeremy WHINNETT | Autocrust | 30.691 |
25 | 33 - Hubert STUMPEL | Cubley Racing | 30.717 |
26 | 16 - Karlheinz SCHMITT | KALK | 30.740 |
27 | 56 - Henrik KROOK | Ember Engineering | 31.049 |
28 | 60 - Sander BOLCK | WLD Racing | 31.059 |
29 | 49 - John SLEETH | KALK | 31.133 |
30 | 14 - Theo SELL | Team Mercury | 31.168 |
31 | 53 - Elliot LINDVALL | Team MRT | 31.205 |
32 | 78 - Lachlan DAVIS | Arcuri Motorsport | 31.233 |
33 | 58 - Dario HEINRICH | Team MRT | 31.273 |
34 | 85 - Francis FORESTIER | Super Nova | 31.392 |
35 | 74 - Ferdi ARNOLD | Team MRT | 31.429 |
36 | 46 - Gabriel WÖSTMANN | Cubley Racing | 31.501 |
37 | 84 - Earnest CARTER | Emerald | 31.550 |
38 | 87 - Charles LEGRAND | Emerald | 31.562 |
39 | 6 - Ricard HANSSON | WLD Racing | 31.630 |
40 | 18 - Jort VAN ROIJ | Arcuri Motorsport | 31.638 |
Did Not Qualify | |||
41 | 52 - Ross MCRAE | Lehmann Technik | 31.676 |
42 | 81 - Sten FREESE | Oryx | 31.727 |
43 | 20 - Lars Peter WIKTORSSON | Adams Motorsport | 31.740 |
44 | 73 - Paul LINDQVIST | Lehmann Technik | 31.742 |
45 | 30 - Sander ISRAEL | Oryx | 31.744 |
46 | 21 - Tommy GARDNER | Team Mercury | 31.853 |
47 | 32 - Max ARIAS | Sovereign | 31.867 |
48 | 5 - Paul COLLIER | Sovereign | 31.958 |
Race
Benoît Douay won the race, having led the final 92 laps after overtaking team-mate Boris Visser. Bill Redhead came home second for a Whistler Motorsport 1-2, with WLD Racing’s Sjoerd Schott rounding out the podium.
Race Report
The inaugural race of the SUPRAC Cup began smoothly, with the first third proceeding without major incidents. However, the calm was soon disrupted on lap 50 when Stefan Nørgaard, who was in 13th place, lost control at Turn 3 and spun out. He managed to recover but fell to 20th position.
Three laps later, on Lap 53, the race witnessed its first retirement. Martijn van Poppel, driving for Adams Motorsport, reported black smoke emerging from under his bonnet, signaling a critical mechanical failure.
The race’s intensity escalated on Lap 73 when Lachlan Davis suffered a cut tyre from debris on the track, leading to severe undercarriage damage and ending his participation in the race. Shortly thereafter, on Lap 74, a major crash involving nine drivers occurred as they attempted to avoid the tyre debris left by Davis which brought out the yellow flag. This accident resulted in the retirement of Jack O’Connell, Huber Stumpel, Earnest Carter, and Jort van Roij. Stefan Nørgaard, Karlheinz Schmitt, Sander Bolck, John Sleeth, and Dario Heinrich were able to repair their cars and rejoin the race. Notably, only Stefan Nørgaard managed to get back on the lead lap by Lap 115.
On Lap 123, Fabian Schroth, who was running 10th, pitted due to brake issues. Two laps later, Jeremy Whinnett, who had impressively climbed from 24th to 11th, spun out.
The second safety car of the race was deployed on Lap 128 when four drivers collided. This incident led to the retirement of Knud Nielsen and Nick Ferreira, while Jeppe Passer and Ferdi Arnold were able to continue racing after repairs. Passer, who missed a gear change, was responsible for the accident.
Anthony Crow, consistently in the top 10, retired on lap 151 due to power steering problems. On lap 165, a notable incident occurred between Ferdi Arnold and Jeppe Passer. Arnold attempted an overtake but ended up crashing into the wall after contact with Passer. Post-race, Arnold expressed a strong desire for retribution.
With just nine laps left, a crucial moment unfolded. Berthold Mentzel of Red Bull Racing attempted to pass Gabriel Wöstmann of Cubley Racing for 6th place. Wöstmann’s defensive driving forced Mentzel off his line and into the wall, resulting in a broken suspension and ending Mentzel’s race.
Pos | Driver | Team | Information | Led | Grid | +/- | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 22 - Benoît DOUAY | Whistler Motorsport | Running | 102 | 7 | +6 | 40 |
2 | 44 - Bill REDHEAD | Whistler Motorsport | Running | 7 | 3 | +1 | 36 |
3 | 28 - Sjoerd SCHOTT | WLD Racing | Running | 0 | 15 | +12 | 32 |
4 | 0 - Blake GILMARTIN | Emerald | Running | 0 | 10 | +6 | 29 |
5 | 82 - Boris VISSER | Whistler Motorsport | Running | 46 | 4 | -1 | 26 |
6 | 46 - Gabriel WÖSTMANN | Cubley Racing | Running | 0 | 36 | +30 | 23 |
7 | 45 - Frans VAN SCHOOTEN | Super Nova | Running | 0 | 12 | +5 | 20 |
8 | 26 - Oliver MCGUYVER | Lehmann Technik | Running | 10 | 1 | -7 | 18 |
9 | 97 - Fred GLEESON | Cubley Racing | Running | 0 | 21 | +12 | 16 |
10 | 8 - Austin PARKIN | Red Bull Racing | Running | 0 | 2 | -8 | 14 |
11 | 79 - Noel JERNSTEN | Sovereign | Running | 13 | 17 | +6 | 12 |
12 | 64 - Ulrik WIKLUND | Team Mercury | Running | 0 | 18 | +6 | 10 |
13 | 53 - Elliot LINDVALL | Team MRT | Running | 0 | 31 | +18 | 8 |
14 | 42 - Jakob SCHWEITZER | Ember Engineering | Running | 0 | 20 | +6 | 7 |
15 | 87 - Charles LEGRAND | Emerald | Running | 0 | 38 | +23 | 6 |
16 | 43 - Jean-Pierre JEGOU | Autocrust | Running | 0 | 23 | +7 | 5 |
17 | 56 - Henrik KROOK | Ember Engineering | Running | 0 | 27 | +10 | 4 |
18 | 50 - Hunter DAVIES | Ember Engineering | Running | 0 | 8 | -10 | 3 |
19 | 85 - Francis FORESTIER | Super Nova | Running | 0 | 34 | +15 | 2 |
20 | 14 - Theo SELL | Team Mercury | Running | 0 | 30 | +10 | 1 |
21 | 6 - Ricard HANSSON | WLD Racing | Running | 0 | 39 | +18 | |
22 | 91 - Stefan NØRGAARD | Oryx | Running | 0 | 13 | -9 | |
23 | 62 - Jeremy WHINNETT | Autocrust | Running (Not Classified) | 0 | 24 | +1 | |
24 | 16 - Karlheinz SCHMITT | KALK | Running (Not Classified) | 0 | 26 | +2 | |
25 | 60 - Sander BOLCK | WLD Racing | Running (Not Classified) | 0 | 28 | +3 | |
26 | 49 - John SLEETH | KALK | Running (Not Classified) | 0 | 29 | +3 | |
27 | 58 - Dario HEINRICH | Team MRT | Running (Not Classified) | 0 | 33 | +6 | |
28 | 48 - Fabian SCHROTH | Super Nova | Running (Not Classified) | 0 | 9 | -19 | |
29 | 23 - Jeppe PASSER | KALK | Running (Not Classified) | 0 | 11 | -18 | |
30 | 27 - Berthold MENTZEL | Red Bull Racing | Accident (Lap 171) | 0 | 6 | -24 | |
31 | 74 - Ferdi ARNOLD | Team MRT | Accident (Lap 165) | 0 | 35 | +4 | |
32 | 93 - Anthony CROW | Red Bull Racing | Power Steering (Lap 151) | 2 | 5 | -27 | |
33 | 76 - Knud NIELSEN | Arcuri Motorsport | Accident (Lap 128) | 0 | 16 | -17 | |
34 | 68 - Nick FERREIRA | Adams Motorsport | Accident (Lap 128) | 0 | 14 | -20 | |
35 | 61 - Jack O'CONNELL | Autocrust | Accident (Lap 74) | 0 | 22 | -13 | |
36 | 33 - Hubert STUMPEL | Cubley Racing | Accident (Lap 74) | 0 | 25 | -11 | |
37 | 84 - Earnest CARTER | Emerald | Accident (Lap 74) | 0 | 37 | - | |
38 | 18 - Jort VAN ROIJ | Arcuri Motorsport | Accident (Lap 74) | 0 | 40 | +2 | |
39 | 78 - Lachlan DAVIS | Arcuri Motorsport | Undercarriage (Lap 73) | 0 | 32 | -7 | |
40 | 80 - Martijn VAN POPPEL | Adams Motorsport | Engine (Lap 53) | 0 | 19 | -21 | |
Lead Changes | |||||||
Driver | Team | Laps Led | Total Laps | ||||
26 - Oliver MCGUYVER | Lehmann Technik | 1 - 10 | 10 | ||||
82 - Boris VISSER | Whistler Motorsport | 11 - 43 | 33 | ||||
44 - Bill REDHEAD | Whistler Motorsport | 44 - 50 | 7 | ||||
22 - Benoît DOUAY | Whistler Motorsport | 51 - 60 | 10 | ||||
93 - Anthony CROW | Red Bull Racing | 61 - 62 | 2 | ||||
82 - Boris VISSER | Whistler Motorsport | 63 - 71 | 9 | ||||
79 - Noel JERNSTEN | Sovereign | 72 - 84 | 13 | ||||
82 - Boris VISSER | Whistler Motorsport | 85 - 88 | 4 | ||||
22 - Benoît DOUAY | Whistler Motorsport | 89 - 180 | 92 | ||||
Caution Flags | |||||||
Cautions | 2 | Caution Laps | 13 |
Championship Standings After the Race
Driver Championship
Pos | Driver | Team | Pts |
---|---|---|---|
1 | 22 - Benoît DOUAY | Whistler Motorsport | 40 |
2 | 44 - Bill REDHEAD | Whistler Motorsport | 36 |
3 | 28 - Sjoerd SCHOTT | WLD Racing | 32 |
4 | 0 - Blake GILMARTIN | Emerald | 29 |
5 | 82 - Boris VISSER | Whistler Motorsport | 26 |
6 | 46 - Gabriel WÖSTMANN | Cubley Racing | 23 |
7 | 45 - Frans VAN SCHOOTEN | Super Nova | 20 |
8 | 26 - Oliver MCGUYVER | Lehmann Technik | 18 |
9 | 97 - Fred GLEESON | Cubley Racing | 16 |
10 | 8 - Austin PARKIN | Red Bull Racing | 14 |
11 | 79 - Noel JERNSTEN | Sovereign | 12 |
12 | 64 - Ulrik WIKLUND | Team Mercury | 10 |
13 | 53 - Elliot LINDVALL | Team MRT | 8 |
14 | 42 - Jakob SCHWEITZER | Ember Engineering | 7 |
15 | 87 - Charles LEGRAND | Emerald | 6 |
16 | 43 - Jean-Pierre JEGOU | Autocrust | 5 |
Team Championship
Pos | Team | Pts |
---|---|---|
1 | Whistler Motorsport | 102 |
2 | Cubley Racing | 39 |
3 | Emerald | 35 |
4 | WLD Racing | 32 |
5 | Super Nova | 22 |
6 | Lehmann Technik | 18 |
7 | Red Bull Racing | 14 |
8 | Ember Engineering | 14 |
9 | Sovereign | 12 |
10 | Team Mercury | 11 |
11 | Team MRT | 8 |
12 | Autocrust | 5 |
13 | KALK | 0 |
14 | Arcuri Motorsport | 0 |
15 | Adams Motorsport | 0 |
16 | Oryx | 0 |