2015 Longdon State Auto Race

The 2015 Longdon State Auto Race was a SUPRAC Cup race held on August 23, 2015 at Wigland River Superspeedway in Cuckney, Ianoia. It was the third race of the inaugural SUPRAC Cup season, and the first ever race at a Superspeedway that forced the use of the restrictor plate on competing cars. The track is 4.430km in length (2.750 miles) and is contested over 160 laps.

Background

The third race of the SUPRAC Cup season was particularly notable as it introduced many drivers, primarily veterans of local racing circuits, to their first-ever restrictor plate race. This type of race, characterized by its specific rules aimed at reducing speeds for safety reasons, was a new challenge for these drivers. Many journalists predicted a race filled with unpredictability, anticipating numerous yellow flags and a high possibility of retirements due to the inexperience of many drivers in this format.

The burgeoning popularity of the SUPRAC Cup was evident in the lead-up to this race. The Wigland River Superspeedway, the venue for the weekend’s race, announced a complete sell-out of tickets just two days before the event. This rapid sale of tickets was a testament to the early success and growing fan base of the SUPRAC Cup.

In the midst of the pre-race discussions, attention was drawn to individual drivers, notably those from the Adams Motorsport team. Martijn van Poppel (pictured, right), in particular, had faced a challenging start to the season, retiring first in each of the first two races. During an interview on Zuidgeldan television, van Poppel expressed his determination to bounce back with a strong performance. “It’s crucial for me to reward my team’s hard work with a good result this weekend,” he said, acknowledging a cautious approach to avoid further incidents.

WLD Racing’s Ricard Hansson, another driver in the spotlight, shared his thoughts on his performance relative to his teammate, Sjoerd Schott. Hansson, acknowledging that he had not been at par with Schott’s strong performances, mentioned putting in extra hours on the simulator during the week as part of his preparation. “I feel like I’ve let the team down in the past races,” Hansson admitted, “but I’m hopeful that the extra work on the simulator will pay off this weekend.”

Qualifying

The qualifying session for the third race of the SUPRAC Cup season was a dramatic affair, with Benoît Douay, the championship leader, facing a significant setback mid-way through the session. His car developed engine trouble, which thwarted his efforts to improve his time. As a result, his initial 5th place gradually slipped to 18th by the end of the session. “It’s frustrating, but that’s racing. We’ll focus on making up ground in the race,” Douay commented afterwards. He wasn’t alone in his misfortune; last week’s race winner, Frans van Schooten, driving for Super Nova, also encountered technical difficulties. A suspension issue prevented him from further participation, leaving him just ahead of Douay on the grid.

In contrast, Red Bull Racing clinched their second pole position of the season. Berthold Mentzel, their star driver, posted an impressive time of 30.579 seconds in the final moments of the session, to push Emerald’s Earnest Carter into second having never qualified higher than 12th prior to this weekend. Mentzel’s lap translated to an average lap speed of 323.752 km/h (201.170 mph). “Securing pole in such a competitive field is an incredible feeling,” Mentzel stated, visibly elated with his performance.

KALK Racing had reasons to celebrate too, as they experienced their best qualifying session of the season. Karlheinz Schmitt and John Sleeth qualified in 8th and 9th, respectively. However, much of the attention was focused on Ricard Hansson of WLD Racing, who lived up to his promises made earlier in the week. Hansson secured a spot on the second row, turning heads with his remarkable turnaround in form.

The day was less kind to Adams Motorsport, who faced a collective disappointment. All three of their cars failed to qualify for the race, marking the first time this had ever happened; a significant low point for the team. Lars Peter Wiktorsson, one of their drivers, remained the only competitor in the entire field who had not qualified for any race so far this season. In stark contrast, Sovereign drivers Max Arias and Paul Collier had reasons to be proud, as they both qualified for a race for the first time, starting 37th and 38th. “It’s a big step for us, and we’re looking forward to the race,” Arias shared, reflecting the optimistic spirit of the team.

Race

In a tight race to the finish, Boris Visser won his first race of the season, and Whistler Motorsport’s second, thanks to a push from behind by Ross McRae who also secured Lehmann Technik’s first podium in the process. John Sleeth, for KALK, came home second, having led the penultimate lap of the 160-lap race.

Race Report

Bill Redhead, second in the championship standings, faced a challenging start, getting squeezed out of the draft in the opening lap and dropping from 11th to 31st. Despite efforts to regain ground, Redhead finished 23rd. “It was a tough race from the start, but we’ll learn and move forward,” Redhead reflected post-race.

Ricard Hansson’s hopes, following an excellent qualifying session, were dashed early on Lap 10 when he encountered power steering issues, necessitating a pit stop for repairs and costing him multiple laps. “It’s disappointing, especially after the strong start we had this weekend,” Hansson lamented.

Jeremy Whinnett of Autocrust showcased remarkable skill on Lap 15, navigating through the field and climbing four positions to 20th. His progress was nearly halted on Lap 19 when he narrowly avoided a multi-car incident (pictured, left) involving Ulrik Wiklund, Lachlan Davis, Austin Parkin, and Francis Forestier, which brought out the yellow flag. All involved pitted for repairs, except for Forestier, whose car was damaged beyond repair.

Red Bull Racing endured a difficult race after Parkin’s incident, with Berthold Mentzel, initially leading, facing engine issues and eventually finishing 30th. Anthony Crow, after briefly leading the race himself, received a pit lane line violation with 16 laps remaining, dropping him to 35th.

Paul Collier in the Sovereign, on his SUPRAC Cup debut, recovered from a drive-through penalty for ignoring a SUPRAC Official’s request, finishing 29th. Emerald’s Blake Gilmartin’s race was marred by technical issues (Lap 25) and tire failure (Lap 60), leading to an unclassified finish.

Max Arias’s season debut ended prematurely on Lap 77 due to engine issues whilst placing 34th. Despite the setback, no drivers opted to pit during the subsequent yellow flag. Jack O’Connell, after experiencing vibration issues on Lap 91, managed to secure his best finish to date, placing 14th, having sat 17th at the time.

The race was further complicated on Lap 98 when Benoît Douay, Frans van Schooten, and Noel Jernsten were involved in a collision. Boris Visser, leading at the time, received a drive-through penalty for entering the pit road prematurely, relinquishing the lead to Dario Heinrich of Team MRT. It was a double-calamity for Whistler Motorsport after Douay and Visser both dropped out of the points positions within a few minutes of each other.

The race concluded with a dramatic showdown. Fred Gleeson’s aggressive move on Ferdi Arnold led to a post-race altercation, resulting in fines and a final warning for Arnold. Gleeson finished 5th, demonstrating a commendable rise through the ranks, whilst Arnold vowed revenge having not completed a race in two attempts so far this season; he failed to Qualify for the Barnshire State Auto Race.

In a stunning finish, John Sleeth (pictured, right) of KALK was overtaken by Boris Visser, who, with a push from Ross McRae, clinched victory by a mere bonnet-length on the final lap. “It was a race of strategy, skill, and a bit of luck, but we pulled through,” Visser commented, celebrating his remarkable victory.

Championship Standings After the Race