Sunday, March 21, 2010

Putting on a Good Show Down Under

Although I knew the winner of both day’s races of last week’s Clipsal 500 “Aussie” V8 Supercars race, (round 3 of 14) I didn’t know how it had gone down... As I’ve just finished watching the Boyz Down Under put on a most entertaining Show... Even if it was perhaps a bit staged? As the Track Marshals made a very mysterious mechanical Black flag call upon runaway point’s leader Jamie Whincup.

Interestingly, this call apparently was made by ex-Formula 1 driver Tim Schenken, who faired better as a Ferrari Sports Car racer and now serves as the Race Director for the Australian V8 Supercars series, along with being the Clerk of Course for the Australian Grand Prix, as the announcers seemed to think that once a Black flag is unfurled, it cannot be taken back...

Yet double race winner Garth Tander of the original HRT Team, as in Holden Racing Team and not 2010 F1 New Boyz Hispania Racing Team, nor Hormone Replacement Therapy as that “Cheeky Brit” James Allen earlier eluded to...

Err, where was I? Oh yeah, Tander had already passed Whincup before the current points leader and defending champion was smacked from behind and had his rear bumper torn away... Which the Black flag was displayed for, although it dislodged itself from the car before Jamie completed the mandatory drive thru penalty and returned in P18!

Yet it was Tander’s weekend, who became the first driver this season to win other then Whincup who’d won the first four Middle East races, (rounds 1-2(as Tander rolled the dice on Day 2 of the Clipsal 500, stretching his fuel mileage to an impressive 28 laps around the city streets of Adelaide, as the phrase of the week was said by one of the Broadcast Boyz, by claiming;

“On the smell of an Oily rag!”

As Tander went to reserve in the final laps as all HELL broke loose behind him, with the crowd’s 89,000+ going bananas over the massive scrum taking place in the races dying laps...

With a “Mega” 227,000(?) 3-Day attendance figure being mentioned towards the end of the broadcast, CRIKEYS! These Boyz definitely put on a great show, along with it being very amusing to watch the car directly behind your flanks Dive Bomb the car ahead. Not to mention how much more pleasurable these announcers are to listen to vs. some Roundy-round RASSCAR Boyz named DW ‘N Larry Mac!

Next up, is this week’s Australian GP Formula One race, live on SPEED from Melbourne’s Albert Park in the wee early morning hours...