US GP: Race Ticker
motorsport-live.com September 11th, 2016
I hope you are all ready over there in Europe on the television screen as we are in for a high speed race here at the Phoenix Motor Speedway. There are some engines ready to be blown and some high speed corners to be conquered, and the two
Steinmann cars are in the middle of it... or at the front of it, to be exact.
The high hopes of the Italian
Rossini outfit for qualifying success were a fluke, but they had the race pace in Milan and Spa, so there is a chance they can pass the Silver Arrows on track today.
Lap 1:
We are forming up the grid for this 36 lap auditioning to the American crowd and some drivers have been very vocal that they LOVE this high speed track and the banking and all the good stuff. Now, question is... will the two
Steinmann get out of the first chicane alive?
The red lights are on... one.. two... three... four... five...
AND IT'S LIGHTS OUT AND AWAY WE GO!
THE TWO
STEINMANN HAVE A GOOD START AND GO INTO THE CHICANE SIDE BY SIDE... AND
OLIVEIRA IS THEIR TO MAKE IT A TIGHT ONE... AND SQUEEZES
CHAPMAN INTO THIRD, BUT THEN GETS THE INFIELD ALL WRONG AND FALLS BACK!
Wexler up to third,
Saarinen missed the chicane and is down to seventh and the
Panthers lost out big, P10 and P14.
1.
Holtz 2.
Chapman +0.9 3.
Wexler +1.8
Vidal P16 +6.0
Woodford P19 +7.3
Lap 2:
Saarinen back to P4 with some gutsy overtaking on the banking.
1.
Holtz 2.
Chapman +1.0 3.
Wexler +2.6
Vidal P16 +12.3
Woodford P17 +12.3
Lap 3:
1.
Holtz 2.
Chapman +1.4 3.
Wexler +2.7
Vidal P16 +17.9
Woodford P20 +19.5
Lap 4:
P1 to P10 sorted by teams...
Steinmann,
Rossini,
Windsor,
Van Dort and
Panther
1.
Holtz 2.
Chapman +1.9 3.
Wexler +2.7
Vidal P16 +21.5
Woodford P20 +24.9
Lap 5:
1.
Holtz 2.
Chapman +2.1 3.
Wexler +2.9
Vidal P16 +27.4
Woodford P20 +28.8
Lap 6:
1.
Holtz 2.
Chapman +2.5 3.
Wexler +3.1
Vidal P16 +30.9
Woodford P20 +33.3
Lap 7:
Pit stops for the super soft starter soon?
1.
Holtz 2.
Chapman +2.7 3.
Wexler +3.5
Vidal P16 +33.2
Woodford P20 +36.5
Lap 8:
And indeed they will... both
Steinmann and
Saarinen in.
Chapman loses out big time as they queue the Silver Arrows... Pit strategy 1.1... There is an angry driver in that car...
1.
Wexler 2.
Oliveira +3.3 3.
Lipponen +7.7
Vidal P17 +36.5
Woodford P20 +36.5
Lap 9:
Oliveira and
Schmitt continue on the soft compound,
Wexler in... comes out in front of his teammate, but
Holtz is the winner as she has a 10 second cusion and free track in P4.
1.
Oliveira 2.
Schmidt +4.5 3.
Blanc +15.4
Vidal P15 +34.2
Woodford P18 +37.6
Lap 10:
1.
Oliveira 2.
Schmidt +4.6 3.
Holtz +15.3
Vidal P12 +32.1
Woodford P20 +65 PIT
Lap 11:
Ana Oliveira could make some big hay by running on softs, coming out it net third or fourth maybe?
1.
Oliveira 2.
Schmidt +4.7 3.
Holtz +13.5
Vidal P12 +34
Woodford P20 +66.3 PIT
Lap 12:
Nope, P5 after the pitstop.
1.
Holtz 2.
Flores +12.8 3.
Wexler +14.3
Vidal P11 +35.8
Woodford P20 1 LAP
Lap 13:
Holtz is flying, but on the supersoft while everyone else is on medium.
1.
Holtz 2.
Flores +16.3 3.
Wexler +16.6
Vidal P10 +29.2
Woodford P20 1 LAP
Lap 14:
1.
Holtz 2.
Flores +18.7 3.
Wexler +19.2
Vidal P12 +33
Woodford P20 1 LAP
Lap 15:
1.
Holtz 2.
Flores +20.4 3.
Wexler +21.2
Vidal P19 +63.4 PIT
Woodford P20 1 LAP
Lap 16:
Oliveira throws a decoy up the inside of
Wexler and takes him on the outside, great stuff by the Brazilian driver.
1.
Holtz 2.
Flores +21.5 3.
Oliveira +22.2
Vidal P19 +64.1
Woodford P20 1 LAP
Lap 17:
Holtz pits for fresh supersofts,
Flores also in...
1.
Oliveira 2.
Wexler +1.1 3.
Saarinen +1.6
Vidal P19 +64.7
Woodford P20 1 LAP
Lap 18:
AND THE SUPERSOFT DO THE TRICK AS
SAARINEN GETS SNACKED ON THE START FINISH LINE!
1.
Oliveira 2.
Wexler +2.3 3.
Holtz +3.0
Vidal P18 +42.4
Woodford P20 +55.5
Lap 19:
1.
Oliveira 2.
Wexler +2.8 3.
Holtz +3.0
Vidal P17 +43.8
Woodford P20 +58.6
Lap 20:
And
Wexler falls victim to fellow german
Nina Holtz, but is this just fireworks or can she make this strategy work? A three stopper?
1.
Oliveira 2.
Holtz +1.2 3.
Wexler +3.6
Vidal P16 +44.3
Woodford P20 +60.5
Lap 21:
And
Oliveira gets eaten up, this could work if they get the final pit stop right.
1.
Holtz 2.
Oliveira +1.3 3.
Wexler +3.3
Vidal P15 +43.8
Woodford P19 +61.7
Lap 22:
1.
Holtz 2.
Oliveira +2.9 3.
Wexler +5.8
Vidal P14 +45.6
Woodford P19 +66.1
Lap 23:
1.
Holtz 2.
Oliveira +3.5 3.
Wexler +7.9
Vidal P13 +48.3
Woodford P19 +76.8
Lap 24:
1.
Holtz 2.
Oliveira +3.5 3.
Wexler +8.6
Vidal P13 +48.9
Woodford P20 1LAP
Lap 25:
1.
Holtz 2.
Oliveira +4.8 3.
Wexler +9.1
Vidal P18 1LAP
Woodford P20 1LAP
Lap 26:
Holtz pits and falls back... this will be interesting...
1.
Oliveira 2.
Wexler +3.8 3.
Lipponen +9.0
Vidal P19 1LAP
Woodford P20 1LAP
Lap 27:
1.
Oliveira 2.
Wexler +4.1 3.
Sharp +11.9
Vidal P19 1LAP
Woodford P20 1LAP
Lap 28:
Wexler in... and out behind
Holtz by good margin.
1.
Oliveira 2.
Schmidt +16.9 3.
Holtz +17.9
Vidal P19 1LAP
Woodford P20 1LAP
Lap 29:
1.
Oliveira 2.
Schmidt +16.9 3.
Holtz +17.1
Vidal P19 1LAP
Woodford P20 1LAP
Lap 30:
Schmidt is in, now only
Oliveira has to pit again... and they are fumbling around
Schmidt's suspension... oh that could cost them some serious points....
1.
Oliveira 2.
Holtz +16.1 3.
Wexler +27.2
Vidal P19 1LAP
Woodford P20 1LAP
Lap 31:
Oliveira exits the pits in P3, solid strategy for her.
1.
Holtz 2.
Wexler +9.5 3.
Oliveira +11.8
Vidal P18 1LAP
Woodford P20 1LAP
Lap 32:
1.
Holtz 2.
Wexler +8.8 3.
Oliveira +10.9
Vidal P18 1LAP
Woodford P20 1LAP
Lap 33:
AND
OLIVEIRA MAY GET SOME MORE!
WEXLER RAN WIDE IN THE INFIELD AND LOSES P2! BIG MISTAKE!
1.
Holtz 2.
Oliveira +9.7 3.
Wexler +9.8
Vidal P18 1LAP
Woodford P20 2LAP
Lap 34:
Holtz is clear for 25 points but the
Windsor of
Oliveira has a angry
Rossini driver with supersoft tyres behind her with two to go...
1.
Holtz 2.
Oliveira +9.4 3.
Wexler +9.9
Vidal P18 1LAP
Woodford P20 2LAP
Lap 35:
1.
Holtz 2.
Oliveira +8.8 3.
Wexler +9.8
Vidal P18 1LAP
Woodford P20 2LAP
Final Lap:
And
Oliveira brings home second place thanks to
Mercedes power here.
Holtz wins it in front of
Oliveira,
Wexler and
Lipponen with
Harry Chapman recovering for P6 after a stupid mistake by the
Steinmann brain trust.