Dunlop Series champions

[Mixer]

Speedcafe have a poll of the greatest Dunlop series moments:
http://www.speedcafe.com/2015/04/27/...eries-moments/

Got me thinking. I think in some ways the development series has been a little underwhelming. Some could argue the point but no Dunlop champion has yet won the title, Frosty probably coming the closest.

In terms of real talent unearthed you'd probably count Frosty, Scotty Mac, Jono Webb.

The rest of the drivers have been competent but not really special - Tony D'Alberto, Canto, Dumbrell (although his enduro career has been notable), Steve Owen, Andrew Thompson, Dale Wood etc

IMO it is at cross-purposes that the 2-time champions are all really guys who were back into the series to get miles for the main game teams. Same really for Dale Wood in 2013.

I do wonder what Andrew Thompson could have done in the main game in a pukka 888 car?

Opinions?

[DAVID PATERSON]

I remember many years ago reading a list of Formula Ford Champions and half of them went on to greatness and the other half disappeared into obscurity.

[Razor]

Nothing can beat Jase Richards, bravely fighting his cancer diagnosis, and equally fighting the pack, winning in a Greg Murphy Racing/Tasman commodore.

Miss him still

[Mixer]

Originally Posted by Razor

Nothing can beat Jase Richards, bravely fighting his cancer diagnosis, and equally fighting the pack, winning in a Greg Murphy Racing/Tasman commodore.

Agreed, that was indeed a beautiful, shiver-inducing moment.

[Umai Naa]

Originally Posted by Mixer

Speedcafe have a poll of the greatest Dunlop series moments:
http://www.speedcafe.com/2015/04/27/...eries-moments/

Got me thinking. I think in some ways the development series has been a little underwhelming. Some could argue the point but no Dunlop champion has yet won the title, Frosty probably coming the closest.

In terms of real talent unearthed you'd probably count Frosty, Scotty Mac, Jono Webb.

The rest of the drivers have been competent but not really special - Tony D'Alberto, Canto, Dumbrell (although his enduro career has been notable), Steve Owen, Andrew Thompson, Dale Wood etc

IMO it is at cross-purposes that the 2-time champions are all really guys who were back into the series to get miles for the main game teams. Same really for Dale Wood in 2013.

I do wonder what Andrew Thompson could have done in the main game in a pukka 888 car?

Opinions?

Valid points all round.

Mr Thompson, in that Triple Eight Monster chassis was always going to be blisteringly quick in the dry... The car was well-backed, well-fettled, and was allegedly of virtually the same spec as it's maingame stablemates. It was unfortunate that prior to this, he was in a disorganised 4-car team, which at the time, was incredibly Tander-centric and split down the middle, leaving the two Bundaberg Rum cars to duke it out with the Kelly Krates. He had his chance in the maingame, but was unable to shine. He aquitted himself well, as an endurance co-driver, until Ms Klimenko appeared on the scene... It was painting the fence at Mt Panorama with the #47 Merc, which lead to an alleged internal repremand, that seemingly put a full-stop on his career up til this point.

[Umai Naa]

Originally Posted by Razor

Nothing can beat Jase Richards, bravely fighting his cancer diagnosis, and equally fighting the pack, winning in a Greg Murphy Racing/Tasman commodore.

Miss him still

Agreed.

The circumstances alone, make it one of the most heroic drives in Australian motorsport. Ever. Likewise backing it up with a 2nd place in the maingame at the AGP, not long after.

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by Umai Naa

Valid points all round.

Mr Thompson, in that Triple Eight Monster chassis was always going to be blisteringly quick in the dry... The car was well-backed, well-fettled, and was allegedly of virtually the same spec as it's maingame stablemates. It was unfortunate that prior to this, he was in a disorganised 4-car team, which at the time, was incredibly Tander-centric and split down the middle, leaving the two Bundaberg Rum cars to duke it out with the Kelly Krates. He had his chance in the maingame, but was unable to shine. He aquitted himself well, as an endurance co-driver, until Ms Klimenko appeared on the scene... It was painting the fence at Mt Panorama with the #47 Merc, which lead to an alleged internal repremand, that seemingly put a full-stop on his career up til this point.

Two more interesting bits... about having signed a deal with PWR for 2007 to run in the main game, Mr Weel had to run that car almost under sufferance, being unable to offload the TLA, and ran the year with little commercial support other than some brands associated with the driver. That VE wasnt great, indeed its replacement after the mega Bathurst shunt, a second self-built car in that fleet wasnt great either.

Lost shot unfortunately...

Mr Thompson has done some miles for 888 on ride days recently hasnt he, as custodian of the 'Sandman' chassis?

[GTRMagic]

One of the interesting questions might be whether a driver has to win the championship to be successful in the main game.

Mr Percat didnt win the Dunlop series, but has won Bathurst
Mr Morris didnt win the Dunlop series, but has won Bathurst
Mr Mostert didnt win the Dunlop series, but has won Bathurst

...and to the Formula Ford point..

Mr Winterbottom didnt win the national Formula Ford series, but has won Bathurst

[Umai Naa]

I understand that Mr Thompson Snr took a rather large hit to the bank balance during that time as well.

[Mixer]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

Mr Morris didnt win the Dunlop series, but has won Bathurst

Don't start me on this...

I suspect out of Percat, Mostert and Mclaughlin we'll see championships and more Bathurst victories but it might depend on their fortunes in the next year or two.

With the Giz locked up I strongly suspect one of the above is in for a move to a better funded team, but the question is who.

[chavez]

Originally Posted by Mixer

Don't start me on this...

I suspect out of Percat, Mostert and Mclaughlin we'll see championships and more Bathurst victories but it might depend on their fortunes in the next year or two.

With the Giz locked up I strongly suspect one of the above is in for a move to a better funded team, but the question is who.

Sadly Morris should have been a two-time Bathurst 1000 winner if not for a silly mistake over driver time.

People often bag PM but there was time when he was as quick as any of the 2 litre hotshots.

[one five five]

Originally Posted by Mixer

Got me thinking. I think in some ways the development series has been a little underwhelming. Some could argue the point but no Dunlop champion has yet won the title, Frosty probably coming the closest.

Surely the whole point of the Dunlop Series was never about young drivers, it was about giving the main series teams somewhere to offload their old cars (or get mileage out of their superceded main game cars)

To that end the Development Series has been a roaring success.

Since the DVS started in 2000, other than Skaife, Ingall and Tander (who all debuted pre-DVS), Ambrose/Kelly/Whincup/Courtney all made their V8SC debuts after that year and skipped the DVS completely.

The series is a used car lot, and as long as people are willing to buy & run old cars, the series is successfully serving its purpose.

Originally Posted by chavez

People often bag PM but there was time when he was as quick as any of the 2 litre hotshots.

And one wonders how many more wins he would have gotten had he entered V8Supercars as a hired gun for someone else rather than try his luck as a single car team of his own (same could have been said for Wayne Gardner had he gone to another team rather than run one himself from 1994)

[Umai Naa]

Exactly.

It's still pretty much Privateers' Cup from years gone by. Even then, you had young blokes out there having a go, from the likes of Paul Romano, Layton Crambrook, Steve Richards, etc.

DVS isn't entirely about the young guys, either. Aaron McGill is certainly no up-and-comer.

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by Umai Naa

DVS isn't entirely about the young guys, either. Aaron McGill is certainly no up-and-comer.

Sure, but Mr McGill is yet to win the championship either...

[GTRMagic]

The series itself thinks it found some champions.

Quite a few of the Dunlop series winners have won main game races.