Season Report
This season has been a blast. Its only been five weeks but these five weeks have really given GTP Nascar drivers a different ball-game to have a kick at. With 6 winners in 15 meetings and 21 different drivers taking to the grid, there has been remarkable support from all corners of GTP this season.
For sure it wasn't the most competitive season it was billed up to be. The Thunder Series was built up as the 'Best of the Best Championship' but it proved that JoeOfTheFire is still one of the most undisputed fastest drivers not only in Nascar but on GTPlanet. Joe clocked wins in 6 of 15 races this season. That's two-fifths of the season written in his name. Incredible stuff.
His teammate, RFLX_Niop (Jamie McMurray) didn't really catch a break all season. He suffered crashes at three of the four Daytona races. A win at SSRX, Daytona and Motegi was only a small reward for his efforts this season. Not to mention wrecks in two of the three road courses cost his chance at the Road Championship. But two-time can hold his head up high. He has a Sprint Cup title to defend and goes home with a Team Championship.
Litchi and Carbonox joined forces hours before the start of the season. Their co-operation and faith with each other really showed all-season long and were able to grab two wins a piece. Carbonox endured spells of bad luck which may of hampered his Championship hopes but likewise Litchi had his own problems. They both as teammates cash-out with a runners-up in the Teams' Championship but its the future for these two which most intrigues me. Two of the upcoming stars in Nationwide are relatively new to the Sprint Cup and given a seat and even ownership in S4 will in my book undoubtedly prove themselves to be on a par with the best.
Furinkazen finished a point behind Carbonox in fifth in the Drivers' Championship. His fine vein of form from Daytona onwards really accelerated his charge up the standings. With luck on his side this season for once, he managed to really show his game and even fellow teammate in the Sprint Cup, droptop2001gt (Davey Allison) stated today that 'he is on the best form of his GTP career.' I can't help but not disagree. The man has finally made his driving do the talking, not his mouth.
Nater_racing21 (Trevor Bayne) had a rocky road this season for his liking but three podiums being his highlight showed his hand. With his teammate, Knelly absent for much of the season, he might be reflecting on a 'what could've been season,' in terms of the Teams' Championship but still nonetheless, there is much to look forward to for the young, talented American.
Our dearest Irishman mattymc1996 (Sam Hornish Jr.) had a very solid season and finishes in the Drivers' Championship in triple figures a mere fourteen points behind Nater. A sole podium at Daytona was the highest he fared but it was extremely satisfying for me to see Ireland a the top end of the leaderboard when Akmuq wasn't around. He was just uber consistent this season and maybe with a tiny bit of luck, he could've finished ahead of his rivals at a few events this year.
However the Independents' gave us a Championship we were really after. Though it was amp_88_jr (Dale Earnhardt Jr.) who led the Championship after the Season Opener. The Championship was hotly contested to the last lap of Indianapolis tonight where Chqr (Denny Hamlin) came strong over arch-rival Furinkazen (Kurt Busch). Let us not forget to mention mattymc1996 (Sam Hornish Jr.) who finishes in a respectable third place. He finished no worse than 6th in each race in the Independents' which proves how consistent he was all season long.
This season proves how 'dropping races' can make the season more exciting. It gives regulars like Joe a chance to grab the most opportunities to get the best results they can and it gives those who can't be there every weekend a crack at the Championship on a level playing field. I hope all series hosts look at 'dropping races' as a serious and viable option in the future. This series is a prime example of where its worked.
And finally, I'd like to thank Litchi for hosting tonight. He's done an incredible job hosting it and I hope I can work with him in the future.
Despite all the complaints of the car, procedures and racing, we can finish the series on a high here. We had very lag-free racing recently and we managed to finish the season well. Who know's maybe Furi and I can pull off an S2.
Thank you and good night.
Chqr.