Showing posts with label racing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label racing. Show all posts

Monday, March 25, 2024

2024 NASCAR Cup Series - EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix

It's the first NASCAR road course racing of the season as they went to the Circuit of the Americas for the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix. With former Supercars champion Shane Van Gisbergen and WEC champion Kamui Kobayashi joining in the fun, it became a Palm Sunday race to remember.

As the green flag waved, the Palm Sunday racing action began with Stage 1 saw Harrison Burton spinning off the front of Josh Berry in turn 11 on Lap 2. As Christopher Bell wins Stage 1, Stage 2 saw Josh Berry spinning in turn 11 in Lap 21 followed by Kyle Larson after contact with Christopher Bell a lap later. Lap 24 saw Shane Van Gisbergen penalized for speeding at the pits while Kamui Kobayashi spun a lap later after contact from Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

As Denny Hamlin won Stage 2, the last stage saw Kyle Busch spinning in turn 1 on Lap 41 while Erik Jones got penalized for speeding to the pits on Lap 49, Kamui Kobayashi spun again in turn 11 on Lap 53, and Brad Keselowski on Lap 60. The final lap saw a one-on-one clash between William Byron and Christopher Bell for the win.

Screengrab from NASCAR

After an intense Palm Sunday riot in COTA, William Byron wins the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix of the NASCAR Cup Series!

The next race is at Richmond Raceway for the Toyota Owners 400 this Easter Sunday, March 31st.

NTT IndyCar Series 2024 - Thermal $1 Million Challenge

This is IndyCar's equivalent of the NASCAR ALL-STAR RACE, the Thermal $1 Million Challenge. As the name implies, the winner gets half the prize while the other half will be donated to the driver's charity of choice.

As Felix Rosenqvist wins Heat 1 and Alex Palou wins Heat 2, the first non-points race in IndyCar history since 2008 has kicked off with 20 laps to decide who will win the $1 million challenge. With no single incident, this race became smooth sailing for Palou and he locked his eyes on the million-dollar prize.

Screengrab from IndyCar

Alex Palou wins the $1 Million Challenge in The Thermal Club. Half of his proceeds will go to the charity of his choice.

The next race is at Long Beach for the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach this April 21.

Sunday, March 24, 2024

F1 2024: Rolex Australian Grand Prix

The F1 24 season continues with the Rolex Australian Grand Prix and with Carlos Sainz back to work, Ferrari's back in fighting form as it tries to fend off Max Verstappen and the others.

As the lights went off, the action in Melbourne was underway with Max Verstappen's promising start until Lap 4 saw his car smoke, forcing him to retire on Lap 5. With Verstappen out, it's the turn of Lewis Hamilton to throw in the towel on Lap 17 due to engine failure. As the returning Sainz continued to maintain his lead, the final lap saw disaster for George Russell as his car crashed and nearly flipped but he survived.

Screengrab from Formula 1

The returning Carlos Sainz led Ferrari to a 1-2 finish with Charles Leclerc finishing 2nd. McLaren driver Lando Norris completes the podium with a third-place finish. Fernando Alonso was demoted to P8 after being given a 20-second penalty for the late-race incident involving George Russell.

After Australia, Verstappen remains in the lead with 51 points while Charles Leclerc is in 2nd with 47 points, and Sergio Perez is in third with 46 points.

The next race is the MSC Cruises Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka this April 6th.

2024 Repco Supercars Championship - MSS Security Melbourne SuperSprint

The 2024 Repco Supercars Championship continues in Albert Park, the venue that the Formula 1 camp will be using for its Australian Grand Prix campaign, for the MSS Security Melbourne SuperSprint.

Photo: Supercars

As expected, only those who were inside the track for Supercars action have witnessed it because due to international broadcast rights associated with the F1 2024's Australian Grand Prix, their usual highlights and live video coverage of the Repco Supercars Championship events are not available.

Here's the TL;DR summary of the four-part action in Albert Park, moments before the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix occurred; Broc Feeney won Thursday and Saturday's races, Will Brown won the Friday race, and Nick Percat won the final race of the Melbourne SuperSprint. Winning two out of four races, Broc Feeney earned the Perkins Trophy.

After Melbourne, Will Brown leads with 575 points, 17 points ahead of Broc Feeney, while Chaz Mostert's in third with 478.

The next event is the first-ever ITM Taupō Super400 this April 19-21 at the Taupō International Motorsport Park.

Monday, March 18, 2024

2024 NASCAR Cup Series - Food City 500

The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series continues in Bristol, Tennessee for the Food City 500 as The Last Great Coliseum roars alive with drivers clashing before the flowers bloom for springtime.

As the green flag waved, the springtime action in Bristol is on. The first stage saw William Byron getting into the wall and breaking the toe link, causing debris and a yellow flag three laps later, not to mention Zane Smith losing a tire. As Ty Gibbs won Stage 1, Stage 2 saw Noah Gragson indicting a safety violation, Michael McDowell and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. colliding with each other, and a spin by Kyle Busch. With Ty Gibbs winning Stage 2, the final stage saw Noah Gragson tap to the wall, Ross Chastain bumping Ryan Blaney, a loose tire for Blaney, and a flat tire for Carson Hocevar.

Screengrab from NASCAR

Despite severe tire management issues, Denny Hamlin wins the Food City 500 of the NASCAR Cup Series!

The next race is at Circuit of the Americas for the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix this Palm Sunday, March 24th.

Sunday, March 17, 2024

2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship - Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring

The 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship continues in Sebring International Raceway for the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, where wild moments await in this 12-hour endurance slugfest.

Screengrab from IMSA

This year's Sebring endurance race saw numerous misfortunes on track from a spin for the Risi Competizione 296 to an unfortunate crash for the #31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R with Pipo Derani behind the wheel. Amid the series of unfortunate events, this is becoming one of the most thrilling races ahead of the Spring season.

After a grueling 12-hour thriller, the #40 Wayne Taylor Racing ARX-06 emerged as the winner of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring while the #18 Era Motorsport LMP2 07 won the LMP2 class, the #14 VasserSullivan RC F GT3 for the GTD PRO class, and the #57 Winward Racing AMG GT3 for the GTD class.

The next race is the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach this April 19-20.

ABB FIA Formula E S10 - Sao Paulo ePrix

Formula E's 10th-anniversary celebration continues in the streets of Sao Paulo for the Sao Paulo ePrix and this race saw the biggest surprise in Formula E history. The one no one saw coming.

Screengrab from Formula E

Sam Bird ended his 37-lose streak as he managed to overtake Mitch Evans and piloted his way towards McLaren's first-ever Formula E win. Nissan driver Oliver Rowland completes the Sao Paulo podium after finishing third.

After Sao Paulo, Nick Cassidy of Jaguar is leading with 57 points, four points ahead of Porsche's Pascal Wehrlein, while this race's second-placer Mitch Evans is in third with 39 points.

The next race is at an all-new venue: Tokyo, Japan, on March 30th.

Monday, March 11, 2024

2024 NASCAR Cup Series - Shriners Children's 500

As the world draws attention to the Oscars, the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series continues in Phoenix Raceway for the Shriners Children's 500.

As the green flag waved, the action in Phoenix was on. The first stage saw Derek Kraus spinning and collecting Austin Cindric and Austin Dillon in the on-track mess. As Tyler Reddick wins Stage 1, Stage 2 goes to Christopher Bell, and the final stage saw Kyle Busch spinning on the backstretch, Ross Chastain hitting the wall at Turn 4, and a spin by Denny Hamlin to name a few.

Screengrab from NASCAR

Christopher Bell wins the Shriners Children's 500 of the NASCAR Cup Series as a first for the new Toyota stock car!

The next race is at Bristol Motor Speedway for the Food City 500 this March 17th.

NTT IndyCar Series 2024 - Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg

The 2024 NTT IndyCar Series has officially begun on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida for the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.

Josef Newgarden leads the grid as the green flag waved followed by some tight racing at the start until Lap 26 saw Marcus Armstrong crash to the tire wall and become the first to retire. 

As the race resumed in Lap 30, Christian Lundgaard was leading while the others behind him were flexing their muscles, trying to outgun themselves. 

With the race having 32 laps to go, a collision by Romain Grosjean cost Linus Lundqvist's race, and with 15 laps to go, pitstop issues kicked Grosjean out of the race.

Screengrab from IndyCar

After a thrilling season opener, Josef Newgarden wins the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. Pato O'Ward finished 2nd and Scott McLaughlin finished 3rd.

The next race is the Thermal $1 Million Challenge this Palm Sunday, March 24th.

Sunday, March 10, 2024

F1 2024: STC Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

The F1 24 season continues with the STC Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at Jeddah, and this race saw the debut of Ferrari's reserve driver Ollie Bearman in place of Carlos Sainz who was diagnosed with appendicitis.

As the lights went off, the action in Saudi is underway. As the drivers made their first strides, including Bearman himself, Lap 7 saw Lance Stroll into the barriers, triggering a safety car until Lap 10. 

With Lance Stroll and Pierre Gasly out of the race, Lap 12 saw Alex Albon sustained front wing damage following contact with Kevin Magnussen while Sergio Perez served his five-second penalty for an unsafe release. Magnussen, meanwhile, was slapped with a 10-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage against Yuki Tsunoda for P12.

With Nico Hulkenberg, Lewis Hamilton, and Lando Norris done their pits, Lap 38 saw Fernando Alonso tapped to the wall but still standing. Bearman never failed to prove its worth as the race nears its end.

Screengrab from Formula 1

Max Verstappen nailed his second win of the season while Sergio Perez finished 2nd. Another 1-2 finish for the Red Bull Team. Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, meanwhile, finished 3rd.

The next race is at Melbourne for the Rolex Australian Grand Prix this March 24th.

Saturday, March 9, 2024

F1 Academy 2024 - Jeddah

The 2024 F1 Academy season has officially begun and this season marked a paradigm shift for the all-female racing series because ten out of 15 drivers will have liveries and suits based on the existing teams while the other five are from announced partners.

Red Bull, Charlotte Tilbury, PUMA, and Tommy Hilfiger were named partners of the 2024 F1 Academy season. In addition, familiar female drivers from other sports are joining in the fun such as Lia Block, former W Series driver Chloe Chambers, Iron Dames' Doriane Pin, Maya Weug, Tina Hausmann, and Aurelia Nobels.

Seven venues will each have a wild card driver and in the season opener in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Reema Juffali is the guest driver in the two-part season opener.

Screengrab from F1 Academy
Screengrab from F1 Academy

The first part of the season opener saw the first F1 Academy race win for newcomer Dorianne Pin, representing Prema Racing while driving in Mercedes-AMG colors, while Rodin Motorsport's Abbi Pulling, in Alpine colors, finished 2nd, and another Prema newcomer Maya Weug, running in Ferrari colors, finished 3rd.

In the final part, meanwhile, following Pin's penalty for crossing the checkered flag twice, Abbi Pulling and Maya Weug were promoted from 2nd and 3rd to 1st and 2nd, while Nerea Marti scored her first podium finish after being promoted from 4th to 3rd.

The next event will be at Miami this May 3-5.

Monday, March 4, 2024

2024 NASCAR Cup Series - Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube

The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series continues in Las Vegas for the Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube as the drivers are cashing out on who will make it to the top. All bets are off for this one.

As the green flag waved, the action in Sin City is underway. Stage 1 saw Christopher Bell trigger the first caution of the race with a flat right rear tire followed by Chris Buescher losing his right front wheel and a red flag.

As Kyle Larson won Stage 1, Stage 2 saw Bell spinning at Turn 2 and another stage win for Larson. As the final stage kicks in, the drivers are going all out until Corey LaJoie spins in turn 2 and makes contact with the outside wall.

Screengrab from NASCAR

After the action in Vegas, Kyle Larson wins the Pennzoil 400 of the NASCAR Cup Series!

The next race is at Phoenix for the Shriners Children's 500 this Sunday, March 10th.

Sunday, March 3, 2024

FIA WEC S12 - Qatar 1812km

The 12th season of the FIA World Endurance Championship is unlike the WEC the world knows because this season has been streamlined to two classes; the Hypercar class and the all-new LMGT3 class. With Lamborghini joining in the Hypercar fun, the all-new LMGT3 class adds more fire and fury to this season.

The 12th WEC season kicked off with the Qatar Airways Qatar 1812km endurance race, the ideal litmus test for the new and returning Hypercar machines as well as the all-new LMGT3 machines from the world's top carmakers.

Screengrab from WEC

Porsche made headlines in the season opener as not only the #6 Porsche Penske 963 nailed its first WEC Hypercar win but also the #92 Manthey PureRXCing 911 GT3 R in the new LMGT3 class. A double victory for the German marque in the season opener.

The next race is the 6 Hours of Imola this April 21st.

F1 2024: Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix

The F1 24 season has officially begun and this season saw some drastic changes. AlphaTauri is now called RB, Sauber dropped Alfa Romeo for Kick, the return of the Chinese Grand Prix, and an April schedule for the Japanese Grand Prix. 

This season marks Lewis Hamilton's final outing as a Mercedes driver before transferring to Ferrari next year.

The 2024 F1 season kicked off at Bahrain International Circuit for the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix and expectations are high over who will draw first blood this season.

As the lights went off, the season's first race was on with Lance Stroll spinning at the start and damage to Nico Hulkenberg's front wing. Come Lap 10, a mishap sent Logan Sargeant to last place while Max Verstappen continued to hold his lead. As Valtteri Bottas' pit stop hits a snag on Lap 32, Verstappen is still holding his lead from Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz.

Screengrab from Formula 1

Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing drew first blood of the season after winning the season opener while Sergio Perez finished 2nd and Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz finished 3rd.

The next race of the F1 24 season is the STC Saudi Arabian Grand Prix this March 9th.

Monday, February 26, 2024

2024 NASCAR Cup Series - Ambetter Health 400

The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series continues in Atlanta Motor Speedway for the Ambetter Health 400 as the drivers still making their early strides after their Daytona hangover.

As the green flag waved, the action in Atlanta was underway. Stage 1 saw Martin Truex Jr. trigger The Big One after making contact and spinning Austin Dillion in the process, followed by Chris Buescher spinning in Turn 4 on Lap 26, and Denny Hamlin making contact with Kyle Busch and spins from 6th on Lap 54. As Michael McDowell wins Stage One, Stage Two saw a climactic mess as Chris Buescher smashed through the wall with Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin fell victim to it. With Austin Cindric winning Stage 2 under caution, the final stage saw Kyle Busch colliding with Kaz Grala, Daniel Hemric scraping the wall, a red flag-triggering disaster when Chase Briscoe and Denny Hamlin collided while 4-wide and crash, and a three-wide photo finish no one saw coming.

Screengrab from NASCAR

At a rate of 0.003 seconds, it's official that Daniel Suarez won the Ambetter Health 400 of the NASCAR Cup Series.

The next race is at Las Vegas for the Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube this March 3rd.

Sunday, February 25, 2024

2024 Repco Supercars Championship - Thrifty Bathurst 500

The 2024 Repco Supercars Championship marks the second outing of the Mustang-Camaro rivalry down under and with the Chevrolet Camaro officially discontinued, it looks like its days at this sport are presumably numbered but like a good superhero, it ain't over until it says it's over.

Anyway, the 2024 campaign kicks off at the legendary Mount Panorama circuit in Bathurst for the two-part Thrifty Bathurst 500 race weekend, where new and returning faces are prepared to make their first strides in this Mustang-Camaro rivalry down under.

Screengrab from Supercars

Broc Feeney drew first blood in the first part by leading the Red Bull Ampol team to a 1-2 finish with Will Brown the second placer. Optus driver Chaz Mostert, driving a #25 Mobil1 Optus Racing Mustang, finished 3rd. In the second part, after Broc Feeney's crash on the first lap that slapped him with a penalty, Will Brown's victory against Mostert gave Red Bull Ampol Racing the lead in the team standings.

The next race is at Albert Park, Melbourne, for the Melbourne Supersprint from March 21 to 24.

Tuesday, February 20, 2024

2024 NASCAR Cup Series - Daytona 500

Originally scheduled a day before Presidents' Day until weather change pushed the schedule to Presidents' Day, the Daytona 500 signals the start of the oval racing season from the world of NASCAR.

The 2024 season welcomes the new look of the Ford Mustang and Toyota Camry stock cars joining alongside the now-discontinued Chevrolet Camaro-based stock car, making this season worth salivating for Ford and Toyota fans but tearful for Chevy fans.

After an opening salvo by Dwayne Johnson, the green flag was waved, and oval racing season has begun. In Stage 1, seven cars were involved in the first caution of the season after Brad Keselowski bumped John Hunter Nemechek in the high line, triggering a chain reaction. As Chase Elliott wins Stage 1, Stage 2 saw Ryan Preece slapped with a penalty for speeding on pit road followed by Ryan Blaney overtaking Austin Cindric for the stage win. As the final stage approached, a red flag was triggered when William Byron got into Brad Keselowski and spun him into Joey Logano, triggering The Big One which claimed 18 drivers.

Screengrab from NASCAR

A chaotic end to the first race of the 2024 season saw Ross Chastain and Austin Cindric clipped while William Byron took the white flag when the caution came out, meaning the winner goes to Byron himself.

The next race is at Atlanta Motor Speedway for the Ambetter Health 400 this Sunday, February 25th.

Monday, February 19, 2024

Extreme E S4 - Desert X Prix

The fourth season of Extreme E will be the most critical season of this series. Gone are Cupra, GMC Hummer EV, X44, and Carl Cox, and replaced by two new teams; SUN Minimeal and Legacy Motor Club. The McLaren team also saw a revamp in the form of Mattias Ekstrom and Cristina Gutierrez.

This season saw eight teams competing for the title, two down compared to the previous seasons, and with the imminent arrival of the hydrogen-powered offroad series Extreme H, this could be its last, although it still needs to be confirmed.

The fourth season of Extreme E kicked off from the sands of Saudi Arabia, which is still fresh from the Dakar Rally, with the two-part Desert X Prix.

Screengrab from Extreme E


The first part saw two-time champions RXR draw first blood after beating the likes of McLaren and Veloce Racing while the final part, meanwhile, saw Acciona|Sainz defeating the likes of Andretti and Veloce Racing. What a way to start the pivotal season.

The next event will be this July 13 to 14, although its venue is yet to be determined. Stay tuned for details.

WRC 2024: Rally Sweden

The 2024 World Rally Championship continues with the Rally Sweden where drivers brave through the snow-capped battlefields as they continue their battle for the top.


Screengrab from WRC

From the shakedown to the final stage, Hyundai's Esapekka Lappi showcased his dominant win in Sweden at the rate of 2:33:04.9, 29.6 seconds faster than second-placer Elfyn Evans. Ford driver Adrien Fourmaux completes the podium with a third-place finish.

The next event is the WRC Safari Rally Kenya this March 28-31.

Monday, January 29, 2024

2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship - Rolex 24 at Daytona

The 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship kicked off with the first endurance racing event of 2024, the Rolex 24 at Daytona. With an eclectic mix of veterans and rookies assembled in this 59-car grid representing four different classes such as the GTP, LMP2, GTD, and GTD PRO, the first endurance racing event of 2024 is a stunner from dawn to dusk to dawn again.

Screengrab from IMSA

After 24 hours of intense Daytona thriller, the #7 Porsche Penske Motorsports 963 of Matt Campbell, Felipe Nasr, Dane Cameron, and Josef Newgarden made headlines as the overall winner of the Rolex 24 at Daytona. The #18 Era Motorsport Oreca LMP2 07 wins the LMP2 class, the #62 Risi Competizione 296 GT3 for the GTD PRO class, and the #57 Winward Racing Mercedes AMG GT3 for the GTD class.

The next race is the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring on March 16 at Sebring International Raceway.