Formula 2 Sprint Race:
The Formula 2 Weekend got underway with the sprint race in Monaco, 1 month after the Azerbaijan weekend. It was a clean getaway for every driver until we got up to the chicane after the tunnel. Stanek and Maini got spun around with 4 drivers getting caught upon the incident. This brought out a VSC which lead into a full safety car. Whitch came in on lap 6 but Hadjar got an issue at the restart and had to retire. Iwasa managed to inherit the lead which brought every driver up by 1 place from the retsrta apart from Nissany and Boshung who had to retire. Leclerc and Maini were battling for P16 but due to the insignificant advantage of DRS. Fittipaldi managed to get cordeel on lap 22. After that. Cordeel crashed before the hairpin and brought out another safety car. Correa and Cordeel collided. The safety car came in lap 24 and Iwasa decided to go early. Bearman had to pit at the restart. Iwasa managed to pull a gap of over 6 seconds to lead the pack to the win and take home a win at Monaco. Daruvala finished P2 and Crawford P3.
Formula 2 Feature Race:
The Feature Race in Monaco kicked off with a clean start for most of the drivers. Dennis Hauger managed to cut turn 1 and ended up getting a 5 second time penalty. Cordeel started to fall back the field as the racers entered lap 2. Cordeel then picked up damage and retired but Hauger was then noted for leaving the track and gaining an advantage. With Formula 2, there is a rule which states that the drivers cannot complete their mandatory pitstop until the end of lap 6. So Benevides and Boschung decided to pit at the end of lap 8 which was a surprise. Arthur Leclerc got struck by a curse thats his brother also has as he DNFed from the race on lap 9. Further on in the race Nissany, Daruvala, Correa, Crawford, Fittipaldi, Iwasa, Hadjar, Bearman and Benevides all pitted. Nissany and Novalak battled through the tunnel section with a VSC having to be deployed due to Enzo Fittipaldi having an engine issue. Dennis Hauger received a 5 second time penalty on lap 20 for leaving the track and gaining an advantage. Jack Doohan ended up crashing on lap 22. The car caught on fire but he was all safe. However, the track was slippery and a red flag was called in order to repair the barrier. Vesti, Pourchaire and Martins all pitted before the red flag was called. We went racing again on lap 27 which was a steady start. It then emerged that Victor Martins did not slow down for the collision and ended up receiving a drive through penalty. Vesti managed to convert his pole to victory around the streets of Monaco. Theo Pourchaire finished P2 and Zane Maloney finished the podium positions.
Featured Image Credit to Prema Racing Photos and Videos.
Time for round six of this season’s championship and we come to the Island of Sardegna for the Italian round! Known for its extreme dusty roads and jumps this event is a favourite on the calendar.
Kalle and Jonne won the last round and come to this as championship leaders. They are joined as always in the Toyota team with their usual teammates, whilst Seb and Vincent are also entered. They will look to use their good starting position to set the pace throughout Friday’s stages and hope to hold on and take victory. However, Elfyn and Scott will want to do the same and it will be interesting to see how they get on.
Thierry and Martijn will have the same idea though and of course Thierry won this round in 2018. There is another Hyundai crew that will have the same idea. Yep, Dani won this round twice in recent years, taking victory in 2019 and also 2020. Let’s see what they can do this year! In fact, Esapekka and Janne will also be I believe challenging for victory. They showed great pace in Mexico and could do the same this weekend.
Meanwhile Ott and Martin at M-Sport Ford will definitely be in the fight this weekend. They took victory last year when at Hyundai and the Puma showed great pace in the hands of Craig Breen co-driven by Paul Nagle who of course took second place last year. For Pierre-Louis and Nicolas in the other Puma, the young Frenchman who has shown very good pace on gravel this year, they will want to take a great result and if things go well, could claim a top five finishing position. Of course, Nicolas won the event as co-driver in 2018 when with Thierry at Hyundai. Could he guide the young Puma driver to a podium this year? It will be interesting to watch!
Craig and Paul took second last year when at M-Sport Ford World Rally Team. Photo credit M-Sport Ford
Stage information
There is 320km’s over nineteen stages this year. Here’s the detail of what lies ahead throughout the weekend.
Following a shakedown in the morning, Rally Italia Sardinia officially begins on Thursday evening with the 3.23km Olbia – Cabu Abbas stage.
Friday is the longest day of the event with a total distance of 138.04km, which includes two passes of the mammoth test that is Monte Lerno – Sa Conchedda (49.90km).
Saturday’s itinerary consists of two loops of the four stages: Coiluna – Loelle (16.28km), Su Filigosu (19.57km), Erula – Tula (21.92km) and Tempio Pausania (9.96km).
Two passes each of Arzachena – Braniatogghiu (15.22km) and Sardegna (7.79km) bring the event to a close on Sunday.
Let’s hear from the drivers.
Toyota Gazoo Racing
Kalle Rovanperä
“Portugal was a great weekend for us, and it was nice to get a victory again. We will try to continue like this in the next events, but we know that Sardinia will be a much more difficult job. Of all the rallies in the calendar, I think this one has maybe been the trickiest for me, and if the weather is dry and hot like it usually is in Sardinia, it can be very difficult to be the first car on the road there; perhaps even more so this year with the 50-kilometre stage to be driven on Friday. It will be a demanding weekend but, like always, we will push together with the team to get the best result that we can.”
Elfyn Evans
“Portugal was a disappointing weekend on my side, but we have to put that behind us now, move forward to Sardinia and see what’s possible there. Our road position will be more favourable than what we started with on the last rally, but we know that it’s a challenging event regardless and one of the rougher rallies of the year. It definitely needs a smart approach but I’m looking forward to it, nonetheless. Like always in Sardinia, they mix up the stages every year. A lot of the route is known from before but some of it has not been driven for many years, so there will be a lot of new pacenotes to write during the recce – and this very long stage on Friday will of course be key.”
Sébastien Ogier
“Sardinia is a rally that I have learned to love. At first, I used to struggle going there, but over the years I started to master it more and more. The most recent memories I have of Sardinia are really good from when we managed to win in 2021 after starting first on the road, which is not normally possible on this event. Having missed Portugal, we will have a bit of a better starting position this time, but it will still be a difficult challenge, especially with this very long stage of 50 kilometres that the organisers have made for this year. I quite like that challenge, honestly; it adds some spice to the rally and the need for tyre management. It will certainly be an interesting rally.”
Hyundai Motorsport
Thierry Neuville
“Sardinia presents a lot of challenges, but the biggest are the heat and tyre wear. The stages are also difficult as the surface is rough, and they are quite narrow and technical too, so there is not much room for mistakes. Our target is to deal with the conditions as best we can and fight hard for a good result. Portugal was a tough weekend for us. I had a different set-up from Dani and Esapekka which we think is one of the reasons why I was struggling with traction and car balance. Switching my car to similar settings to those of my team-mates should be beneficial in the quest for improved performance and I’m looking forward to putting this to the test.”
Esapekka Lappi
“Sardinia is generally quite a slow rally with very technical stages. The second pass is particularly demanding for the tyres and car as there’s some bedrock and lots of loose rocks that get pulled onto the road. The usual high temperatures of around 30 degrees also add to the challenge. Personally, I sweat quite easily, so as a driver I need to concentrate more on nutrition and keeping myself well hydrated. At dry gravel rallies, Friday is always very crucial in terms of making a successful weekend, so that will be the key focus for us. Our hope is that we can deliver a consistent performance, avoid the rocks that could cause punctures, and bring home a podium for the team.”
Dani Sordo
“Sardinia offers a different challenge to previous gravel events this year, as the roads are narrower, more sandy and more slippery. Because of this, you cannot afford to make any mistakes. If you do so in Sardinia, you will pay. Road position can be very important at this event, as starting later in the order usually gives you a cleaner stage than those at the front. The almost 50km-long Monte Lerno stage will be a real challenge. We had one that was 37km in Portugal and even that was hard to stay fully concentrated the entire time. Our minimum goal for the weekend is to finish on the podium and hopefully we can be in a position to fight for the victory.”
2022 FIA World Rally Championship Round 05, Rally Italia Sardegna 02-05 June 2022 Dani Sordo, Candido Carrera, Hyundai i20 N Rally 1 Photographer: Dufour Fabien Worldwide copyright: Hyundai Motorsport GmbH
M-Sport Ford WRT
Ott Tänak
“Sardinia is a unique rally in many ways, the roads are demanding with very low grip conditions but at the same time very narrow and fast between trees and rock faces. I always enjoy driving there!
“All the M-Sport team, together with the Ford Performance guys in the US, have been on it to bring on the next steps in our performance and we have a busy test day before Sardinia. We are looking into everything to extract some extra speed.
“The target is to get another step closer to our competitors. Things will take a bit of time, but I’m sure that improving step by step we will be there one moment!”
Pierre-Louis Loubet
“I think with the pace we showed on Friday in Portugal we can expect to do something good in Sardinia. It will be very important to avoid any mistakes this time, as even small ones can have big consequences. We know that the pace is there, we just need to put it all together to get a good result and we’re hoping that will all happen in Sardinia.”
WRC2 Category
Once again there is a huge entry for this category. M-Sport will be running three Fiesta Rally2 cars for Adrien, Grégoire and Robert and of course Oliver Solberg will also be competing in a Skoda Fabia Evo. Also joining these crews will be two cars from Hyundai Motorsport.
Let’s hear from these drivers.
Adrien Fourmaux
“Sardinia is a really rough event, with hot conditions, and this year we have a nearly 50km stage to look forward to! It’ll be a huge challenge for everybody, for the crews and the mechanics. But I like the challenge, and this will be my fifth time in Sardinia, so we have a good base knowledge of the stages.
“This is a famously difficult event, there’s no margin for error with rocks everywhere! When you hit something, you hit it hard. Let’s see what we can achieve.”
Grégoire Munster
“Sardinia is a new event for us, just like Portugal, so it will all be about discovery and gaining experience. Portugal didn’t go so well for us, but it was our first time on gravel in the car, so we will try to use that experience in Sardinia and do better there.”
Robert Virves
“This will be my first time competing in Sardinia, so there will be a lot to learn as it is a very tough event. Luckily, we have had some good experience in Portugal, and we can use a lot of that information on the stages in Sardinia. This is a big opportunity to learn a lot, it’s a tough event and we will need to manage the car and the tyres. But the experience in the Rally2 is all about learning, and it’s all beneficial to us going forward. Let’s see what happens!”
Oliver Solberg
“We’re back based on the east side of the island in Olbia again this year. The roads here are not usually quite so rough, they’re more sandy over here. We need to have a look from the recce – the conditions depend a lot on how hard the winter has been.
“The approach for this event is going to be the same as for the other gravel rallies: we just try to do our job. The car has been nice, it’s been fast and comfortable for me. The key here is really that, you want a comfortable car that’s easy to follow – and you have to make sure the rear of the car’s not sliding too much.”
“The long stage on Friday will be tough,” said Oliver. “It will be tough on the car, the tyres and the body a little bit as well. But I’m looking forward to it. These are great roads and to sit on the start line and know you have to drive a car as cool as the Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 as fast as I can for the next 50 kilometres is really something special.
“And, of course, it’s always nice to win a rally my Dad has already won. For me in Sardinia this week, I will try to do my job, like I have done all year. This has been enough so far.”
Teemu Suninen
“Sardinia is normally quite a lot warmer than other events, which makes the driving tougher and it can create higher levels of wear on the car and tyres. The surface is also hard and rough which can be more demanding for the suspension setups. It was clear in Portugal that the level in WRC2 is very high this year, so we must focus on every small detail and fight on every stage. We will also try to have a good pace and stay away from problems. If we do this, I believe we can get a good result. The goal is to win the rally, but with many top drivers in the class, it will be challenging.”
2023 FIA World Rally Championship Round 05, Rally de Portugal 11-14 May 2023 Teemu Suninen, Mikko Markkula, i20 N Rally 2 Photographer: Dufour Fabien Worldwide copyright: Hyundai Motorsport GmbH
Fabrizio Zaldivar
“We travel to Sardinia looking for a better result than we achieved in Portugal. It will be a difficult challenge, but I am determined to keep pushing and improving. We know there is pace in the Hyundai i20 N Rally2 on this surface, hopefully we can find a good rhythm and show the car’s potential. The initial forecast shows it may not be as hot as last year, but we still expect the heat to play a part in the event. I hope we can come to the end of Rally Italia Sardegna without any incidents and having shown what we are capable of.”
Summary
Well, we are set for a cracking rally ahead this weekend! Keep an eye out for my daily reports!
Max Verstappen has taken pole position for the first time in Monaco after one of the most thrilling qualifying sessions in years. The world champion ended up just 0.084 ahead of Fernando Alonso, while the top 10 were covered by less than a second.
The most important qualifying session of the season started under bright blue skies, almost everyone going straight out onto the circuit knowing getting a lap in early could be crucial.
The early pace setter as expected was Verstappen, who went quickest with his first flying lap backed up by his team-mate Sergio Perez in second place. Both Aston Martins were also within tenth of the leading Red Bull. With just 11 minutes left of the session the red flag came out after Perez hit the wall at St Devot. The RedBull driver would not take any further part in qualifying.
The session resumed for a frantic shoot out to get through to Q2; Verstappen ended the session quickest with a time of 1.12.386 just ahead of Yuki Tsunoda in the AlphaTauri with Williams’ Alex Albon third. Both Carlos Sainz and Sir Lewis Hamilton had to leave it late after scrappy first runs but they both got through in the end. Out of Q1 were Perez, Guanyu Zhou, Nico Hulkenberg, Kevin Magnussen and Logan Sargeant in the Williams.
After a frantic Q1 the second session began in calmer fashion, Verstappen once again quickest straight from the off, closely followed by Alonso. The first runs were all completed without any dramas. Norris had a scrape with the wall at Tabac after damaging his left front suspension when exiting the chicane, ending the McLaren driver’s session. Hamilton again left it late but managed to get within 2 tenths of the quickest time set by Verstappen with a time of 1.11.908
Out at the end of Q2 were Valtteri Bottas, Lance Stroll, Albon, Nyck De Vries and Oscar Piastri.
Q3 began with Verstappen straight out on track to get his lap in early to avoid any red flags ruining his session as they had in recent years. The world champion set an early 1.12 but was beaten almost immediately by Alonso, Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc. All three of them managed to get into the 1:11s.
With six minutes left Lando Norris left the pitman after McLaren had worked some magic to get his car back on track.
Verstappen managed to get a good lap in halfway through the session and went to the top of the timesheets but amazingly was beaten by Ocon in the Alpine.
The last runs began with just 2 minutes left in the session. The driver at the top of the timesheets kept changing but ended once again with Verstappen at the top on a 1.11.365 just 0.084 ahead of Alonso. On the second row are Leclerc and Esteban Ocon, they will be followed by Sainz, Hamilton, Pierre Gasly, George Russell, Yuki Tsunoda and Norris.
The stewards are currently investigating Stroll for missing the weigh bridge in Q2, while Leclerc may yet be in trouble for holding up Norris in the final session by moving slowly in the tunnel.
The race will be long on Sunday and the threat of rain could mix it up; Verstappen and Alonso into turn one could get tasty.
Featured image curtesy of by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool
Formula E has announced that major changes have occured for the Jakarta E-Prix, just 1 week ahead of the double header.
Presenter Vernon Kay left the role of lead presenter after the Monaco EPrix a few weeks ago and today, it was announced that Radzi Chinyanganya would take over this role in Jakarta.
As Radzi will leave his pitlane reporter role to fill in for Vernon, Saunders Carmichael-Brown will take over as a pit-lane reporter with Nelson Piquet Jr, Oliver Askew and Kelvin Van Der Linde all taking up their roles.
Also announced is Nicki Shields will be absent for the Jakarta EPrix and will return for the Southwire Portland E-Prix.
A familar face to motorsport fans will be taking over from Jack Nicholls as lead commentator for the Jakarta EPrix with Ben Edwards stepping up. Karun Chandock will be in the commentary box as well.
Speaking about the change, Edwards said “I am very excited to get back behind the mic with Formula E as the on-track action this season is a commentator’s dream.” said Edwards. “The championship is more competitive than ever and I get to bring that to life for viewers around the world. I’m delighted to be joining the team and calling the action in Jakarta.”
Jack Nicholls is also out as the lead commentator for the rest of season 9 and the entire championship.
British Superbikes 2023 – Some of the Story so far.
Round 3 Donington Park. Baking under the early Spring sunshine, the Derbyshire track once again provided a great weekends racing. Dominated by a trio of wins from Yamaha, namely Kyle Ryde Lami Vape OMG Yamaha (2) and Jason O’Halloran McAMS Yamaha (1).
Followed up with podiums from regulars to the box and clear championship contenders, Josh Brookes, Glenn Irwin, Tommy Bridewell and Leon Haslam. Surprise of the weekend coming in the form of 2nd place finisher from Race 2, Ryan Vickers bagging his maiden podium in the Superbike class on board his Lami Vape OMG Yamaha.
With the new points system in place, cast aside have been the moans and groan of the pessimists as the new points system is proving to be keeping the points close this season, that in addition to the different mix of riders able to win races in 2023 and the unfortunate DNF’s of the Beermonster Ducati team (neither rider finishing the first race on Sunday). Also add in to that the unexpectedly problematic start to the season from widely acclaimed preseason favorite, championship contender Jason O’Halloran and you have the top 5 in the standings covered by 10 points after 9 races.
British Superbike Standings After Round 3
So who’s got 2023 right so far?
For one it seems now the move by both Glenn Irwin and Tommy Bridewell to Paul Bird’s Beermonster Ducati has been a stroke of genius for all involved, especially Paul for pursuing the 2 riders. Many expected fireworks from the Ducati pairing, with Irwin being a feisty character who commands ‘full gas’ from those around him while Bridewell has been the solo entrant for his team for the last 5 years under the Oxford Products Ducati banner in the MotoRapido team ran by Steve Moore, it was thought by those in the know that the two potentially wouldn’t co-exist in the same environment.
BeerMonster Ducati – Glenn Irwin – Picture PBM Ducati and Double Red
So far though, the 2 British Superbike veterans are remaining professional, co-existing nicely and keeping the on-track battles clean and respectful. Whether this will remain the plan come Brands Hatch in a few months remains to be seen. Both Irwin and Bridewell are in the best position they have ever been to be crowned British Superbike Champion this year. Tommy is leading the championship on 119 points followed closely by Glenn on 116 points.
BeerMonster Ducati – Tommy Bridewell – Picture PBM Ducati and Double Red
Another rider to be kicking 2023 off on the positive foot is Lami Vape OMG Yamaha rider, Kyle Ryde.
With 5 podiums, including 1 win throughout the whole of 2022 season, Ryde has already chalked up 3 dominant wins in 2023. He is 5th in the championship, but crucially only 10 points behind leader Bridewell. According to paddock sources, Ryde is fitter, stronger, more determined and professional this year. It seems nothing but a championship is the goal for the team which secured the 2022 BSB crown with Brad Ray, and Kyle is on course for being right in the mix come the end of season. Depsite a DNF at Donington Park, Ryde has laid down a marker that he IS one of the men to beat in 2023. Kyle Currently sits 5th in the standings on 109 points. Also a special mention to his team mate, Ryan Vickers who despite missing a full round of the BSB after an opperation, he currently sits 8th overall, helped by his maiden podium this weekend at Donington Park.
Kyle Ryde – Official BSB Image
Some of us are not surprised at all!
Josh Brookes left the PBM Ducati team at the end of 2022 with some questions as to whether he was past his best? Struggling with form since his Championship winning 2020 season, Brookes made no secret of the fact he believed it was the Ducati Panigale V4 that was the problem during the 21 & 22 seasons.
Josh Brookes – FHO BMW – Official BSB Image
FHO BMW announced Brookes as partnering their long-term rider Peter Hickman on the BMW M1000RR and from Round 1, Josh has come out swinging. 5 podiums including 2 wins so far in 2023 shows Brookes still has the will to win, the skill to win and the determination to be British Champion. It also points towards the fact Josh could have been correct, claiming it was the previous version of the V4R that was hindering the popular Australian. The PBM team have returned to winning ways under new riders Irwin and Bridewell aboard the new for 2023 V4 Ducati, but it’s somewhat Ironic that the rider joining them, winning races and sharing the podium is the very same rider who left the team the previous year under scrutiny. No doubt Josh finds humor in this, ‘coz I know we all do. Josh currently sits 3rd in the standings on 114 points.
Josh Brookes on the Podium – Image Courtesy of FHO Racing BMW
Rokit BMW Motorrad Team.
In true Haslam style, grit and determination have put Leon on the grid this year in a true privateer effort. Sponsorship coming from the Rokit company with some support from the SMR BMW team in World Superbikes bringing together the infrastructure for Leon to start his own team with a view to bringing talent through the ranks all the way to BSB. No surprise to most, after a very successful test out in Spain at the start of the season, it was clear Haslam has gelled with the BMW machinery and it has enabled him to mount a strong start to the 2023 season. While race wins have evaded him so far, 4 podiums in 9 races is a vast improvement on his 2022 campaign aboard the Lee Hardy Racing Kawasaki and one that Leon would have snapped your arm off had you predicted this before the season got underway. Outshining all but Brookes on the FHO BMW, Haslam’s operation is certainly turning heads. Leon proves a case for experience will always carry the series forward over youthful exuberance. Leon currently lies 4th in the standings on 110 points.
Leon Haslam Rokit BMW – Image Official BSB
2023 is shaping up to be a strong debut from the Mar-Train Yamaha team.
Making the step up to Superbikes from Supersport after years of domination, Jack Kennedy and team are regularly inside the top 10 and has scored points in all but 1 race so far this year. Being honest, I think it’s surprising the team can run in such company so early in their superbike tenure, while vastly experienced in the 600 category, the Superbike is still new ground. However, I am not shocked Kennedy has been so competitive. If anything as a multiple Supersport Champion, I feel Jack should be able to run with the front pack. I’d go as far as saying by next year he should be running for the podium. Kennedy has the experience and the calibre to do so. Hopefully over the summer of racing, the team and Jack keep making them marginal gains and start to knock on the door of regular top 5’s. Kennedy will be under survailance from some of the other teams in the paddock, if not already on the radar for the likes of McAMS Yamaha, Honda Racing UK etc. Well done Jack and Mar-Train Yamaha I say! Jack currently sits 9th in the championship on 50 points.
Jack Kennedy – MarTrain Yamaha – Image Official BSBMy final hurrah goes to Danny Kent of Lovell Kent Racing Honda. While the standings themselves do not show it, Danny has pedaled some good laps this season. Running in the top 5 and spinning some fast laps in qualifying. For another true privateer team, Kent has adapted to the Honda well and hopefully a little consistency will come his way and bring the points. A DNF at Oulton Park and 2 DNF’s at Donington haven’t helped Kent, but by the same vain the points gaps are closer and if Danny can spin it around, he will soon make ground on the top 5. He is a World Champion after all.
Danny Kent – Lovell Kent Racing – Image Official BSB
Who hasn’t 2023 been kind to?
Unfortunately the first name on the list has to be Jason O’Halloran. The curse of Oulton Park kicking in again for the 3rd year running with a double DNF during iffy weather conditions, also affecting his qualifying positions for Race 3 where he was able to fight his way back into the top 10 to finish off the weekend, some 22 seconds back from the leaders. Unfortunately for Jason, Donington didn’t start well either. What appeared to be a wrong tyre choice left him battling to save points with Jason crossing the line in 14th overall. Luckily a change of tyre compound for the Sunday racing, O’Show was out of the blocks bagging his first race win of the season in Race 2 and a close battle between Oxford Products Christian Iddon, FS3 Lee Jackson and O’Show in Race 3 saw Jason come off worst with a 7th over the line.
39 points separate O’Halloran from Kyle Ryde in 5th position overall and it doesn’t take a genius to work out that Oulton Park and Doningotn Race 1 have left O’Halloran with quite the hill to climb. Later in the season we enter the showdown races and the finale. Showdown in title only, the new points system could give Jason the opportunity he needs to recoup some points on his competitors if a late season flurry of wins is on the cards. Jason currently lies 6th in the championship on 70 points.
Jason O’Halloran – Bennetts Image
Another victim of 2023 cruelty?
Christian Iddon. Widely anticipated to hit the front winning races from the very get go, Iddon seems to have had no luck so far this season. A few early technical gremlins for the Ducati, combined with Christian being taken out of the race by Charlie Nesbit (Silverstone) and Andrew Irwin (Donington) have left ‘fan favourite’ Iddon pedaling like mad playing catch up. Unfortunately, once you are on the back foot it is very difficult to bridge the gap without other riders suffering misfortune. Hopefully Iddon will benefit from the new points system, while working on fighting his way back to the front of British Superbikes. Christian is currently 10th overall in the championship on 49 points.
Christian Iddon – Oxford Products Ducati – Ducati UK Image
Poor Andrew Irwin of Honda Racing UK.
A triple DNF at Donington Park has left the Honda rider down in 12th position in the standings. Many expected Irwin to be resurrecting his winning form of 2019/20 where he teamed with brother, Glenn but so far it hasn’t gone to plan. With a lot of fans arguing over “Do you go for the gap or not” after Irwin was involved in an incident with Chrstian Iddon, going for the gap at the hairpin with both riders going down. BSB Race Direction said “Following analysis of multiple video sources including onboard cameras, and after hearing the accounts of both riders, the Race Direction concluded that neither rider acted in a careless, reckless or dangerous manner and no further action was required”.
However after an incident with Storm Stacey in subsequent race, in almost identical moves, Irwin was handed 3 penalty points and a 3 place grid penalty for the next race following the incident with Stacey. Irwin apologised to Storm, his team and the Honda Racing UK team in a post on social media.
The truth be told it’s a conversation for race direction, Andy Irwin himself and team principal Harvier Beltran. Only they know if this is a homecoming combination of their dreams or whether it’s going tits up. Andy Irwin comes across as a lovely lad, popular with some fans and hopefully can find some consistency and finish races. I wish him luck.
Andrew Irwin – Image @AndrewIrwin8 Twitter
So that’s it. A bit of a wrap up on 2023 so far.
Who’s your money on moving forwards? Are you more interested in the story from the back half of the grid? The progression of riders such as Davey Todd, Jack Scott, Tom and Tim Neave? Are the rookies performing as you expected? For more thoughts, chat and a bit of banter follow me on twitter and we can continue this discussion @RacingArmchair
Larson gave the 23 other Cup drivers in what he described as an “old-school ass whipping” by comfortably winning his third All-Star Race in Sunday night’s 200-lap race around the revived North Wilkesboro Speedway, leading 145 laps, and taking home $1 million dollars.
Kyle Larson
Bubba Wallace
Rest of race recap
Coca-Cola 600
Full race results
Larson’s strategy winning move came on lap 18 when crew chief Cliff Daniels had him pit for fresh tyres while the top half of the field stayed out including leaders Suarez and Hamlin, and despite receiving a speeding penalty for speeding on pit road that sent him to restart the race in the rear in 24th place, by lap 55 he was overtaking Daniel Suarez for the lead and pulled a 12-second lead by the time the 100-lap competition break came around.
Kyle Larson, driver of the #5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet (1st), and Daniel Suarez, driver of the #99 Trackhouse Motorplex Chevrolet (2nd), lead the field during the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway on May 21, 2023 in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
Bubba Wallace attempted to match Larson’s pace in the final 100 laps but Larson maintained a four-second lead over the 23XI Racing driver to take himself with his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet to a third All-Star Race win at a third different track, the first two coming at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2019 and Texas Motor Speedway in 2021.
Larson said: “So much fun there. That was an old-school ass whipping, for sure. We had a great car on the long run there and was just thinking for sure there was going to be a caution. I got out to a big lead, and I could see everybody’s cars were driving like crap in front of me, but I cannot thank this 5 team enough.”
Larson was able to hook the bottom of the track including the apron in turns three and four while most of the other cars’ handling difficulties meant they lacked the capability to replicate his line with Wallace coming close, running a lane higher out of turn four.
While there was a lack of traditional short-track bumper banging, it was a real drivers race, with most only using seventy percent throttle at most around the track and having to control the amount of slipping and sliding, making it a real test of car control and tyre management.
A general view of racing during the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway.
Larson swept the weekend by also winning Saturday’s Truck Series 250-lap race, where he had to pass Bubba Wallace inside of 20 laps to go and hold him off in an overtime finish to take the chequered flag.
Larson equals Jeff Gordon, now Vice Chairman of Hendrick Motorsports, and Dale Earnhardt Sr. with three All-Star wins. It’s Hendrick Motorsports 11th All-Star win, the most all-time.
Bubba Wallace adds to a string of recent strong performances by coming up deservingly in the runner-up spot.
Wallace was also on the same strategy as Larson, having pitted on lap 18 and found himself in eighth by lap 75 before a phenomenal charge up to second passing cars on older tyres except Larson in the closing laps before the competition break at lap 100.
Kyle Larson, driver of the #5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet (front), and Bubba Wallace, the No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota (behind), pits during qualifying heat #2 for the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway on May 20, 2023 in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Wallace was unable to match Larson’s pace in the final 100 laps but was able to keep the rest of the field at bay including his 23XI Racing teammate Tyler Reddick who finished 3rd, making it a Toyota 23XI two-three finish.
Wallace said: “If this was any other race, I’d be excited, but for a million dollars to come up short and walk home with nothing. Tail tucked between our legs, but all in all, just continuing to ride the momentum train. Just have to keep it going. Now we show back up to home turf (for next Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway) and really got to keep the momentum going there and get ourselves deeper into the Playoffs.”
Bubba Wallace, driver of the No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota, drives during the NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway (Photo by Alejandro Alvarez/NASCAR Studios)
Rest of race recap
The inside groove at North Wilkesboro was king during the race. Chris Buescher who started outside pole, was unable to find a gap to fall into the inside lane of cars at the start of the race, and fell back to 11th as a result of being trapped on the outside.
A caution came out on lap 16, when Ricky Stenhouse Jr. boldly came down the race track in front of a faster Erik Jones who spun him around as a result.
Erik Jones, driver of the No. 43 STP Chevrolet, drives during the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
Polesitter Daniel Suarez, who won heat race one on Saturday to secure the pole for Sunday’s All-Star Race, led the opening 55 laps of the race but chose not to pit on lap 18 for tyres, which saw Larson pass him easily on lap 55 on fresher tyres.
William Byron and Kyle Busch had such poor handling race cars, that both were forced to pit under green during the opening 100 laps to make adjustments, and went down a lap and two laps to the leader respectively as a result.
Despite everyone pitting for tyres and fuel during the competition break on lap 100, now that Larson had taken the lead, there was no looking back for the Californian, who led the rest of the race in dominating fashion.
This Sunday as part of Memorial Day Weekend in the United States, the NASCAR Cup Series will race at Charlotte Motor Speedway in one of it’s crown jewel events following IndyCar’s Indy 500, the Coca-Cola 600; a 400 lap (600 mile) race around the 1.5-mile Charlotte Motor Speedway.
The green flag flies at 6pm ET. Follow ThePitCrewOnline’s twitter @PitCrew_Online for live updates and reporting of the Coca-Cola 600.
Featured Image: Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, celebrates with the one million dollar check in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
The Oregon Trail Rally has come to an end. Brandon Semenuk would take all the stage wins and win the event with a 8 minute and 52.3 second lead over Jeff Seehorn.
SS15, Boyd Loop Very Short
Stage 15 would see Brandon Semenuk take the win once again. Lia Block would finish with the second fastest time on the stage, setting a time 28.8 seconds slower than Semenuk. Jason Bailey would set the third fastest time on the stage, finishing with a time 1.6 seconds slower than Block. Andy Miller would set the fourth fastest time on the stage, that time would be 4.3 seconds slower than Bailey. Todd Hartmann would round out the top five on the stage, finishing with a time 0.9 seconds slower than Miller.
SS16, Shadow Buck
Brandon Semenuk would once again take the win on SS16. Semenuk would finish the stage with a time 16.5 seconds faster than Lia Block who placed second on the stage. Jason Bailey would set the third fastest time on the stage, finishing with a time 1.6 seconds slower than Block. Jacob Despain would set the fourth fastest time on the stage, finishing with a time 5.2 seconds slower than Bailey. Matthew Dickinson would round out the top five on the stage, finishing with a time 1.3 seconds slower than Despain.
SS17, Nagles Revenge
Stage 17 would once again see Brandon Semenuk on top. Semenuk would finish the stage with a time 18 seconds faster than Josh Bailey who would finish second on the stage. Lia Block would set the third fastest time on the stage, finishing the stage with a time 2.6 seconds slower than Bailey. Javier Olivares would finish the stage with the fourth fastest time, finishing with a time 3.2 seconds slower than Block. Matthew Dickinson would round out the top five on the stage, setting a time 0.4 seconds slower than Olivares.
SS18, Starveout
Stage 18 would once again see Brandon Semenuk take the stage win. Jason Bailey would set the second fastest time on the stage, that time would be 50.6 seconds slower than Semenuk’s time. Lia Block would set the third fastest time on the stage, setting a time 4.6 seconds slower than Bailey. Andy Miller would finish with the fourth fastest time on the stage, finishing 1.7 seconds slower than Block. Jacob Despain would round out the top five on the stage, finishing 0.3 seconds slower than Miller.
SS19, Starveout
Stage 19 would see Brandon Semenuk take his 19th consecutive stage win. Semenuk would finish the stage with a time 44.1 seconds faster than Jason Bailey who placed second on the stage. Matthew Dickinson would set the third fastest time on the stage, setting a time 11.8 seconds slower than Bailey. Jacob Despain would set the fourth fastest time on the stage, setting a time 0.3 seconds slower than Dickinson. Lia Block and Dave Clark would tie for fifth on the stage, with both drivers setting a time 4.4 seconds slower than Despain.
The first four stages of the final day of the Oregon Trail Rally have come to an end. Brandon Semenuk maintained his lead and now leads Jeff Seehorn by 5 minutes and 19.9 seconds.
SS11, Boyd Loop Very Short
The eleventh stage of the Oregon Trail Rally and the first of day three would once again see Brandon Semenuk on top. Jeff Seehorn would set the second fastest time on the stage, 20.3 seconds slower than Semenuk’s time. Sam Albert would set the third fastest time on the stage, finishing with a time 3.6 seconds slower than Seehorn. Jason Bailey would set the fourth fastest time on the stage, 10.1 seconds slower than Albert’s time. Todd Hartmann would round out the top five on the stage, finishing with a time 0.8 seconds slower than Bailey’s time.
SS12, Shadow Buck
Stage 12 would once again see Brandon Semenuk on top. Semenuk would set a time 12.9 seconds faster than Sam Albert who placed second on the stage. Jeff Seehorn would finish with the third fastest time on the stage, finishing with a time 1.8 seconds slower than Albert. Lia Block would set the fourth fastest time on the stage, setting a time 3.4 seconds slower than Seehorn. Steven Redd would round out the top five on the stage, finishing with a time 2.1 seconds slower than Block.
SS13, Nagles Revenge
If you guessed Brandon Semenuk won SS14 you’d be correct. As Semenuk would set a time 7.7 seconds faster than Sam Albert to win the stage. Jeff Seehorn would set the third fastest time on the stage, finishing with a time 9 seconds slower than Albert’s. Lia Block would once again finish with the fourth fastest time on the stage, setting a time 3.7 seconds slower than Seehorn. Matthew Dickinson would round out the top five on the stage, finishing with a time 0.2 seconds slower than Block.
SS14, Starveout
Stage 14 would once again see Brandon Semenuk take the stage win. Jeff Seehorn would set the second fastest time on the stage, setting a time 30.8 seconds slower than Semenuk. Sam Albert would finish with the third fastest time on the stage, with a time 13.1 seconds slower than Seehorn. Lia Block would once again finish with the fourth fastest time on the stage, setting a time 13 seconds slower than Albert’s. Matthew Dickinson would round out the top five on the stage, finishing with a time 3 seconds slower than Block.
NASCAR is returning to the legendary 0.625-mile North Wilkesboro Speedway as part of its 75th anniversary to run its All-Star Race where the winner will take home $1 million dollars.
North Wilkesboro Speedway
Format
Heat races
All-Star Open lineup
All-Star Race lineup
Drivers to watch
Notable paint schemes
Located in the heart of NASCAR country, Wilkes County, NASCAR, Marcus Smith’s Speedway Motorsports Incorporated and the local community have spent the last year restoring North Wilkesboro Speedway to its former glory while making it a venue fit for a modern day NASCAR Cup Series race after the track was abandoned by NASCAR in 1996 in pursuit of furthering national expansion efforts beyond the Southeast into it’s schedule to grow regional markets.
NASCAR has now come home though, returning to its roots in what many are calling the ‘Field of Dreams of Racing’.
Dale Earnhardt’s No. 3 Chevrolet sits on display at North Wilkesboro Speedway in NASCAR’s return to Wilkes County (Zack Albert/NASCAR Studios)
New grandstands have been built, a freshly repaved pit road has been put down, and the cracks in the asphalt filled in. Surrounding this though still is much of its history, with old signage including the original scoreboard have remained in place and the original walls and buildings also kept wherever possible including the famous NASCAR Winston Cup Series wall.
The track has been described as a cheese grater by the drivers who have teared around the half mile track of dreams so far this week such as in the CARS Tour Late Model race on Wednesday, the NASCAR Truck Series 250-lap race on Saturday, and during the various practice sessions.
Format
Sunday night’s All-Star Race will consist of 200 laps with a break at 100 laps while the 100-lap All-Star Open race being run prior to decide the final three spots to make up the 24 car field for the All-Star Race.
A general view of NASCAR Cup Series drivers (Back Row L-R) Ryan Blaney, Josh Bilicki, Erik Jones, Noah Gragson, Aric Almirola, Corey LaJoie, Ross Chastain, Ty Gibbs, Bubba Wallace, Ty Dillon, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Daniel Suarez, Chase Briscoe, Christopher Bell, Michael McDowell, Chris Buescher, Chase Elliott, Austin Cindric, Martin Truex Jr., (Front Row L-R) Chandler Smith, Harrison Burton, Kyle Larson, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Joey Logano, William Byron, Justin Haley, AJ Allmendinger, Kevin Harvick, Austin Dillon, Todd Gilliland, Brad Keselowski, Ryan Preece, JJ Yeley, and Tyler Reddick pose on track for a photo at North Wilkesboro Speedway on May 19, 2023 in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
The green flag for the 100-lap All-Star Open will fly at 5:30pm ET while the All-Star Race will begin at 8pm ET.
In the All-Star Open there will be a competition break around lap 40. The top-two finishers will advance to the All-Star Race as well as the fan vote driver (the driver from the All-Star Open who received the most fan votes to advance to the All-Star Race).
For the All-Star Race, there are three sets of sticker tyres allocated to each team in addition to the sticker set they start on. Strategy will come into play in when to and when not to take tyres due to the high falloff with over a second a falloff being seen in the lap times in a matter of laps around the historic half mile.
To complicate matters further, only one additional set of sticker tyres can be used following the competition break.
Eligibility to be locked into the All-Star Race is if a driver is a previous champion of the sport or previous All-Star Race winner that is currently competing full-time, or has won a Cup Series points paying race in the 2022 or 2023 season.
The Grand Marshals for the All-Star Race will be seven-time Cup champion Richard Petty and three-time Cup cahmpion Darrell Waltrip who combined have won 25 Cup races at North Wilkesboro, Petty 15 to Waltrip’s 10.
The Honorary Starter will be Ray Evernham, three-time Cup Series champion crew chief.
The Honorary Pace Car Driver will be Jeff Gordon, four-time Cup Series champion driver who won the very last Cup race at North Wilkesboro Speedway in 1996.
The track itself sees 13 degrees of banking in both turns one and two, and three and four ,with the a downhill frontstrectch and an uphill backstretch.
— North Wilkesboro Speedway (@NWBSpeedway) May 11, 2023
Heat races
The starting lineup for the All-Star Race was decided in Saturday night’s two 60-lap heat races with heat race one determining the inside row lineup and heat race two the outside.
Daniel Suarez won heat one in damp conditions to start on pole for the All-Star Race while Chris Buescher led every single lap of heat two that a saw a switch onto rain tyres on lap 25, to start alongside the Mexican.
Chris Buescher, driver of the #17 Fastenal Ford, leads the field during qualifying heat #2 for the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway on May 20, 2023 in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
All-Star Open Lineup
Friday’s Pit Crew Challenge won by the Ty Gibbs No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Team determined the starting lineup for the heat races as well as the All-Star Open, with Gibbs securing the pole for the All-Star Open due to not being locked into the main event.
NORTH WILKESBORO, NORTH CAROLINA – MAY 19: Pit crew members of the #54 Monster Energy Toyota, leaps into action during the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race Qualifying Pit Crew Challenge at North Wilkesboro Speedway on May 19, 2023 in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
The All-Star Open lineup is as follows.
Position
Driver
1st
Ty Gibbs
2nd
Josh Berry
3rd
Corey LaJoie
4th
Harrison Burton
5th
Justin Haley
6th
Michael McDowell
7th
Todd Gilliland
8th
9th
10th
11th
12th
13th
14th
15th
16th
Ryan Preece
Aric Almirola
AJ Allmendinger
Josh Bilicki
Ty Dillon
Chandler Smith
Ryan Newman
Noah Gragson
JJ Yeley
All-Star Race Lineup
The first 21 of 24 positions with the final three to come from the All-Star Open are as follows.
*Josh Berry won the All-Star Open with Ty Gibbs being the runner up. Noah Gragson won the Fan Vote. All three advance through to the All-Star Race. Berry, Gibbs, and Gragson, will start 22nd, 23rd, and 24th respectively.
Position
Driver
1st
Daniel Suarez
2nd
Chris Buescher
3rd
Joey Logano
4th
Austin Dillon
5th
Chase Briscoe
6th
William Byron
7th
Christopher Bell
8th
9th
10th
11th
12th
13th
14th
15th
16th
17th
18th
19th
20th
21st
Brad Keselowski
Denny Hamlin
Bubba Wallace
Ryan Blaney
Martin Truex Jr.
Chase Elliott
Kyle Busch
Kevin Harvick
Kyle Larson
Austin Cindric
Ross Chastain
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Tyler Reddick
Erik Jones
Drivers to watch
Kevin Harvick and Kyle Larson have both won two All-Star Races, in 2007/2018 and 2019/2021 respectively and with Kyle Larson winning the 250-lap NASCAR Truck Series race at North Wilkesboro in dominating fashion leading over half the laps, he is one of the favourites to make it a third All-Star Race win.
Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 7 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, takes the checkered flag to win the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Tyson 250 at North Wilkesboro Speedway (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
Kyle Larson was joined by four other Cup regulars for Saturday’s truck race, in Chastain, Bell, Wallace and Hendrick Motorsports teammate Byron.
They all saw action at the front, most notably Bell and Larson charging through the field together to the front in stage one, Larson and Byron duelling for the lead in the final stage, and Larson passing Wallace, who was on older tyres inside of 20 laps to go, and holding him off in an overtime finish, to go onto the win the race.
Bubba Wallace, driver of the No. 1 Pristine Auction Toyota, leads the field during the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Tyson 250 at North Wilkesboro Speedway (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
The more in-race track time the better prepared a driver will be for the All-Star Race due to having to rely on old data, and sim time prior to this week.
Ryan Blaney is the reigning All-Star Race winner having won the 2022 All-Star Race at Texas Motor Speedway in an overtime finish.
Chase Elliott won the 2020 All-Star Race at Bristol Motor Speedway that was accompanied by all car having fluorescent light bars attached to the rear of the cars that made it quite the spectacle around the colosseum.
Chase Elliott, driver of the #9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet, and Daniel Suarez, driver of the #99 Trackhouse Motorplex Chevrolet, race during qualifying heat #1 for the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway on May 20, 2023 in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, and Ryan Newman all have one All-Star Race win, all having come at Charlotte Motor Speedway where the event was held in 1985 and then from 1987-2019.
Notable paint schemes
Erik Jones is piloting the No. 43 STP LEGACY MOTOR CLUB Chevrolet that is throwing it back to Richard Petty, who won 15 times at North Wilkesboro in the Cup Series, including eight time while racing STP colours.
Erik Jones, driver of the #43 STP Chevrolet, exits the track during practice for the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway on May 19, 2023 in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Kevin Harvick is throwing back to his 2001 Atlanta scheme when he was promoted to the Cup Series by Richard Childress Racing following the tragic passing of seven-time Cup champion Dale Earnhardt Sr. It is Harvick’s final full-time season before retiring.
Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 29 Busch Light Ford, drives during Heat Race No. 1 for the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Michael McDowell is racing the No. 34 Ford that is throwing it back to Mark Martin’s 1990 Cup win at North Wilkesboro Speedway.
Follow ThePitCrewOnline’s twitter @PitCrew_Online for live updates and reporting of the All-Star Open and All-Star Race.
Featured Image: Erik Jones, driver of the #43 STP Chevrolet, exits the track during practice for the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway on May 19, 2023 in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
The first 10 stages of the Oregon Trail Rally have passed marking the end of the second day. Brandon Semenuk leads Jeff Seehorn by 3 minutes and 57.4 seconds.
SS7, Dalles Mtn Up
Brandon Semenuk would once again take the stage win on SS7 to take his seventh consecutive stage win. Jeff Seehorn would place second on the stage, setting a time 33.7 seconds slower than Semenuk. Sam Albert would finish with the third fastest time on the stage, 16.8 seconds slower than Seehorn’s time. Jason Bailey would set the fourth fastest time on the stage, that time would be 3.6 seconds slower than Albert’s however. Javier Olivares would round out the top five on the stage, setting a time 4.9 seconds slower than Bailey.
SS8, The Great Horseshoe
Stage eight would see Brandon Semenuk take the win once again. Sam Albert would set the second fastest time on the stage, 32.4 seconds slower than Semenuk. Javier Olivares would set the third fastest time on the stage, 9.5 seconds slower than Albert’s time. Jeff Seehorn would finish the stage with the fourth fastest time, setting a time 6 seconds slower than Olivares. Jacob Despain would round out the top five on the stage, finishing with a time 1 second slower than Seehorn.
SS9, Oak Flat Reverse
Stage nine would once again see Brandon Semenuk take the stage win. Semenuk would set a time 15.7 seconds faster than Sam Albert who placed second on the stage. Jeff Seehorn would set the third fastest time on the stage, with a time 6.3 seconds slower than Albert. Lia Block would set the fourth fastest time on the stage, finishing with a time 13.2 seconds slower than Seehorn. Jason Bailey would round out the top five on the stage, finishing with a time 0.7 seconds slower than Block.
SS10, Maryhill
The final stage of the day would see Brandon Semenuk take the stage win once again. Semenuk would set a time 5.8 seconds faster than Sam Albert who placed second on the stage. Jeff Seehorn would finish with the third fastest time on the stage, with a time 5.7 seconds slower than Albert. Andy Miller would finish with the fourth fastest time on the stage, setting a time 4 seconds slower than Seehorn. Jason Bailey would round out the top five on the stage, setting a time 1.3 seconds slower than Miller.
