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Saudi Arabia GP: Perez takes a convincing win as Redbull finish 1-2, again

JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA - MARCH 19: Race winner Sergio Perez of Mexico and Oracle Red Bull Racing celebrates on the podium during the F1 Grand Prix of Saudi Arabia at Jeddah Corniche Circuit on March 19, 2023 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)
JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA – MARCH 19: Race winner Sergio Perez of Mexico and Oracle Red Bull Racing celebrates on the podium during the F1 Grand Prix of Saudi Arabia at Jeddah Corniche Circuit on March 19, 2023 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool

Sergio Perez took yet another street circuit win at Jeddah on Sunday night as Redbull reigned supreme yet again, much like their first outing in Bahrain earlier this season. The Mexican driver faltered at the start and lost the lead to Alonso by turn 1, but the unmatchable pace of the Redbull meant that there was no one stopping him from taking the win tonight, not even his teammate.

It was an eventful beginning to the race as Alonso in the Aston Martin got the better of Perez at turn 1 while there was a lot of action between the Mercedes, Aston Martin and Ferrari cars behind. The joy was short lived for Alonso after Perez passed him again, which was then followed by a 5-second time penalty as the Spaniard was out of position at the start. Things got worse for Alonso after the national anthems of Mexico and Austria on the podium as he was hit with a further 10-second time penalty for serving his 5-second time penalty incorrectly. The post-race penalty for Alonso meant that Geroge Russell and Mercedes had their first podium of the season, which looked like a far off possibility based on the mood around the Mercedes paddock.

Charles Leclerc in the Ferrari had a great start as he was able to gain three places in no time after starting from P12 thanks to a penalty pertaining to the control electronics while Verstappen further behind from P15 had a steady opening to his race. A dummy call from the Ferrari pit-wall meant that Stroll of Aston Martin was the first of the front runners to come in to the pits for a change of tyres and it proved costly for him. Both Ferraris of Sainz and Leclerc overcut the Canadian and were well ahead of him after the first round of stops and things got even worse for him as a mechanical issue forced him to retire which brought the safety car out.

It looked like there was no need for a safety car as Stroll seemed to park well of the track but an incorrect GPS indication from Stroll’s car meant that the inevitable has happened. Mercedes and Verstappen were one of the few to take advantage of the safety car and Ferrari were the ones to come out of it with a lot of bad luck. The race was pretty much decided at this point as Max’s pace proved to  be too fast for anyone else on the track apart from his teammate, who ultimately won the grandprix.

It was a good result for Alpine as both Ocon and Gasly finished in the points scoring positions at P8 and P9 respectively, with Kevin Magnussen in the Haas scoring the last available point after a feisty battle with Tsunoda towards the end of the race. His teammate Hulkenberg in the other Haas only managed a P12 just outside the points. Alfa Romeo have had a mixed race with Zhou Guanyu finishing in P13 while his teammate Bottas finished P18 and last of the running cars in the race.

McLaren might have thought that their fortunes have changed a little with Piastri starting P8 in the race but an tussle in the opening lap meant that the rookie driver needed a front wing change. It got worse for them when Norris came in the next lap as well with the same issue. This meant that the pair were running at the back of the grid for the large parts of the race and McLaren were forced to issue team orders when Piastri was faster than Norris. He then made it count by making a pass on fellow rookie driver Logan Sargeant in the Williams for P15, while Norris finished P17. Alex Albon in the other Williams had to retire with a break issue, making him the second driver to not be classified in the race. It was a decent outing for Alpha Tauri albeit it was without points as Tsunoda was P11 at the end and his teammate De Vries finished the race at P14.

With yet another Redbull 1-2 unfolding at Jeddah, it is going to take a mighty effort from the remaining frontrunners in Aston Martin, Mercedes and Ferrari to cause any damage to the bulls. It is still early in the season to think that Redbull could end up winning both the championships but the tone that has been set by them in the first two races certainly fits the thinking. The Australian Grandprix arrives in about two weeks time before F1 goes for almost a month’s break in April.

 

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RedBull on Pole but no Front Row Lock Out

Perez took pole while his teammate suffered a driveshaft issue in Q2 meaning he will start P15. Alonso was unable to capitalise on his speed in practice, managing P3 with Leclerc getting P2 before his penalty is applied. This is how it happened during Qualifying.

Q1 began like normal, with the faster teams choosing to stay back while everyone else took to the track. It wasn’t long before the incidents started to bring out the yellow flags.

De Vries nearly caused the first red flag of Qualifying by locking up and spinning into turn 1. However, he was able to use the run-off and get his car going again.

With 10 minutes to go, Norris made contact with the wall on the way into turn 27. The team worked hard to get his car back out, hoping for a red flag but unfortunately, they couldn’t make it work. Norris will start in P19 and was forced to watch as his teammate went front strength to strength.

Alonso warming up for his spin. Image courtesy of Aston Martin F1 Media

Alonso went for a quick spin on his first fast-lap run. He managed to keep the car out of the wall by completing a full 360. He appeared to get on the power early out of turn 10, he overwhelmed the rears and went around.

There were plenty more mistakes in Q1 than in any of the practice sessions. The drivers were complaining about the track, saying it was not where they wanted it but had to stick to the strategy. The grip just wasn’t with them in the session after the Formula 2 race.

After having a lap time deleted for track limits at turn 27, Sargent spun, bringing out only a yellow flag as he got going again. He lit up the rears heading through turns 22 and 23 which he had been having problems with all weekend. 

Alpha Tauri tried to recover from De Vries’ incident but they seemed to be having poor luck in Jeddah. Both drivers were out in Q1 with Tsunoda in P16 and De Vries in P18.

Williams joined them with Albon couldn’t make it out of Q1 but qualified P17 while Sargent still had issues getting a lap together and damaged the car on his final run meaning he goes away in P20.

De Vries making his way around Jeddah. Image courtesy of Pirelli F1 Press Area

Q2 has most people out on soft tyres, apart from RedBull, who at this point could potentially come out on the wet tyres and still go fastest.

9 minutes left and Verstappen came over the radio with what he thought was an engine issue. He managed to limp home for the team to have a look at the car and potentially solve the problem. However, within seconds of being back in the garage, the double-world champion was out of the car and out of qualifying. RedBull have since reported it as a driveshaft issue. Cue an angry Verstappen making his way through the pack on Sunday.

Meanwhile, his teammate set a lap time good enough for P2, just behind Alonso. Behind them, Sainz had a big moment narrowly missing the wall and being able to carry on. In P11 with only 2 minutes to go, it was very important for the Spaniard to put in a good lap.

Alfa Romeo and Haas went about qualifying very quietly but had strong sessions each. They made up the remainder of the eliminated cars from Q2, joining Verstappen. 

Out in Q2, Hulkenburg, Zhou, Magnussen, Bottas, and Verstappen.

Q3 seemed to be wide open now that Verstappen was out. However, we were looking at a potential pole for Alonso for the first time since 2012. Perez was out to stop that and pick up the pieces of his teammate’s problems.

The First runs were done, and Perez was half a second in front of Leclerc in P2 with Russell in P3. Alonso wasn’t far behind but it appeared there was more pace to come out from the only RedBull in the session. 

Both Alpines made it into the top 10 for a strong qualifying for both drivers after a not-so-great weekend in Bahrain. Ocon starts in P6 while Gasly starts in P9. Piastri joined them for his first Q3 session and made a good effort against his more experienced rivals, but starts P8 with Leclerc’s penalty.

Hamilton was not able to get the most out of the car. Image courtesy of Mercedes F1 Media

Hamilton will not be pleased with starting P7. Still unable to adapt to the car properly while Russell starts in P3 after Leclerc’s penalty is applied. This was the story for the Silver Arrows during qualifying who had a generally mixed session. However, in a race that has a 100% chance of a safety car, they will be looking to use their reliability to gain points tomorrow. 

Ferrari had a decent qualifying for them, but none of that matters with Leclerc’s penalty. He will start P11 while Sainz will start P4, alongside Russell. If they want to mount a challenge on Verstappen and RedBull this season they will need to take advantage of having the reigning world champion behind them suffering from reliability issues.

Tomorrow will be an extremely interesting race to watch with Verstappen and Leclerc starting out of position and Alonso hunting down the remaining RedBull at the front of the pack. Can Russell take advantage of his good starting position or will Sainz get ahead? Will there be a safety car or red flag which changes the race, probably, but it’s worth watching to find out.

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Angela Cullen parts ways with Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton on the podium for the second time in 2022. Image courtesy of Pirelli F1 Media

Lewis Hamilton  announced a split from his performance coach Angela Cullen with both posting on their social media channels

Angela has been by Lewis side for much of his time at Mercedes.
The 48 year old has become a familiar face to millions of fans.
Angelas role was as much personal assistant and personal trainer, the two clearly became close friends  

“For the last seven years, Angela Cullen has been by my side, pushing me to be the best version of myself,” the Lewis said on Instagram ahead of the Saudi Grand Prix in Jeddah.
“I am a stronger athlete and a better person because of her. So today I hope you’ll join me in wishing her the very best as she takes her next steps to pursue her dreams”

“Thank you for everything Ang, I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for you.”

Angela said on her Instagram page “that it was seven years to the day since she stood in the F1 paddock in Australia for the first time.
“I am so grateful and blessed to have had this incredible journey in F1 and I know my story will continue,” she said.
Thanks to the MB team who have been my family for the last seven years.

“And @lewishamilton you GOAT!! It’s been such an honour and pleasure to stand along side you. I’m so proud of you and everything you have achieved.”

Will Lewis find someone else to fill the giant void left by Angela or continue alone?

Where will Angela go next? It has to be tough on family life to travel round the world with the Grand Prix circus.

 

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F1 Race Weekend Preview: Under the Lights for Race 2

2023 has officially begun with RedBull dominance in the desert. We move to the updated streets of Jeddah for race two. Most F1 fans will be hoping that this isn’t a continuing trend throughout the season, especially Ferrari and McLaren fans. However, Leclerc already has reason to potentially write off 2023 as a championship year. Aston Martin could be the surprise challenger for the season. 

Ferrari are on the back foot… already.

Leclerc before being forced to retire in Bahrain. Image courtesy of Pirelli F1 Press Area

If you haven’t heard by now, Charles Leclerc heads into the weekend with a 10-place grid penalty for taking a third Control Electronics power unit, taking him over the allocation for the season. The collective pain of the long-suffering Ferrari fans could be heard across the globe as the penalty was announced.

This comes after he was running in P3 before retiring at the side of the track in Bahrain having replaced his Energy Store and Control Electronics on his engine before the race began. 

While we will be hoping that Ferrari’s can sort out their reliability issues quickly this season, fans can take some solace from the curse of the first race winner. Since 2017, the driver who won the opening round has not gone on to win the championship, and last season Verstappen retired from the race before becoming a double world champion. So maybe Ferrari’s fortune will change?

Can Aston Martin be the 2023 underdogs?

Alonso coming home in P3 in Bahrain. Image courtesy of Aston Martin F1 Media

In a surprise to everyone who watched last season, Aston Martin have stepped up their game and look like real challengers for the 2022 top three. Alonso finished on the podium and pulled off some great moves, while a recovering Stroll managed to get P6, just behind Lewis Hamilton.

Mercedes had originally thought they would be fighting for wins or at least challenging for more podiums against Ferrari and RedBull, but now they are looking at a battle for third in the constructor’s championship with Aston Martin. 

As we visit different circuits throughout the year this will show off the different strengths of the teams so it will be interesting to see how the Mercedes factory team measures up to a Mercedes engine customer team during the season. 

Track changes. 

Saudi Arabia has provided us with an extremely fast circuit since 2021 and that is not about to change. They have, however, taken on some feedback from the drivers and adapted some of the corners to help with the visibility of the racing line. 

They have moved the walls at turns 8, 10, 14 and 20, with rumble strips added to the latter two to help the drivers know when they are outside track limits. 

They have also tweaked a few of the kerbs to deal with the newer cars while the chicane at turns 22 and 23 has been tightened to reduce speeds.

The clam before the storm in Jeddah. Image courtesy of Pirelli F1 Press Area

Qualifying on Saturday starts at 5pm GMT and the Race is at 5pm GMT on Sunday.

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Rally Mexico 2023 Preview – Back to Gravel!

We head back to Mexico three years after the pandemic cut the 2020 edition short at the end of that events Saturday’s stages.

With 315km’s over twenty-three stages this season, there has been some talk about the number of short stages in this year’s event, with eight stages of less than 5km in length and five of them being the exactly the same stage. Not really rallying in my book, but the organisers say it is the way to bring the sport close to the fans.

We do see some true classic stages as well, with El Chocolate being run on Friday and the longest stage of the whole rally, Otates being run on Sunday. This a big one at over 35kms and a big challenge on the final day.

Let’s hear from the drivers.

M-Sport Ford WRT

Ott Tänak

“During testing it was my very first time on gravel in the Puma Rally1 and it was very important to discover as much as possible. As most of the rallies are on gravel, we decided to do two test days in Spain. The team is working hard to keep improving, but to really understand where we are now, we need to do a gravel rally first.

“The key challenge for Mexico is the altitude and temperature together. Because of high altitude, the power is reduced which makes the behaviour of the car quite different. The roads in Mexico are actually fun, there are stages which are very technical, and it feels like we are driving them forever in the high temperatures, but there are also faster sections with big compressions and jumps. As we are leading the championship, we need to start first on the road on Rally México, it could be a good place to start if it rains, but not sure I’m that good a (rain) dancer to get the rain in a place where it almost never rains!”

Pierre-Louis Loubet

“It will be the first time I am competing on a rally outside of Europe, that will be a new experience again for me. It’s exciting to be going back on gravel as my pace on gravel is good so my aim is for a strong result in Mexico.

“I think my experience of Greece and Sardinia last year will help me; things change rally to rally but experience always helps massively. The preparation for this rally has been good as it has been running for such a long time and there is a lot of material out there to help me study the roads. The test was fine, I am really happy about it because I re-found the feeling that I had in Greece last year and the car felt really strong. I think we have everything we need to do some good things and have the pace so let’s see.”

 

Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT

Kalle Rovanperä

“It’s nice to be going back onto gravel after quite a long time, and it’s been especially long since we were last in Mexico. I’m sure it’s going to be a tricky event like always; with the high altitude it’s one of the most specialised gravel rallies on the calendar. But it’s really exciting to go back there. As a team we have been doing a lot of work to improve the car and the pace for rough gravel conditions, and it was nice to see already in our recent test in Spain that we’re definitely moving in the right direction. I’m quite happy not to be starting first on the road in Mexico – just one position can make a big difference. It might still be tough compared to those starting behind us, but we will of course do our best.”

Elfyn Evans

“It is good to have Mexico back on the calendar this year. It’s an event that always provides a bit of a culture shock in terms of the climate compared to the first two rounds, and it’s always a big challenge. This will be our first time back at that really high altitude for a few years, and we can always expect a lot of heat and dry gravel. It’s very difficult to replicate those conditions when testing in Europe at this time of year, but we tried to simulate it as much as possible. When the roads are dry and loose then traction is key, and we’ve worked on all areas of the car to try and optimise every aspect and be as ready as we can be.”

Sébastien Ogier

“When I knew that Rally México was coming back, I straightaway had to mark it in my calendar as an event that would be nice to do again. It’s where everything started for me in the WRC, as it’s actually where I made my debut in 2008, and since then there have been many good memories and a lot of success there. The atmosphere is always nice, with beautiful stages too. I hadn’t really driven on this type of gravel since Portugal last year, so the recent test in Spain was important for me to find the best possible feeling. It will be interesting to see how the hybrid can help against the usual loss of power we feel at high altitude. More than ever it could be important to use it as efficiently as possible because it could make a big difference to the performance.”

 

Hyundai Motorsport 

Thierry Neuville

“Rally México is a lovely event and is always one of my highlights of the season. It is a beautiful country with fantastic roads, and there is always a lot of support there. However, it will be challenging for a number of reasons: it is the first gravel rally of the season, it will be hot, and the high altitude is tough on the cars. This year it will be important to get the hybrid mapping correct and take advantage of that extra power. Setting up the car to have good traction and then driving precisely will be also very important to us performing well. Our target for the weekend is to be amongst the fastest crews and fight for another podium.”

Esapekka Lappi

“Mexico is always a special rally. Engine performance usually drops due to the high altitude and hot temperatures, so it will be interesting to see how that will feel with the new hybrid systems. The stages are almost the opposite to Sweden; they are a lot slower and very technical. It can also be quite slippery because of the small layer of loose gravel, meaning rear grip is particularly important. Our road position of sixth should be an advantage, as there should be some cleaner lines after the first cars have cleared the way. We want to have a consistent and strong weekend, as I feel we deserve it after the first two events. With that in mind, we should be firmly in the fight for the podium.”

Dani Sordo

“Rally México is an amazing event with really nice roads. The fans and spectators there have a lot of energy and passion which creates a great atmosphere for rallying. It is also unique as the high altitude causes the cars to have less power, making them feel a little bit different. Physically you have to be ready as the lack of oxygen and heat makes it very demanding on the body; it definitely makes you more tired. Our target for the rally is to finish as high as possible and we hope that is near the top. If we get it right, we believe we can be in the battle for victory, but we want to be on the podium as a minimum.”

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

In the WRC2 category there are a lot of cars running once again! Two of the main protagonists are running in a Ford Fiesta Rally2 and Skoda Fabia Evo.

M-Sport Ford WRC2

Adrien Fourmaux

“It will be my second time in Mexico, last year I competed there in the Rally of Nations and finished second, so I am happy to be back there in a rally car. After our Monte-Carlo result our expectation is to fight for the best result as possible as we need the points for the championship. We know it’s always a tough rally in Mexico because it is really rough for the cars so it will be a big challenge for everybody. I am really pleased to be driving the Fiesta Rally2 again and can’t wait to get back on gravel stages!”

Toksport Škoda

Oliver Solberg

“After Monte and Sweden, you really have the feeling of coming a little bit to the summer.” “The temperatures are quite high, and the place is just fantastic. The atmosphere around this rally is always one of the best of the season. And the ceremonial start on Thursday night is totally amazing.”

“The altitude is a challenge we are competing as high as 2700 metres and that has an impact on the performance of the car. The air is thinner up there and that means less oxygen going into the engine. It also means less oxygen going into Elliott and I – it’s definitely a little bit more physical competing in México.

“I did this event for the first time in 2020, just before the world started to shut down with the global pandemic. I’m excited to be back there again, like I said the fans are some of the best in the world and I want to build on the great start to the year that we’ve had.”

Summary

Well, time then for round three of this season’s championship, and road position will be hugely important! It’s fair to say that the top three will find things very tricky with the amount of road cleaning that will be needed.

Best position should be fourth on the road onwards which puts Elfyn and Seb in a good position to benefit. Of course, the former champion has won this rally the last three years for his current team and also M-Sport Ford and Citroen Racing in 2018 and 2019. Elfyn has taken a podium in 2019 as well and has shown good pace throughout his career on gravel.

The question that may arise is how big will the super special stages affect the overall standings? Time will tell for sure, but my hope is the big stages will have the biggest impact on the standings and the ultimate result.

Enjoy!

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Hendrick déjà vu: Byron beats Larson in overtime finish again to win Phoenix Cup race

Sunday saw William Byron, for two-weeks in a row, beat Kyle Larson in a overtime restart to win the Cup Series race, this time at Phoenix Raceway in the United Rentals Work United 500. Kevin Harvick had overtaken Larson for the lead with 43 laps to go but a caution with 11 laps to go for Harrison Burton blowing a tyre, saw Harvick lose the lead on pit road and fall back to seventh, having taken four tyres, while Larson and Byron came off pit road first and second on just two tyres. 

  • Race summary
  • Rest of race recap
  • Full race results
  • Point standings

William Byron had taken the lead away from pole-sitter Kyle Larson on lap two and went on to win stage one but Kyle Larson took the lead back on pit road during the stage break and won stage two.

Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Valvoline Chevrolet, Denny Hamlin, driver of the No. 11 Shingrix Toyota, and Christopher Bell, driver of the No. 20 Rheem Toyota, race during the NASCAR Cup Series United Rentals Work United 500 at Phoenix Raceway (Photo by Chris Graythen | Getty Images)

Heading towards the white flag, Tyler Reddick gave a helpful push to Byron coming down the backstretch heading, as Blaney, Larson and Byron were three-wide for the lead with Byron on the outside, helping Byron clear Larson and Blaney going into turn four to take the white flag and the checkered flag.

It’s Byron sixth career win and his first at Phoenix in the Cup Series.

William Byron celebrates his 6th career win by burning it down at the start finish line at Phoenix Raceway, March 12 2023 (Photo by Meg Oliphant | Getty Images)

Byron thanked crew chief Rudy Fugle for the win saying: “Owe the last couple weeks to him. He’s done a really good job strategy-wise, and execution-wise we’ve done a good job to put ourselves in those positions on the front row with a shot at the end.”

AVONDALE, ARIZONA – MARCH 12: William Byron, driver of the #24 Valvoline Chevrolet, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Cup Series United Rentals Work United 500 at Phoenix Raceway on March 12, 2023 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)

Kyle Larson led 201 of the 312 laps so was not too pleased to come in fourth after losing the win to Byron in the same fashion for two-weeks running, being beat in last week’s overtime restart in Las Vegas Motor Speedway’s 400-mile race, saying: “Restarts are just tough. [Byron] did a really good job of holding it to my outside, clearing me down the back. Yeah, I’m pissed off.”

Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, reacts after finishing fourth in the NASCAR Cup Series United Rentals Work United 500 at Phoenix Raceway (Photo by Susan Wong | NASCAR Studios)

Kevin Harvick aka “The Closer” was looking to become a 10-time Phoenix Cup Series winner. Having started 15th, he finished eighth and third in stages one and two respectively before in the final stage on a long green flag run passed Larson for the lead with 43 laps to go.

Harvick was clear sailing prior to the caution with 11 laps to go and was not able to gain any positions when the field went back to green with three laps to go before Noah Gragson, AJ Allmendinger, and Ty Gibbs wrecked in turns one and two sending the race into overtime.

Harvick said: “That’s the way it goes. Just smoked ’em up until the caution. They did a great job with our Hunt Brothers Pizza Ford Mustang. Didn’t need the caution at the end.”

It was Harvick’s 20th straight top-10 finish at Phoenix Raceway in the Cup Series.

Ryan Blaney had a strong race from start to finish coming home in the runner up spot. Blaney finished sixth and eighth in stage one and two respectively. The Team Penske driver was running sixth at the time of Burton blowing his tyre.

Ryan Blaney, driver of the No. 12 Dent Wizard Ford, races during the the NASCAR Cup Series United Rentals Work United 500 at Phoenix Raceway (Photo by Cameron Richardson | NASCAR Studios)

Ford and former Penske teammate Brad Keselowski also had a strong race prior to the overtime finish, being ninth and fourth in stages one and two respectively before finishing eighteenth.

Josh Berry, subbing for the injured Chase Elliott, drove the No. 9 Kelley Blue Book Chevrolet to an impressive 10th place finish. Berry was getting used up in stage one struggling to get inside the top 25. The full-time JR Motorsports Xfinity driver worked his way into the top 15 in the final stage before finishing one place behind Hendrick teammate Alex Bowman, placing all four Hendrick Chevrolet’s in the top-10.

Rest of race recap

The United Rentals 500 marked the debut of the new short track package, seeing a 30% reduction in downforce compared to last year’s short track package, due in part to halving the spoiler from four inches to two.

The cars were permitted to race in wet conditions  if they occurred during the race as part of NASCAR’s expansion to allow wet-weather racing at one mile or less sized oval tracks in addition to the road course races.

2021 Phoenix winner Kyle Larson led the field to green flag before Byron released Larson of the lead getting by on the inside of turn one on lap two.

Kyle Larson, driver of the #5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, leads the field to the green flag to start the NASCAR Cup Series United Rentals Work United 500 at Phoenix Raceway on March 12, 2023 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

With under ten to go in stage one, BJ McLeod retired with a fuel pump issue before Ricky Stenhouse Jr. tagged the turn one wall running 25th but was able to continue. Byron led the rest of the laps to win stage one.

During the stage one caution break, Kyle Larson was able to win back the lead on pit road in part to having the number one pit stall at the end of pit road.

Aric Almirola brought out the caution on lap 139 after his wheel hub and tyre broke free. Larson was first off pit road again and went on to win stage two.

Aric Almirola, driver of the No. 10 GoBowling.com Ford, breaks a right-front wheel during the NASCAR Cup Series United Rentals Work United 500 at Phoenix Raceway (Photo by Susan Wong | NASCAR Studios)

Harvick started the final stage side-by-side with Larson on the restart but Larson quickly pulled away to a 2.5 second gap by lap 207.

Kyle Larson, driver of the #5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, drives during the NASCAR Cup Series United Rentals Work United 500 at Phoenix Raceway, with Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Hunt Brothers Ford Mustang behind, on March 12, 2023 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

During the rest of the final stage, the whole field split the 127-lap stage in half except Erik Jones who stayed out in the lead on old tyres until Kyle Larson caught and passed him for the lead on much fresher tyres with 52 laps to go. Jones was hoping for a caution to force everybody else down pit road again while with the lead but one didn’t come before having to pit. Jones finished 21st.

As the run went on Harvick closed back down the gap to Larson to just 0.3 seconds and cleared him coming out of turn three with 43 laps to go.

The crash that led to the overtime finish came from Gragson and AJ Allmendinger colliding into the turn two wall together, while Gibbs piled into the back of them after getting tangled with Corey Lajoie on the high lane in turn one.

Ty Gibbs, driver of the No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota, drives his damaged car back to pit road during the NASCAR Cup Series United Rentals Work United 500 at Phoenix Raceway (Photo by Susan Wong | NASCAR Studios)

The 2022 Hamlin-Chastain clash was revived on the final lap when Denny Hamlin washed up the race track in turn two dragging Chastain into the wall. Hamlin had spent most of the day in the top five but would only come home 23rd in the end, with Chastain 24th. Both had a long conversation with each other on pit road post-race.

The next race for the NASCAR Cup Series is the Ambetter Health 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway this Sunday, with the race starting at 3pm ET.

Featured image: William Byron, driver of the #24 Valvoline Chevrolet, drives during the NASCAR Cup Series United Rentals Work United 500 at Phoenix Raceway on March 12, 2023 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)

Full race results 

  1. William Byron
  2. Ryan Blaney
  3. Tyler Reddick
  4. Kyle Larson
  5. Kevin Harvick
  6. Christopher Bell
  7. Chase Briscoe
  8. Kyle Busch
  9. Alex Bowman
  10. Josh Berry
  11. Joey Logano
  12. Ryan Preece
  13. Michael McDowell
  14. Bubba Wallace
  15. Chris Buescher
  16. Austin Dillon
  17. Martin Truex Jr.
  18. Brad Keselowski
  19. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
  20. AJ Allmendinger
  21. Erik Jones
  22. Daniel Suarez
  23. Denny Hamlin
  24. Ross Chastain
  25. Austin Cindric
  26. Corey LaJoie
  27. Justin Haley
  28. Ty Gibbs
  29. Noah Gragson
  30. Ty Dillon
  31. Zane Smith
  32. Todd Gilliland
  33. Aric Almirola
  34. Cody Ware
  35. Harrison Burton
  36. BJ McLeod

Stage one 

  1. William Byron
  2. Kyle Larson
  3. Christopher Bell
  4. Denny Hamlin
  5. Tyler Reddick
  6. Ryan Blaney
  7. Ross Chastain
  8. Kevin Harvick
  9. Brad Keselowski
  10. Kyle Busch

Stage two 

  1. Kyle Larson
  2. William Byron
  3. Kevin Harvick
  4. Brad Keselowski
  5. Tyler Reddick
  6. Denny Hamlin
  7. Christopher Bell
  8. Ryan Blaney
  9. Ross Chastain
  10. Chase Briscoe

Points standings after 4 of 36 races 

  1. Alex Bowman – 154
  2. Kevin Harvick – 151
  3. Ross Chastain – 148
  4. William Byron* – 144
  5. Kyle Larson – 137
  6. Christopher Bell – 137
  7. Denny Hamlin – 125
  8. Ryan Blaney – 124
  9. Kyle Busch* – 122
  10. Martin Truex Jr. – 122
  11. Daniel Suarez – 119
  12. Joey Logano – 118
  13. Brad Keselowski – 115
  14. Chris Buescher – 112
  15. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.* – 104
  16. Bubba Wallace – 92
  17. Austin Cindric – 81
  18. Corey Lajoie – 79
  19. Michael McDowell – 76
  20. Tyler Reddick – 72
  21. AJ Allmendinger – 71
  22. Austin Dillon – 63
  23. Ty Gibbs – 62
  24. Justin Haley – 60
  25. Chase Briscoe – 59
  26. Aric Almirola – 56
  27. Ryan Preece – 54
  28. Erik Jones – 53
  29. Chase Elliott – 49
  30. Harrison Burton – 48
  31. Todd Gilliland – 46
  32. Noah Gragson – 43
  33. Cody Ware – 38
  34. Travis Pastrana – 26
  35. BJ McLeod – 26
  36. Ty Dillon – 17
  37. Jimmie Johnson – 10
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Extreme E: Acciona Sainz Win Desert XPrix

Acciona Sainz claimed their first ever victory on Sunday as they cruised to the win in the final race of the weekend. Here’s how the day unfolded:

Picture courtesy of Extreme E
Picture courtesy of Extreme E

Qualifying 1 Heat 1:

Sunday’s first qualifying session started with ABT Cupra, Andretti United, X44, Veloce, and Carl Cox Motorsport all racing against each other.

ABT Cupra, who picked up damage during Saturday’s running, were using the championship car as they could not fix their own in time.

The lights went green and all but one of the teams got off to a good start. Unfortunately for ABT Cupra, they had issues and were slow to get going. They would finish the race, but they would treat it more like a shakedown than qualifying.

For the rest of the field, though, the running was tight. Andretti United made a good start but dropped to third on the final lap.

Veloce crossed the line first to take maximum intermediate points, with X44 not far behind. Andretti United would remain in third as Carl Cox Motorsport did not leave the switch zone.

Qualifying 1 Heat 1 Classification:

  1. Veloce – 10 Intermediate Points
  2. X44 – 8 Points
  3. Andretti United – 6 Points
  4. ABT Cupra – 4 Points
  5. Carl Cox Motorsport – 2 Points

Qualifying 1 Heat 2:

The remaining five teams, McLaren, Chip Ganassi, Acciona Sainz, RXR, and JBXE competed in Heat 2.

After an initial aborted start, RXR took a lead they would not relinquish. Further behind there was some side-by-side action between Chip Ganassi and McLaren, with Chip Ganassi eventually winning out. Acciona Sainz also got past.

After that there was not much action to report. McLaren were given a 2.4 second time penalty for speeding in the switch zone, but they would not lose a position.

Qualifying 1 Heat 2 Classification:

  1. RXR – 10 Points
  2. Chip Ganassi – 8 Points
  3. Acciona Sainz – 6 Points
  4. McLaren – 4 Points
  5. JBXE – 2 Points

Qualifying 2 Heat 1:

The first heat of Qualifying 2 got under way with Veloce getting the best start. Chip Ganassi and Andretti United were not far behind, with McLaren and Carl Cox Motorsport in fourth and fifth respectively. That order wouldn’t change into the switch zone.

However, disaster struck for Andretti United not long after. For the third time this weekend, the car rolled over, and they were unable to finish the race. The driver, Timmy Hansen, got out of the car okay.

The race was temporarily red flagged whilst the car was recovered, and when it was restarted, the teams finished in the position they resumed in.

Veloce took maximum intermediate points from qualifying to guarantee their place in the final, whilst a poor day for Carl Cox meant they would compete in the redemption race.

Qualifying 2 Heat 1 Classification:

  1. Veloce – 10 Points
  2. Chip Ganassi – 8 Points
  3. McLaren – 6 Points
  4. Carl Cox Motorsport – 4 Points
  5. Andretti United – 2 Points

Qualifying 2 Heat 2:

The final qualifying race of the weekend got underway, with Acciona Sainz getting the best start. Going into turn two, however, RXR’s Mikaela Ahlin-Kottulinsky took the lead.

ABT Cupra, who had a poor first race, were using a different strategy to the other teams. Their make driver was put in the car first, and Nasser Al-Attiyah made his way to the front and stormed ahead.

Ultimately it would be a strategy that paid off, as they were not caught for the rest of the race. Further behind, though, there was trouble for X44, who picked up a 3.7 second penalty for speeding in the pitlane. As a result, Acciona Sainz and X44 were tied on intermediate points, though Acciona Sainz went through to the final because they were quicker through the Continental Traction Challenge.

Qualifying 2 Heat 2 Classification:

  1. ABT Cupra – 10 Points
  2. RXR – 8 Points
  3. Acciona Sainz – 6 Points
  4. X44 – 4 Points
  5. JBXE – 2 Points

Overall Qualifying Classification:

  1. Veloce – 20 Points
  2. RXR – 18 Points
  3. Chip Ganassi – 16 Points
  4. ABT Cupra – 14 Points
  5. Acciona Sainz – 12 Points
  6. X44 – 12 Points
  7. McLaren – 10 Points
  8. Andretti United – 8 Points
  9. Carl Cox Motorsport – 6 Points
  10. JBXE – 4 Points

Redemption Race:

Just as yesterday, the redemption race was full of action as the bottom five qualifiers looked to salvage as many championship points as possible.

The first two laps were fairly uneventful as X44 lead into the switch zone. Carl Cox Motorsport were just a little way behind and, when X44 took slightly too long, the two cars appeared side by side.

Upon exiting the switch zone, Carl Cox Motorsport took the lead, though X44 soon regained it again. A subsequent roll for the championship’s newest team and they dropped to the back.

Also having a roll was JBXE, as the car ended up on its side. They would not finish the race.

X44 won the redemption race to claim eight championship points, with McLaren just behind. Andretti United came in third.

Redemption Race Classification:

  1. X44
  2. McLaren
  3. Andretti United
  4. Carl Cox Motorsport
  5. JBXE

Final:

The final race of the weekend was contested between the top five qualifiers, ABT Cupra, Acciona Sainz, Veloce, RXR, and Chip Ganassi.

Off the line it was Acciona Sainz who got the best start, leading Veloce then RXR. However, problems for Veloce on the opening lap saw them lose out a position to RXR. Acciona Sainz flew off into the distance, whilst Veloce regained the position before the switch zone.

Not a lot of action followed that, despite a flying ABT Cupra in the last two laps. Acciona Sainz won their first ever Extreme E race, followed by yesterday’s winner Veloce. RXR rounded out the podium,

Final Classification:

  1. Acciona Sainz
  2. Veloce
  3. RXR
  4. ABT Cupra
  5. Chip Ganassi

The weekend saw two new race winners, as Veloce and Acciona Sainz started the season on a great note. Hoping for better in the rounds to come will be Andretti United and Carl Cox Motorsport, who have both had weekends to forget.

Championship Standings:

  1. Veloce – 46 Points
  2. Acciona Sainz – 46 Points
  3. RXR – 31 Points
  4. X44 – 23 Points
  5. Chip Ganassi – 21 Points
  6. ABT Cupra – 15 Points
  7. McLaren – 14 Points
  8. Carl Cox Motorsport – 8 Points
  9. JBXE – 5 Points
  10. Andretti United – 5 Points

With Veloce top of the standings, all eyes will be looking ahead to Scotland for the Hydro XPrix in May.

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Extreme E: Veloce take Maiden Win in Opening Race

The opening day of the new Extreme E season was full of action, which ultimately saw Veloce win their first ever Extreme E race. Here’s a roundup of the day’s action.

Image courtesy of Extreme E

Qualifying 1:

The first action of the day, Qualifying 1 Heat 1, saw Extreme E’s newest team, Carl Cox Motorsport, take on ABT Cupra, Andretti United, Acciona Sainz, and Chip Ganassi.

Chip Ganassi were best off the line and took an early lead. Acciona Sainz were right on their tails. Despite being close behind, there was little action before the switch zone, with Chip Ganassi heading out Acciona Sainz, Carl Cox Motorsport, Andretti United, and ABT Cupra.

The pressure eased on Chip Ganassi after the switch zone after Laia Sanz in the Acciona Sainz team got a bit too close to the water’s edge, costing the team a lot of time.

Further behind, ABT Cupra’s Klara Andersson also got too close to the water. All the way to the back.

The biggest drama of the session, however, was when Catie Munnings rolled her Andretti United car whilst attempting an overtake on Carl Cox Motorsport. Thankfully Munnings was okay, but the team would not finish the race.

Chip Ganassi crossed the line first, receiving 10 intermediate points and the first championship point of the season. Acciona Sainz came second with championship new boys, Carl Cox Motorsport, picking up six intermediate points.

Qualifying 1 Heat 1 Classification:

  1. Chip Ganassi 11:32.914 – 10 Intermediate Points
  2. Acciona Sainz +3.384 – 8 Points
  3. Carl Cox Motorsport +18.663 – 6 Points
  4. ABT Cupra +57.726 – 4 Points
  5. Andretti United DNF – 0 Points

Qualifying 1 Heat 2:

The five remaining cars, JBXE, McLaren, X44, RXR, and Veloce, all competed in Heat 2.

Qualifying 1 Heat 2 was a much calmer affair. Whilst the teams were all tightly packed, the only move of note was a lovely move from X44’s Fraser McConnel to take the lead.

X44 crossed the line first, with Veloce just behind, and JBXE in third. Season 1 championship winners, RXR, finished fourth ahead of McLaren.

Qualifying 1 Heat 2 Classification:

  1. X44 12:32.993 – 10 Points
  2. Veloce +8.734 – 8 Points
  3. JBXE +19.100 – 6 Points
  4. RXR +20.980 – 4 Points
  5. McLaren +28.728 – 2 Points

Qualifying 2 Heat 1:

The second part of qualifying saw Chip Ganassi, Carl Cox Motorsport, Andretti United, Veloce, and RXR all compete for more intermediate points in Heat 1.

After a messy start, Veloce took an early lead that they would not relinquish. RXR made some good overtakes on first Carl Cox Motorsport, then Chip Ganassi, but that would be the extent of the action. Carl Cox Motorsport would later grind to a halt after experiencing a technical issue.

Veloce won the heat, securing their place in the final, whilst Andretti United’s fourth place cemented their spot in the redemption race.

Qualifying 2 Heat 1 Classification:

  1. Veloce 11.380 – 10 Points
  2. RXR +8.86 – 8 Points
  3. Chip Ganassi +14.42 – 6 Points
  4. Andretti United +25.39 – 4 Points
  5. Carl Cox Motorsport – 0 Points

Qualifying 2 Heat 2:

The final qualifying race consisted of Acciona Sainz, ABT Cupra, X44, JBXE, and McLaren.

As the lights went out, Laia Sanz for Acciona Sainz got a lightening start, with X44 and JBXE battling ot out for second place behind.

After the start there was little action, and Acciona Sainz topped both their heat and qualifying overall. X44 finished in second place, with McLaren finishing in third.

When all the intermediate points were added up, three teams, Acciona Sainz, RXR, and Veloce, had 18 points, only being separated by times through the Continental Traction Challenge

Qualifying 2 Heat 2 Classification:

  1. Acciona Sainz 11:29 – 10 Points
  2. RXR +5.34 – 8 Points
  3. McLaren +11.34 – 6 Points
  4. ABT Cupra +18.34 – 4 Points
  5. JBXE +25.52 – 2 Points

Overall Qualifying Standings:

  1. Acciona Sainz – 18 Points
  2. X44 – 18 Points
  3. Veloce – 18 Points
  4. Chip Ganassi – 16 Points
  5. RXR – 12 Points
  6. ABT Cupra – 8 Points
  7. JBXE – 8 Points
  8. McLaren – 8 Points
  9. Carl Cox Motorsport – 6 Points
  10. Andretti United – 4 Points

Going through to the final following qualifying were tje top five teams, Acciona Sainz, X44, Veloce, Chip Ganassi, and RXR. The bottom five qualifiers would compete in the redemption race.

Redemption Race:

The redemption race saw the most action of the day, with three cars not seeing its end.

McLaren took an early lead off the start but the main action was happening just behind. Three cars converged through a waypoint with Andretti United coming off worse. Their car rolled over and was unable to continue.

Things calmed down for a couple of minutes after that, but a move from the ABT Cupra car on the McLaren also saw the former end on its side in an incident not dissimilar from Catie Munnings’ in Qualifying One. All drivers were okay but the race was red-flagged.

The race resumed and JBXE reclaimed their lead. However, technical issues for the team saw them slow down and eventually stop, becoming the third retirement of the race.

With three cars out of the race it was a comfortable finish for McLaren, who crossed the line in first, with Carl Cox Motorsport not far behind in second.

Redemption Race Classification:

  1. McLaren 28:55.292
  2. Carl Cox Motorsport +5.552
  3. JBXE DNF
  4. ABT Cupra DNF
  5. Andretti United DNF

Final:

The last race of the day was the final, being fought between the top five qualifiers.

RXR took an early lead with a brilliant move from Johan Kristofferson. All five cars were neck and neck for most of the first lap.

However, Chip Ganassi ran into a technical issue and were forced to retire. A slow zone was put by the stricken car, restricting speeds to the switch zone speed limit. X44 also had an issue and retired not long after.

The remaining teams came into the switch zone with just a few seconds separating them. RXR led, with Veloce in second, and Acciona Sainz in third.

As the cars neared the slow zone, RXR’s Molly Taylor lost track of where she was and failed to slow in time, They were given a post-race penalty of 136 seconds.

There was little going on after that incident, as RXR crossed the line first but Veloce taking the victory. Acciona Sainz came in second and RXR were saved a place on the podium by virtue of the other cars retiring.

Final Classification:

  1. 11:56.291
  2. Acciona Sainz +16.709
  3. RXR + 2:08.041
  4. X44 DNF
  5. Chip Ganassi DNF

Championship Standings:

  1. Veloce – 26 Points
  2. Acciona Sainz – 21 Points
  3. RXR – 15 Points
  4. X44 – 13 Points
  5. Chip Ganassi – 11 Points
  6. McLaren – 8 Points
  7. Carl Cox Motorsport – 6 Points
  8. JBXE – 4 Points
  9. ABT Cupra – 2 Points
  10. Andretti United – 1 Point

So concluded an exciting day’s racing. With the chance to do it all again tomorrow, Veloce will be hoping for a similarly successful day, whilst Andretti United will welcome the chance to immediately get their championship back on track.

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Extreme E: What’s new for Season 3?

Images courtesy of Extreme E Extreme E is about to enter its third season and there have been a number of changes over the winter break to get your head around. Luckily, this handy guide breaks it all down for you!

 

Format:

The most noticeable change to Extreme E this year is to the format. Gone are the days of one day for qualifying and one day for races: now each weekend will be a doubleheader! 

Qualifying:

Qualifying remains two separate sessions, but there will be heats in both Qualifying 1 and Qualifying 2. In Qualifying 1, teams will race in one of two five-car heats, with intermediate points being awarded ten through two based on finishing position. 

These heats will also set the grids for Qualifying 2. First, third, and fifth in Qualifying 1 Heat 1 will compete against second and fourth from Qualifying 1 Heat 2 in Qualifying 2 Heat 1. The remaining teams will race each other in Qualifying 2 Heat 2. As with Qualifying 1, intermediate points are awarded ten through two to finishers first through fifth. The teams that win their heat will receive one championship point. 

After both qualifying sessions are complete, intermediate points are added up and the teams are ranked first to tenth from highest points tally to lowest. Any teams that are tied will be separated by their times in the Continental Traction Challenge, which awards the team with the fastest combined time over the course of the day an extra two championship points. Got that? Good! 🙂

Race:

There are no Semi-Finals or Crazy Races this year. Instead, the teams that qualify in the top five positions will go straight through to the Final, whereas the teams that qualify in sixth or lower will face off in the Redemption Race.

Despite its name, the Redemption Race will not provide teams the opportunity to make the final, which remains just five cars. Instead, the teams will attempt to gain as many championship points as they can, with the team finishing first in the Redemption Race receiving eight points. Points awarded for second to fifth in the Redemption Race will be six through one.

The Final remains unchanged from last year and will award 25 points to the winner. Second place will receive 18 points, whilst third, fourth, and fifth will pick up 15, 12, and ten points respectively.

If that doesn’t fill your racing appetite, teams will do it all again the following day! The new double-header race weekend will provide anyone who had a poor Saturday with a great opportunity to immediately bounce back and recover some crucial championship points. So, where are they racing this year?

 

Calendar:

The Season 3 Extreme E calendar will see teams return to some championship favourite locations, as well as some new courses that will provide a fresh challenge.

The season opener is, once again, taking place in Neom, Saudi Arabia this weekend (11th-12th March). Neom hosted the first round of Season 2, which saw the one-time championship winners, Rosberg X Racing, take the victory. Sardinia, Italy; and Antofagasta, Chile also return to this year’s calendar.

There will also be two locations making their Extreme-E-hosting debut. Scotland will run the Hydro XPrix on 13th-14th May, though the exact location is yet to be confirmed. Either the Amazon, or USA will feature a round on 16th-17th September.

The full race calendar is as follows:

11th-12th March – Desert XPrix – Neom, Saudi Arabia

13th-14th May – Hydro XPrix – Scotland

8th-9th July – Island XPrix – Sardinia, Italy

16th-17th September – TBC XPrix – Amazon or USA

2nd-3rd December – Copper XPrix – Antofagasta, Chile

 

Teams and Drivers:

Taking on these challenging courses will be a mixture of new drivers, and old, as well as at least one new team.

The freshest team on the grid, taking the place of Xite Energy, is Carl Cox Motorsport. Racing for British DJ, Carl Cox’s team will be the smiley Spaniard Christine GZ, as well as Timo Scheider. Both GZ and Scheider have a vast amount of experience in the series, which will surely help the team settle in quickly.

Jenson Button’s team, JBXE, will welcome a Finish former Formula 1 driver (no, not THAT one) in Heikki Kovalainen. Compared to much of the grid, Kovalainen has limited rallying experience so he will be hoping that his teammate, Hedda Hosas, can get him up to speed.

Other new additions to the grid include Fraser McConnel, who will drive for X44, and Amanda Sorensen, who will drive the Chip Ganassi car. Mattias Ekstrom will replace Carlos Sainz at Acciona Sainz for the Desert XPrix as the Spaniard is still recovering from an injury.

There was also supposed to be another team joining the grid this year, XE Sports Group. However, they will not race this coming weekend, and it is unconfirmed whether they will join the grid at all this year. Former footballer, Tim Cahill, was set to be one of the team’s backers.

The confirmed driver lineups for the Desert XPrix are as follows:

Veloce Racing – Kevin Hansen and Molly Taylor

Rosberg X Racing – Johan Kristoffersson and Mikaela Ahlin-Kottulinsky

JBXE – Hedda Hosas and Heikki Kovalainen

Andretti Altawkilat Extreme E – Catie Munnings and Timmy Hansen

X44 Vida Carbon Racing – Cristina Gutierrez and Fraser McConnell

Acciona Sainz XE Team – Laia Sanz and Mattias Ekstrom

NEOM McLaren Extreme E – Emma Gilmour and Tanner Foust

GMC Hummer EV Chip Ganassi Racing – Amanda Sorensen and RJ Anderson

ABT Cupra XE – Klara Andersson and Nasser Al-Attiyah

Carl Cox Motorsport – Cristine GZ and Timo Scheider

 

The new season is now just days away and there are many questions just waiting to be answered. Will the change in driver lineup put reigning champions X44 on the backfoot? Will Heikki Kovalainen fare any better than his new boss Jensen Button did back in Season 1? How will championship newcomers Carl Cox Motorsport handle the series? And what impact will the change in format have on the series? Tune in on Saturday as we attempt to uncover the answers.

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William Byron hits the jackpot at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

William Byron dominated Sunday’s Pennzoil 400, leading 176 of the 267 laps, sweeping all three stages, and passing Martin Truex Jr. in overtime to take his first Cup win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Byron had battled hard with Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson all race long for control of the lead and just pipped the Larson to the pit road exit line, seeing him line-up alongside Truex Jr. for the overtime restart, who gambled to stay out on old tyres.

  • Race summary 
  • Full race results
  • Points standings 

Byron said: “Yeah, just happy with getting the first win of the year. It’s been a while since we’ve won. It’s been almost a year, and it’s nice to kind of just get back to what I feel like we’re capable of.”

William Byron, driver of the #24 RaptorTough.com Chevrolet, celebrates with a burnout after winning the NASCAR Cup Series Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 05, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)

Byron was part of Hendrick Motorsports’ third one-two-three finish in the teams Cup Series career with Kyle Larson and Alex Bowman finishing second and third respectively, finishing the race how they ended stage two. Hendrick’s previous one-two-three finish came in the 2021 spring Dover race where it was also Hendrick’s first one-two-three-four finish with Byron finishing fourth and Alex Bowman taking the spoils that day.

Race summary

Byron first took the lead on lap 10 from pole-sitter Joey Logano. From then on it was mostly smooth sailing for the first stage with Larson keeping tabs on the Charlotte, North Carolinian finishing just under a second behind him.

Stage two was a carbon copy for both drivers with Larson once again finishing second in stage two under a second behind Byron. The final stage saw the roles reversed with Byron losing places on pit road under caution on lap 184, and starting fourth on the restart with Larson in third.

William Byron, driver of the #24 RaptorTough.com Chevrolet, and Kyle Larson, driver of the #5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, race during the NASCAR Cup Series Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 05, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

Larson was all over Denny Hamlin, who had stayed out on older tyres, for the lead and finally claimed top spot in the running order with 71 laps to go. Larson pulled out a five second-plus gap to Byron over the course of the final stage but this was eradicated when the caution came out with four to go in response to Aric Almirola sliding into a spin against the turn four wall.

At the time of caution Byron had halved the gap down to 2.4 seconds but it looked like a tall-order to have caught Larson without the Californian making a mistake or traffic getting in the way before they yellow flags waved.

Larson was only able to clear Truex Jr. with half a lap to go on the backstretch to finish runner-up.

Larson commented: “It seems like kind of laps down, lap by lap, and then, sure enough, the yellow lights come on. I had a gap to William behind me, and their pit crew must have just done a really good job and got out in front of us, and that gave up the front row. I knew I was in trouble with the 19 staying out.”

William Byron held off teammates Alex Bowman and Kyle Larson at the end of Sunday’s Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, sealing a 1-2-3 sweep for the organization on March 5, 2023 (Photo by Getty Images)

A dominant display by Hendrick comes on the week of teammate and 2020 NASCAR Cup champion Chase Elliott being forced to sit out indefinitely after fracturing his tibia in a snowboarding accident in Colorado last Friday.

Team owner Rick Hendrick speaking on Friday about NASCAR’s most popular driver said: “Chase’s health is our primary concern. He’s understandably disappointed to miss time in the car.”

JR Motorsports driver Josh Berry stood in for Elliott on Sunday, finishing 29th, two laps down, in his first race in the Next Gen car.

Josh Berry leans on No. 9 Chevrolet at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Photo by Zack Albert | NASCAR Studios)

Bubba Wallace had a stand-out day running inside the top ten for most of the race, taking sixth in stage two and eighth in stage one, and coming home fourth. After not finishing either of the first two races of the season, it’s a much needed boost of confidence and points for the No. 23 team.

Wallace said: “Never stop fighting. You never give up. I almost come over the radio and said, hey, good job, we finished sixth, then the caution came out, and I perked up again and got some.”

Wallace’s teammate Tyler Reddick had a wild day after marching up to 19th, just 11 laps after starting the race in the rear. Reddick nearly let a good points day get away when inside of 65 laps to go,  he ripped the turns three and four wall running sixth, sending him back to tenth. Reddick would finish 15th, after coming into the weekend with just four points after being wrecked out of the first two races.

Sunday’s pole-sitter Joey Logano and last week’s Auto Club finale winner Kyle Busch both difficult races.

Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Pennzoil Ford, leads the field during the NASCAR Cup Series Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 05, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

After losing the lead on lap 10 to Byron, Logano fought a tight handling race car for the first half of the race, clinging onto the top 15.

The two-time Pennzoil 400 winner asked a little too much of his No. 22 Pennzoil Ford Mustang on lap 182, when while he was battling three-wide on the outside with Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch  coming off turn four over 14th place, he ran out of real estate, colliding with the wall before spinning across the track into the infield grass. Logano’s team were not able to fix the car under the damage vehicle policy in time, forcing him to retire.

Kyle Busch made contact with the yellow outside walls several times during the race including twice in stage one, once clattering the turn two wall hard, bending the steering angle whilst challenging Hamlin for ninth place, but was able to continue.

 

The Las Vegas native wound up 14th in a weekend where he had attempted to sweep all three national series races taking place at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, trying to replicate his Bristol Motor Speedway’s 2010 and 2017 weekend sweeps. 

Busch won the Craftsman Truck Series race on Friday driving for his own Kyle Busch Motorsports team but could only manage fourth in Saturday’s Xfinity Series race driving for Kaulig Racing.  

Kyle Busch, driver of the #51 Zariz Transport Chevrolet, celebrates with a burnout after winning the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 03, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

The next race for the NASCAR Cup Series is the United Rentals Work United 500 at Phoenix Raceway this Sunday, with the race starting at 3:30pm ET.

Featured Image: William Byron, driver of the #24 RaptorTough.com Chevrolet, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Cup Series Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 05, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images) 

Full race results

  1. William Byron
  2. Kyle Larson
  3. Alex Bowman
  4. Bubba Wallace
  5. Christopher Bell
  6. Austin Cindric
  7. Martin Truex Jr.
  8. Justin Haley
  9. Kevin Harvick
  10. Daniel Suarez
  11. Denny Hamlin
  12. Ross Chastain
  13. Ryan Blaney
  14. Kyle Busch
  15. Tyler Reddick
  16. Aric Almirola
  17. Brad Keselowski
  18. AJ Allmendinger
  19. Erik Jones
  20. Corey LaJoie
  21. Chris Buescher
  22. Ty Gibbs
  23. Ryan Preece
  24. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
  25. Michael McDowell
  26. Harrison Burton
  27. Austin Dillon
  28. Chase Briscoe
  29. Josh Berry
  30. Noah Gragson
  31. Todd Gilliland
  32. BJ McLeod
  33. JJ Yeley
  34. Ty Dillon
  35. Cody Ware
  36. Joey Logano

Stage one 

  1. William Byron
  2. Kyle Larson
  3. Ross Chastain
  4. Christopher Bell
  5. Denny Hamlin
  6. Martin Truex Jr.
  7. Alex Bowman
  8. Bubba Wallace
  9. Kyle Busch
  10. Brad Keselowski

Stage two 

  1. William Byron
  2. Kyle Larson
  3. Alex Bowman
  4. Martin Truex Jr.
  5. Christopher Bell
  6. Bubba Wallace
  7. Ross Chastain
  8. Denny Hamlin
  9. Brad Keselowski
  10. Kevin Harvick

Points standings 

  1. Ross Chastain – 129
  2. Alex Bowman – 126
  3. Kevin Harvick – 108
  4. Daniel Suarez – 104
  5. Martin Truex Jr. – 102
  6. Denny Hamlin – 99
  7. Christopher Bell – 94
  8. Kyle Busch* – 92
  9. Joey Logano – 92
  10. Chris Buescher – 90
  11. Brad Keselowski – 87
  12. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.* – 86
  13. William Byron* – 85
  14. Kyle Larson – 85
  15. Ryan Blaney – 81
  16. Bubba Wallace – 69
  17. Austin Cindric – 69
  18. Corey LaJoie – 68
  19. AJ Allmendinger – 54
  20. Ty Gibbs – 53
  21. Aric Almirola – 52
  22. Michael McDowell – 52
  23. Justin Haley – 50
  24. Chase Elliott – 49
  25. Harrison Burton – 46
  26. Austin Dillon – 42
  27. Todd Gilliland – 41
  28. Erik Jones – 37
  29. Cody Ware – 35
  30. Noah Gragson – 35
  31. Ryan Preece – 29
  32. Chase Briscoe – 28
  33. Travis Pastrana – 26
  34. Tyler Reddick – 26
  35. BJ McLeod – 25
  36. JJ Yeley – 18
  37. Ty Dillon – 10
  38. Jimmie Johnson – 10
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