MAY 11, 2016
Monday, May 9, 2016 at 07:35AM
(Photos by Ferdi Kräling Motorsport-Bild GmbH/courtesy of Audi Motorsport)
Lucas di Grassi, Loïc Duval and Oliver Jarvis (No. 8 Audi Sport Team Joest Audi R18) won the second round of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium. The spectators witnessed the most thrilling WEC round in a long time. At various times of the 6-hour race, each of the three brands (Audi, Porsche, Toyota) was leading with a clear advantage at least once, but the heat and an action-packed race took their toll. “Today, the drivers, the team and the technology had to show real endurance qualities,” said Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich. “I am very happy about the first joint victory clinched by Lucas, Loïc and Oliver. Sincere congratulations on their impeccable performance.” It was Audi’s 106th victory in LMP since the 2000 season.
(Brett Moist LAT Photo USA ©2016, courtesy of Toyota Racing)
Kyle Busch (No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing M&M's Red Nose Toyota Camry) won the GoBowling 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Kansas Speedway last Saturday night. It was his 37th career win and third this season. Kevin Harvick (No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Jimmy John's Chevrolet SS) was second and Kurt Busch (No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Haas Automation/Monster Energy) finished third. Get more info here.
(Audi Motorsport)
Mattias Ekström (No. 5 EKS Audi S1 RX quattro) and Toomas Heikkinen (No. 57 EKS Audi S1 RX quattro) celebrated a one-two win in round two of the FIA World Rallycross Championship at the Hockenheimring. The Swedish-Finnish duo dominated the event throughout the weekend in their 560-hp Audi S1 RX quattro machines. With 48 points in the drivers’ standings Ekström now equals the score of overall leader Petter Solberg. In the teams’ classification, EKS with 93 points already has a 45-point advantage over the second-placed Volkswagen RX Sweden team. Watch a video here.
(www.crash.net)
In the DTM season opener at Hockenheim over the weekend, Edoardo Mortara (No. 48 Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline Castrol EDGE Audi RS 5 DTM) celebrated a commanding victory in race one on Saturday, while former F1 driver Paul di Resta (No. 3 Team HWA Mercedes-AMG DTM) was victorious in race two on Sunday. It was di Resta's first victory in DTM in six years, and he now takes the early lead in the German Touring Car Series.
(Nigel Kinrade LAT Photo USA ©2016, courtesy of Toyota Racing)
Eighteen-year-old William Byron (No. 9 Kyle Busch Motorsports Liberty University Toyota Tundra) celebrates his first NASCAR win in the Toyota Tundra 250 Camping World Truck Series race at Kansas Speedway Friday night.
(www.crash.net)
Jorge Lorenzo (No. 99 Movistar Yamaha MotoGP YZR-M1) dominated the French MotoGP at Le Mans, which turned into a crash-fest.
(GPUpdate)
Valentino Rossi (No. 46 Movistar Yamaha MotoGP YZR-M1) finished second in France.
(GPUpdate)
Maverick Viñales (No. 25 Team Suzuki Ecstar GSX-RR) finished third at Le Mans for his first MotoGP podium.
Editor's Note: Ford has just released "Let's Race" - the third of five chapters in “The Return,” which is a long-form documentary that follows the development of both the street car and race car versions of the Ford GT from the decision to build the cars to the return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Watch chapter one, "The Decision," here and chapter two, "The Cutting Edge," here. (FYI: The Autoextremist makes a cameo appearance in chapter one.) -WG