Monday
Oct232017
OCTOBER 25, 2017
Monday, October 23, 2017 at 10:51AM 
(Getty Images/BBC)
Lewis Hamilton (No. 44 AMG Petronas F1 Team) dominated the United States Grand Prix, finishing ten seconds ahead of Sebastian Vettel (No. 5 Scuderia Ferrari) for his ninth win of the 2017 F1 season. Vettel’s teammate Kimi Raikkonen (No. 7 Scuderia Ferrari) was moved up to third place after a last-lap pass on him by Max Verstappen (No. 33 Red Bull Racing) was deemed illegal. “I want to say a big congratulation to the team. Everyone’s worked so hard back at the factory to come from one era into a new era. It’s hard to fight a team like Ferrari and keep getting stronger through the year. That’s a great feeling and I hope everyone back at the factory is feeling the same way,” said the 32-year-old Hamilton. The result also means that just fifth place in Mexico will be enough for Hamilton to clinch the 2017 drivers’ title, regardless of where Vettel finishes. “I plan on winning that one. I think the Ferraris will be quite quick there. I don’t know how we will do at that track. I think they might have the upper hand, but we’ll see,” said Lewis Hamilton. The result on Sunday also means Mercedes secures the 2017 constructors’ title. Editor-in-Chief's Note: Verstappen, who charged from the back in the drive of the race, was caught-up in a ridiculous ruling from the chief steward that never should have happened. Drivers were putting four wheels off of the racing surface all day long, and for Verstappen to be singled out for the "infraction" was flat-out Bush League Bullshit. The lack of consistency in racing officiating has been the bane of the sport from its very beginnings. And the race officials blew the call. Either put up curbing that the cars can't go over and enforce the rules consistently, or stay out of it. Verstappen was robbed. -PMD
(The Statesman/AFP)
(Photo by Andy Brownbill/The Sydney Morning Herald)
Marc Marquez (No. 93 Repsol Honda Team) won the Australian MotoGP at Phillip Island, which was hands-down the race of the year. Marquez was attacked into the first corner by the typically fast-starting Australian Jack Miller (No. 43 Honda) and was embroiled in a frantic eight-bike fight for the podium places that raged until the final five laps, when he was finally able to break away. Marquez crossed the line 1.7 seconds ahead of Valentino Rossi (No.46 Movistar Yamaha MotoGP), the six-time Phillip Island winner surging through the field from seventh on the grid. Rossi's teammate Maverick Vinales (No. 25 Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) stole the final podium position on the line from dynamic French rookie Johann Zarco (No. 5 Monster Yamaha Tech 3), Vinales edging his Yamaha stablemate by 0.016 seconds. Marquez came to Australia with a slender 11-point championship lead after being beaten by Ducati's Andrea Dovizioso (No. 4 Ducati Team) in a frantic head-to-head fight at last week's Japanese Grand Prix, but the Honda rider's sixth win of 2017, combined with Dovizioso finishing a season-worst 13th, saw Marquez extend his championship lead to 33 points with a maximum of 50 remaining in the final two races of the season at Sepang and Valencia.
(Toyota)
Martin Truex Jr. (No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Toyota) survived a restart penalty and an unscheduled pit stop to win Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway, his seventh Monster Energy Cup Series victory of the season. Racing just hours after Furniture Row Racing road-crew fabricator Jim Watson succumbed to a heart attack, Truex finished 2.284 seconds ahead of runner-up Kurt Busch (No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Haas Automation/Monster Energy Ford) to become the first driver to sweep both Kansas races in the same year. The victory was Truex’s second at the track and the 14th of his career.
(John K. Harrelson/NKP)
Ryan Blaney (No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Omnicraft Auto Parts Ford) delivered a sensational drive, charging from 40th starting position to finish third. “We started off in the back, and I was able to make some good ground early,” said Blaney, who starts the Round of 8 as the seventh seed, 60 points behind Truex, who increased his series-leading playoff point total to 69. “We were able to run up through there and made good adjustments throughout the day, which got us in a spot to be up toward the front towards the end and advance. It was a solid day for our team. We overcame a lot coming from the back, and they should be proud of that.”
Lewis Hamilton (No. 44 AMG Petronas F1 Team) dominated the United States Grand Prix, finishing ten seconds ahead of Sebastian Vettel (No. 5 Scuderia Ferrari) for his ninth win of the 2017 F1 season. Vettel’s teammate Kimi Raikkonen (No. 7 Scuderia Ferrari) was moved up to third place after a last-lap pass on him by Max Verstappen (No. 33 Red Bull Racing) was deemed illegal. “I want to say a big congratulation to the team. Everyone’s worked so hard back at the factory to come from one era into a new era. It’s hard to fight a team like Ferrari and keep getting stronger through the year. That’s a great feeling and I hope everyone back at the factory is feeling the same way,” said the 32-year-old Hamilton. The result also means that just fifth place in Mexico will be enough for Hamilton to clinch the 2017 drivers’ title, regardless of where Vettel finishes. “I plan on winning that one. I think the Ferraris will be quite quick there. I don’t know how we will do at that track. I think they might have the upper hand, but we’ll see,” said Lewis Hamilton. The result on Sunday also means Mercedes secures the 2017 constructors’ title. Editor-in-Chief's Note: Verstappen, who charged from the back in the drive of the race, was caught-up in a ridiculous ruling from the chief steward that never should have happened. Drivers were putting four wheels off of the racing surface all day long, and for Verstappen to be singled out for the "infraction" was flat-out Bush League Bullshit. The lack of consistency in racing officiating has been the bane of the sport from its very beginnings. And the race officials blew the call. Either put up curbing that the cars can't go over and enforce the rules consistently, or stay out of it. Verstappen was robbed. -PMD
(The Statesman/AFP)(Photo by Andy Brownbill/The Sydney Morning Herald)Marc Marquez (No. 93 Repsol Honda Team) won the Australian MotoGP at Phillip Island, which was hands-down the race of the year. Marquez was attacked into the first corner by the typically fast-starting Australian Jack Miller (No. 43 Honda) and was embroiled in a frantic eight-bike fight for the podium places that raged until the final five laps, when he was finally able to break away. Marquez crossed the line 1.7 seconds ahead of Valentino Rossi (No.46 Movistar Yamaha MotoGP), the six-time Phillip Island winner surging through the field from seventh on the grid. Rossi's teammate Maverick Vinales (No. 25 Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) stole the final podium position on the line from dynamic French rookie Johann Zarco (No. 5 Monster Yamaha Tech 3), Vinales edging his Yamaha stablemate by 0.016 seconds. Marquez came to Australia with a slender 11-point championship lead after being beaten by Ducati's Andrea Dovizioso (No. 4 Ducati Team) in a frantic head-to-head fight at last week's Japanese Grand Prix, but the Honda rider's sixth win of 2017, combined with Dovizioso finishing a season-worst 13th, saw Marquez extend his championship lead to 33 points with a maximum of 50 remaining in the final two races of the season at Sepang and Valencia.
(Toyota)Martin Truex Jr. (No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Toyota) survived a restart penalty and an unscheduled pit stop to win Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway, his seventh Monster Energy Cup Series victory of the season. Racing just hours after Furniture Row Racing road-crew fabricator Jim Watson succumbed to a heart attack, Truex finished 2.284 seconds ahead of runner-up Kurt Busch (No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Haas Automation/Monster Energy Ford) to become the first driver to sweep both Kansas races in the same year. The victory was Truex’s second at the track and the 14th of his career.
(John K. Harrelson/NKP)Ryan Blaney (No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Omnicraft Auto Parts Ford) delivered a sensational drive, charging from 40th starting position to finish third. “We started off in the back, and I was able to make some good ground early,” said Blaney, who starts the Round of 8 as the seventh seed, 60 points behind Truex, who increased his series-leading playoff point total to 69. “We were able to run up through there and made good adjustments throughout the day, which got us in a spot to be up toward the front towards the end and advance. It was a solid day for our team. We overcame a lot coming from the back, and they should be proud of that.”
The last race of the 2017 IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship season - Petit Le Mans - took place the first weekend of October. The superb images by photographer John Thawley are worth looking at again and again, so please go to our Autoextremist Image Gallery here and see them all.
(FIA World Rally Champioship presented by Monster Energy)
The FIA World Rallycross Championship presented by Monster Energy will have its first U.S. event in 2018. Championship rights holder IMG has agreed to a five-year deal with Circuit of the Americas (COTA) at Austin, Texas. World RX will make its debut in the USA on the weekend of September 29-30, 2018, as part of a festival weekend.
The FIA World Rallycross Championship presented by Monster Energy will have its first U.S. event in 2018. Championship rights holder IMG has agreed to a five-year deal with Circuit of the Americas (COTA) at Austin, Texas. World RX will make its debut in the USA on the weekend of September 29-30, 2018, as part of a festival weekend.