Sunday belonged to World Championship leader Fabio Quartararo (No. 20 Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) as he captured win number five of 2021 in the Monster Energy British MotoGP at Silverstone. The Frenchman claimed a comfortable victory and a 25-point haul that sees his lead in the title race extend to 65 points. Alex Rins (No. 42 Team Suzuki Ecstar) delivered a tremendous ride (from P10 on the grid) to earn his first podium of the year by finishing second, and Aleix Espargaro (No. 41 Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) ascended to a dream first MotoGP™ podium in third. It was a huge day for Quartararo and his title aspirations. Jack Miller (No. 43 Ducati Lenovo Team) just missed out on a return to the podium by 0.149s. The Australian was by far the quickest Ducati on Sunday afternoon at Silverstone. Watch the race here. (Thank you to MotoGP Media)
Max Verstappen (No. 33 Red Bull Racing Honda) was proclaimed the winner of a farcical Belgian Grand Prix after only two laps were completed behind a safety car. The 12th round of the Formula One campaign at a rain-soaked Spa-Francorchamps circuit finished three hours and 44 minutes after it was due to begin when the clock finally stopped on an embarrassing afternoon for the sport. It was the first time in F1’s 71-year history that such few laps have been completed for a classified result. Indeed, it is only the sixth time half-points have been awarded. The abandoned affair came just 24 hours after British driver Lando Norris was fortunate to emerge unscathed from a terrifying 185mph crash in his McLaren at Eau Rouge in qualifying. George Russell (No. 63 Williams Racing Mercedes) took second, with Lewis Hamilton (No. 44 Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team) third, with half-points awarded. Editor-in-Chief's Note: The less said about this "race" the better. -PMD (Thank you to Phillip Duncan, PA F1 correspondent.)
The Coke Zero Sugar 400, NASCAR's Cup Series regular-season finale at Daytona International Speedway Saturday night included 45 lead changes, the usual assortment of dumb wrecks, a 14-minute red-flag period and a wild final lap of overtime to decide the championship playoff picture. Ryan Blaney (No. 12 Team Penske Ford) managed it all and took his second NASCAR Cup Series victory in as many weeks as a huge multicar accident happened behind him in the last corners of the track on the final lap. Blaney led only seven of the 165 laps, but the 27-year-old North Carolinian took the lead from Chris Buescher (No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford) for the two laps of overtime to claim his third win of the season and seventh of his career. (Buescher, however, was disqualified as his car did not conform to the NASCAR rule specifications. Buescher’s second-place finish was altered to 40th, last in the 40-car field, as a result.) Tyler Reddick (No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet) earned the 16th and final playoff position with a fifth-place finish in a close and suspenseful battle with his own teammate, Austin Dillon (No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet). “How about that,” Blaney said. “That was a lot of fun. Gosh, we just barely missed that wreck. Got to line up on the front row and got a good push by the 7 (Corey LaJoie). You never know how the end of these things is going to play out. Down the back you don’t know what lane is getting a bigger run. I guess someone got tangled up over there, hopefully everyone is OK.” LaJoie was one of the drivers who was collected in that nine-car crash in Turn 3 on the final lap. He was one of four drivers – including Dillon, Ross Chastain and Daniel Suarez – running among the top 10 on the final restart and needing a victory to qualify for the playoffs. Instead, all four of them were unfortunately involved in the final incident that eliminated much of the front-running pack. Kyle Larson (No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet) who has a series-best five wins on the season, clinched his first NASCAR Cup Series Regular Season Championship with a 20th-place finish. Both he and Denny Hamlin (No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota) were in the last-lap wreck. Hamlin, who has led the points standings for all but three of the previous 25 race weekends, finished 13th. Blaney’s Daytona win caps an impressive summer run that is good enough to move him into second place in the playoff standings – 28 behind Larson – heading into next week’s playoff opener at Darlington Raceway. Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch are ranked third and fourth, respectively, in the playoff reset, followed by 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion Chase Elliott, Alex Bowman, Hamlin and William Byron. Joey Logano, who led a race-best 37 laps Saturday but finished 23rd, is seeded ninth, followed by Team Penske teammate Brad Keselowski, Kurt Busch, Christopher Bell, 2021 Daytona 500 winner Michael McDowell, Aric Almirola, Reddick and Kevin Harvick. The 10-race elimination style NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs begin with next Sunday’s Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington (6 p.m. ET on NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Harvick is the defending race winner. Truex won at Darlington this spring. Watch extended video highlights here. (Thank you to Holly Cain/NASCAR Wire Service)
(Photo courtesy of Racer magazine)
Editor-in-Chief's Note: The passing of Robin Miller was a terrible blow to his friends in the racing world. It was very sad news to me personally as well. I got to know Robin over the last decade in a series of email communications, plus, I spent a memorable couple of hours with him at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway one afternoon, where he held court and entertained everyone around him. It was a day I will never forget. That afternoon came about because Robin intently followed my "Fumes" columns, and he had written me several times over the years complimenting me on my writing - especially about NASCAR - and he forwarded those columns around to his network of friends. Believe me, that was high praise indeed from someone I consider to be the best that ever was when it came to covering Indy car racing. There was no one else even close, in fact. Robin knew everyone and everything about Indy car racing as he had immersed himself in the sport he loved with a passion that was simply unrivaled. He was also one of the all-time characters in the sport, which are becoming harder and harder to find in this day and age. In fact, he may have been the last one, which makes the news of his passing even worse. I didn't know Robin like his close friends, but I had the utmost respect for him and appreciated everything he did while covering the sport that he loved. There will never be another Robin Miller. The definitive remembrance of Robin Miller came from his colleague and friend who knew him best, Marshall Pruett, from Racer magazine. You can read it here. -PMD
(Indianapolis Motor Speedway)
Robin Miller surrounded by some famous friends at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway just two weeks before he died.
(Cadillac)
Cadillac has announced that it will compete in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) LMDh category in 2023 with a fourth-generation Cadillac V-Series prototype. Cadillac and its partners will bring their considerable experience from American endurance racing to compete for overall victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The new Cadillac LMDh-V.R prototype is designed to conform to IMSA and ACO Le Mans Daytona hybrid specifications for the new top tier of endurance racing that replaces the current DPi class. As with the other competitors in the series, it will be based on a standardized chassis and incorporate the spec hybrid powertrain system, but will feature a unique combustion engine and distinctive bodywork. As with the Cadillac DPi-V.R, the Cadillac LMDh-V.R will be a partnership between GM Design and the constructor Dallara. A new Cadillac engine package will work in conjunction with the LMDh common hybrid system. Cadillac’s program will partner with Chip Ganassi Racing and Action Express Racing. The Cadillac LMDh will debut on the track for the first time at the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona in January 2023. Recent Cadillac Racing achievements with the Cadillac DPi-V.R include:
- Winning the Rolex 24 at Daytona four times in a row: 2020, 2019, 2018 and 2017
- Winning the Michelin North American Endurance Cup four times: 2020, 2019, 2018 and 2017
- Winning the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship twice: 2018 and 2017
Cadillac’s V-Series portfolio includes the CT4-V and CT5-V, as well as the track-capable CT4-V Blackwing and CT5-V Blackwing. The 2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing and CT4-V Blackwing are on sale now with limited availability. The CT4-V Blackwing starts at $59,990 and the CT5-V Blackwing starts at $84,990. Customers can build their own V-Series Blackwing online at Cadillac.com.
Editor's Note: Click on "Next 1 Entries" at the bottom of this page to see previous issues. - WG