Christopher Bell says he is not “overly shocked” at winning his first career NASCAR Cup race on a road course, although he believes to win at Daytona “is quite surprising”. Bell, who was promoted to the Joe Gibbs Racing squad for 2021 in place of Erik Jones, posted a maiden career win at the 38th
Month: February 2021
A caution for a brief rain shower with 17 laps of the scheduled 70 around the 3.6-mile circuit closed the field up, with the leaders pitting for fresh slick tyres as opposed to switching to the grooved wet Goodyear rubber. Bell, in his second race for Joe Gibbs Racing, was running well inside the top
Christopher Bell hunted down leader Joey Logano in the closing laps of the NASCAR Cup Series race on the Daytona road course to record his maiden at the 38th attempt. A caution for a brief rain shower with 17 laps of the scheduled 70 around the 3.6-mile circuit closed the field up, with the leaders
Former DTM driver Juncadella and Gounon, winner of last year’s Bathurst 12 Hours with Bentley, will drive with ASP regular Marciello in the team’s solo pro class Mercedes-AMG GT3 in the five-race Endurance Cup segment of the GTWCE. Gounon, who was announced as part of the Mercedes GT3 roster along with Juncadella earlier this month,
New Mercedes drivers Daniel Juncadella and Jules Gounon will join Raffaelo Marciello for the French Auto Sport Promotion team’s defence of its GT World Challenge Europe crown in 2021. Former DTM driver Juncadella and Gounon, winner of last year’s Bathurst 12 Hours with Bentley, will drive with ASP regular Marciello in the team’s solo pro
The team behind Seb Morris and Rick Parfitt Jr’s 2017 championship run has campaigned Bentley machinery in British GT since 2016, but changes to the 911 GT3 R in 2021 to align with its activities in the Carrera Cup GB and Sprint Challenge GB. It marks the first full-season Porsche entry in British GT since
Championship-winning British GT outfit Team Parker Racing will switch from Bentley to Porsche for its assault on this year’s GT3 class title. The team behind Seb Morris and Rick Parfitt Jr’s 2017 championship run has campaigned Bentley machinery in British GT since 2016, but changes to the 911 GT3 R in 2021 to align with
This season the squad will field changed driver line-up with Chip Ganassi Racing refugee Felix Rosenqvist teaming up with Patricio O’Ward, who is set for his second season at Arrow McLaren SP. O’Ward, in his first full IndyCar season, drove the #5 AMSP-Chevy to a pole, four podiums and fourth in the championship, while Rosenqvist
Sam Schmidt believes Arrow McLaren SP-Chevrolet can join Chip Ganassi Racing, Team Penske and Andretti Autosport in the top echelon of IndyCar in 2020. This season the squad will field changed driver line-up with Chip Ganassi Racing refugee Felix Rosenqvist teaming up with Patricio O’Ward, who is set for his second season at Arrow McLaren
During last week’s Busch Clash exhibition race on the road course, drivers complained that dirt and grass was being pulled onto the track when cars cut the corners on the backstretch chicane. Ahead of all three national series’ races this weekend, and to help reduce incidents, NASCAR has now added rumble strips in front of
NASCAR has made changes to the backstretch chicane of the Daytona International Speedway Road Course ahead of this weekend’s racing following criticism by drivers. During last week’s Busch Clash exhibition race on the road course, drivers complained that dirt and grass was being pulled onto the track when cars cut the corners on the backstretch
Dale Earnhardt started his pursuit of a record eighth Winston Cup by driving in a 24-hour race a fortnight before the blue riband Daytona 500. The ride in the factory-backed Corvette C5-R, which finished fourth, gave Earnhardt his first opportunity to co-drive with his son Dale Earnhardt Jr, who this year will enter his second
The death of Dale Earnhardt Sr at the 2001 Daytona 500 shocked NASCAR to the core. Days before his accident, in the 15 February 2001 issue of Autosport magazine, ‘The Intimidator’ shared his expectations of challenging for an eighth Cup title with JONATHAN INGRAM Dale Earnhardt started his pursuit of a record eighth Winston Cup
I’m not sure what surprises me more – that it’s 20 years since Dale Earnhardt died or that I have been covering NASCAR racing even longer than that. So much has occurred in NASCAR since I started in April 1998 that it’s often hard to remember many details about any particular race weekend. Sure, I’ll
On the 20th anniversary of Dale Earnhardt Sr’s death on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500, JIM UTTER reflects on his memories of NASCAR’s darkest weekend I’m not sure what surprises me more – that it’s 20 years since Dale Earnhardt died or that I have been covering NASCAR racing even longer than
Andreas Mikkelsen has admitted the uncertainty over Hyundai’s World Rally Championship future could hinder his comeback plans for 2022. On Monday, Hyundai’s team principal Andrea Adamo revealed the team’s WRC participation was not guaranteed beyond this year as the company’s South Korean board had yet to give its full backing to building a car to
The 2019 GT4 Pro-Am class champions set up the team in 2020 to contest the Mazda MX-5 Supercup, and has expanded its programme to run two McLarens in the Bute Motorsport-run series’ GTH class from its base in Tamworth. Former IndyCar racer Plowman, who won the LMP2 class at the 2012 Le Mans 24 Hours,
The Paddock Motorsport team co-founded by British GT racers Kelvin Fletcher and Martin Plowman will enter a team of McLaren 570S GT4s in the GT Cup this season. The 2019 GT4 Pro-Am class champions set up the team in 2020 to contest the Mazda MX-5 Supercup, and has expanded its programme to run two McLarens
Currently in the Cup Series, Toyota is the least represented of the three manufacturers, with just the four Joe Gibbs Racing cars supplemented by the quasi-works single-car outfit of 23XI Racing, co-owned by Hamlin and basketball legend Michael Jordan. For comparison, Chevrolet has 16 full-time drivers using the Camaro, while Ford’s Mustang is driven by
Denny Hamlin believes “a lack of numbers” in NASCAR Cup teams using Toyota machinery played a “big role” in the Daytona 500, potentially costing him a fourth victory. Currently in the Cup Series, Toyota is the least represented of the three manufacturers, with just the four Joe Gibbs Racing cars supplemented by the quasi-works single-car
Jenkins, who joined the IMS Radio Network in 1979, became the play-by-play announcer for the Indianapolis 500 at ABC, then branched out to include other IndyCar races on NBC, before becoming the Speedway’s PA announcer in 2011. However, on IMS’s Behind the Bricks broadcast with the track’s president Doug Boles, Jenkins revealed he is battling
Bob Jenkins, former TV and Indianapolis Motor Speedway announcer, has revealed he is suffering from brain cancer and has reduced his IMS duties. Jenkins, who joined the IMS Radio Network in 1979, became the play-by-play announcer for the Indianapolis 500 at ABC, then branched out to include other IndyCar races on NBC, before becoming the
Front Row Motorsports driver McDowell started 17th in Sunday’s race, avoiding a 16-car pile-up in the early laps, and kept close to his fellow Ford Mustang exponents throughout the race. As the field approached Turn 3 on the 200th and final lap, McDowell tagged the rear bumper of Brad Keselowski’s Penske Ford, who in turn
Daytona 500 winner Michael McDowell says he “never lost of hope” of winning in the NASCAR Cup Series for the first time after 18 years and 358 race starts. Front Row Motorsports driver McDowell started 17th in Sunday’s race, avoiding a 16-car pile-up in the early laps, and kept close to his fellow Ford Mustang
Hyundai is still awaiting “the green light” to develop its 2022 World Rally Championship challenger, with the Korean marque’s board yet to confirm whether it will compete next year. While Toyota and M-Sport are inching closer to running their Rally1 test mules in the open for the first time, work on Hyundai’s new challenger has
On lap 170 of 200, the Ford Mustang runners, including both remaining Penske drivers and the Front Row Motorsports entry of McDowell pitted for the final time to top off the fuel tanks, and managed to use this undercut to leapfrog long-term leader Denny Hamlin. The Joe Gibbs racer, searching for an unprecedented third 500
Michael McDowell scored his first NASCAR Cup Series win in the heavily-delayed Daytona 500, after a fiery final-lap crash eliminated the leading Penske duo of Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski. On lap 170 of 200, the Ford Mustang runners, including both remaining Penske drivers and the Front Row Motorsports entry of McDowell pitted for the
The team set up by basketball legend Jordan and Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin has debuted in Sunday’s Daytona 500, which hit pause after 15 laps following a 16-car pileup and a rain delay at the Florida superspeedway venue. Wallace, meanwhile, avoided the crash having started from the back after his #23 car failed
23XI Racing co-owner Michael Jordan says driver Bubba Wallace has the talent to “learn how to win” in the NASCAR Cup Series this year. The team set up by basketball legend Jordan and Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin has debuted in Sunday’s Daytona 500, which hit pause after 15 laps following a 16-car pileup
Ott Tanak says there is “a big job” to be completed before he is in a position to win the World Rally Championship’s Arctic Rally Finland in a fortnight’s time. Tanak warmed-up for the next round of the WRC by taking part in yesterday’s Otepaa Winter Rally, dominating the competition by going fastest on every