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Formula E. INDYCAR. MotoAmerica. Now it is IMSA's turn to conclude their calendar with the Fall finale at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. The Motul Petit Le Mans preview is below.
The Motul Grand Prix of Japan concluded three straight MotoGP weekends. The title gap tightened once again as the paddock has a week off to catch their breath before getting back at it at Phillip Island next weekend for the Qatar Airways Australian Grand Prix. Read on for GP of Japan race coverage and a preview of this weekend's WorldSBK Estoril Round.
If you have yet to read our review of Superbike: An Illustrated Early History that is still available below. Click on the ad image for more information on how you can get your copy.
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Jay Geils Memorial TV Links:
Saturday, October 12th: WorldSBK - Estoril Superbike Race 1 9:00 AM ET MAVTV
IMSA WTSC - Motul Petit Le Mans 12:00 PM ET NBC - 6:00 PM ET USA
Sunday, October 13th: Estoril Superbike Race 2 9:00 AM ET MAVTV
ENJOY YOUR RACE WEEKEND!
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MOTOGP - Francesco Bagnaia road impeccably all weekend at Motegi. While Jorge Martin crashed in Q2, which put him on the back foot having to start from P11.
Pedro Acosta had a stellar start to the weekend, setting a new track record and claiming pole. But it went down hill from there, with the rookie crashing out of the lead in the Saturday Sprint. Bagnaia got the better of him at the start and the GASGAS Tech 3 rider dropped to third. But he fought back, getting by Enea Bastianini and Pecco.
Martin gained six spots on the opening lap, with a damp Motegi surface making for a dicey battle. On Lap 9 Acosta's pace didn't matter anymore, when he crashed out from the lead. Pecco took first, followed by his teammate Bastianini and Marc Marquez, who came forward from P9 after having his fastest lap deleted in Q2 for track limits penalty.
Bagnaia took the Tissot Sprint victory from Bastianini, who denied the closing Marc Marquez second, with Martin able to take a strong fourth on Saturday.
Sunday's GP started similarly, with Bagnaia launching past Acosta at the start. Brad Binder got a great start on the Red Bull KTM Factory machine, notching in behind Acosta with Enea Bastianini and Marc Marquez in tow.
Once again Pedro Acosta proved he can ride with the big boys. But just can't finish with them yet. In the final turn on the Motegi circuit he slid out, losing the chance at his first MotoGP win from his first MotoGP pole. The retirement helped Martin recover more points, as it promoted him into second. Bagnaia held a 1.5 second advantage. Lap by lap, however, that began to come down. Once it dipped below a second, Pecco was able to dig down and claw back a few tenths.
It was all on the line for the duo. If Martin got by Bagnaia, his lead would be 20 points heading to Australia. If Pecco held him off, it was down to 10. Pecco held on and took the win over his title rival. The reigning World Champion held steadfast in his effort to hold on to the number 1 plate, edging Martin by 1.189 seconds at the stripe.
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Bganaia Sweeps Motegi and Gains 11 Points on Martin | |
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Francesco Bagnaia: “We’re leaving Motegi with the maximum number of points available, so I’m really happy. We did a perfect job during the weekend. It wasn’t easy, because in the early stages of the race Pedro (Acosta) was very close and pushing hard, while at the end Jorge (Martín) was making up ground; when the lead dropped to less than a second, I tried to find that little extra pace-wise and it worked. The final lap was hard though, given the grip level we had left. We managed to complete plenty of laps with used tires throughout the weekend and worked well with regards to mapping. Now we head to Phillip Island with full awareness of our abilities.”
Marquez held off Bastianini to take the final podium spot and to and move within two points of the ‘Beast’ in the standings. Behind the podium fight, Binder just lost out on fifth to Franco Morbidelli, who has come to form of late.
The Pertamina Enduro VR46 teammates crossed the line in bright yellow formation, with Marco Bezzecchi taking P7 just ahead of teammate Fabio Di Giannantonio. Completing the top ten was Aprilia's Aleix Espargaro and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing's Jack Miller.
MotoGP announced earlier today that, ahead of the new bikes coming in for 2027, the Grand Prix Commission has agreed to freeze engine specs for the preceding season.
Engine specification in MotoGP will be frozen for 2026, meaning factories must also use their 2025 engine designs the following season. The Grand Prix Commission approved the proposal in order to control costs and keep a level playing field as much as possible before MotoGP changes to new bikes in 2027.
A freeze on development the season before keeps costs controlled for all, allowing factories to focus on their new designs for 2027. The sole exceptions to the freeze will be for safety or reliability, and for any manufacturers in concession Rank D. Corrections for safety or reliability, or proven non-availability of components, may be allowed for any manufacturer providing no performance increase will be gained.
For factories in concession Rank D, the engine specification freeze will not apply unless they change rank. The spec for them will remain free as it is now, allowing those with a greater performance deficit to the top to continue working on key areas of their machinery.
The Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Australia is on Sunday, October 20th. The latest broadcast info we have is that the Sprint will be shown Saturday at midnight on truTV, with the GP at 9:30 PM Eastern on Sunday night.
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WORLDSBK - There are two rounds left in the 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship, including this weekend's Estoril Round from Portugal.
The Riders’ Championship can be clinched by ROKiT BMW Motorrad's Toprak Razgatlioglu at the Circuito Estoril this weekend. There's no doubt that his performance in the Tissot Aragon Round was not 100% in his first weekend back after his back surgery.
Toprak talked about his goal in the Thursday Press Conference. It's not much different than at any other time. He is a champion. He just wants to win the race.
Toprak Razgatlioglu: "After 2022, we come back here again and I’m really happy because I like this track. Last time, I lost because Alvaro passed me on the straight. I like this track but this weekend’s going to be a little bit difficult. I’m just focused on the races because I missed winning races. Maybe there’s different weather this weekend. My goal is to win the race. If I win all races, and Bulega finishes in third position, we win the title. He’s also strong. I’m not thinking about this, I’m thinking the Championship finishes at Jerez. I’m just riding the bike and fighting for the win. If I win, I’m happier. I need to win again because second position wasn’t enough for me at Aragon. I have zero stress now, I’m here to win the race. Maybe if there’s wet conditions, we’re fighting for the win again because I’ve never won in wet conditions in WorldSBK. Zero stress because I’m not thinking about the Championship!”
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Toprak Focused on Winning | |
Reigning Champion Alvaro Bautista took both victories on Sunday at the Tissot Aragon Round, but still trails his rookie teammate Nicolo Bulega by 42 points coming into Estoril.
Alvaro Bautista: “After a Sunday like I had at MotorLand Aragon, I’m very motivated. That was then and now we’re here at a different track, different conditions. It’s two years since I raced here. The target is trying to get the feeling I had at Aragon which was really nice. I’m happy the feeling’s coming back! We struggled a lot at the beginning of the season because I started with an injury, then we didn’t know why I couldn’t have the confidence with the bike, or the same performance. Fortunately, it was like a light switch on at Most and we made a change on the bike which definitely helped me to recover the confidence.
“At Aragon, we had a small briefing before the Saturday race because it was clear that both riders had the chance to fight against Toprak, but it’s true Bulega’s chances were much better than mine. We decided to help Nicolo at Aragon, try not to be between him and Toprak, and try to help him take off some points. After Saturday, the problem he had with the engine, the situation was different. On Sunday, he was there, and it was the same idea; don’t be between Toprak and Nicolo. It’s possible between Nicolo and Toprak. In the Superpole Race, it was our target, to try to help Nicolo and be between them but with Nicolo first. In the last laps, I saw it could be Toprak, Nicolo and me so I tried to make it so Nicolo lost two points instead of three, which is better; I tried to win the race and I did, and it was the same in Race 2. Right now, there’s not that kind of team order but this weekend will be something similar; try not to disturb my teammate but also him not disturbing me.”
Nicolo Bulega trails Razgatlioglu by 39 points and he is out to make sure the title fight goes down to the last round at Circuito de Jerez - Angel Nieto. The rookie is intent to not put pressure on himself.
Nicolo Bulega: “I hope to be fast this weekend because Aragon, I was fast but it was a strange weekend. I would like to have a normal weekend. Race 1 at Aragon wasn’t a nice moment. We lost a lot of points; we lost the ability to take some more points. I felt very good, especially on Saturday on the race; the race pace wasn’t so strong, but I felt like I was fast.
"I don’t have a goal for this weekend. I just want to enjoy it, try to do my best and that’s it. I’ve never asked for team orders, and I don’t want them. Alvaro is very fast. If he has the possibility to win, he has to win. We’re part of this team and Ducati so, I think, for them it’s important to win these titles. Me and Alvaro are doing a great job."
This weekend's Estoril Round will be broadcast on Saturday and Sunday mornings at 9:00 AM Eastern on MAVTV. The network has brought stability and consistency in their coverage this season. The final round is in Spain next weekend. The Prometeon Spanish Round is in Jerez.
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Superbike: An Illustrated Early History
No matter what the musical genre, an ensemble is only as good as the sum of its parts. There are many great guitarists. If they are paired with an equally outstanding vocalist, that is what sets them above and apart from others.
John Owens and Kevin Cameron are rock stars. The two have been bumping into each other in the paddock for fifty years. Cameron is simply a know it all. In a good way. It is hard to ask the Harvard grad a question that he doesn't know the answer to. And it's the right answer. He has a degree in physics and is a legendary motorcycle tuner who was the go to authority on two stroke motorcycles in the 1970s in Boston and beyond.
Also from the area, Belmont-born John Owens has been a photographer since the 1970s. Growing up in the film era, Owens learned his trade when you had to think about what you wanted from a composition much more than in today's deletable digital age. His attention to the details in the evolving technology of the early Superbikes gives Cameron the perfect stage to harmonize about the interesting aspect of the image we are looking at.
Even readers with a modicum of technical knowledge can look at one of the book's many beautiful black & white photos, then read Cameron's description of exactly why the shot is significant and think, oh yeah, I see it now. The photos and the text compliment each other expertly.
Most of the images were taken at Bryar Motorsports Park in Loudon, NH, which became Hew Hampshire International Speedway and now is known as New Hampshire Motor Speedway. It was the closest place for the two Massachusetts residents to be a part of the burgeoning motorcycle road racing scene of the 70s and 80s.
As a like-minded enthusiast, we were present at many of the races where the images were taken. We witnessed the evolution from two strokes to production-based four stroke racers. To see it brought to life once more through the lens of Owens and the mind of Cameron in a retrospective overview is both memorable and enlightening.
This book is easily absorbed in one sitting. Each image leads to the other and the anticipation of what is next is exciting and enjoyable. Since we didn't want it to end, a forced "close the book" edict was imposed. We broke that rule a number of times. Finally, with about twenty pages left, we were able to put the book down to savor more memories later.
Our favorite photo? Mike Baldwin on the grid on Reno Leoni's Moto Guzzi. Mostly because we remember how that day ended. In what would portend his future success on the world stage, Baldwin utterly obliterated the competition, accelerating over the hill into the bowl when everyone else was braking.
We're grateful to have witnessed how grassroots racing changed and grew with factory participation. It not only presented the opportunity for upstart underdogs to rise up, lessons learned on the track led to better motorcycles available to all. The fact that we now have Superbike: An Illustrated Early History, which documents that progression, available to us is beyond a blessing.
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MOTOAMERICA - The fourth season of “Pressure To Rise” will feature a different look than the previous seasons. While the first three seasons focused solely on the MotoAmerica Superbike class, season four will feature three riders - Cameron Beaubier, Bobby Fong and Kayla Yaakov – and three classes, Steel Commander Superbike, Mission King Of The Baggers and Supersport.
“The previous format was great, and we all loved it, but it really was only an in-depth weekend recap for Superbike only,” said Steve Radley, the man behind “Pressure To Rise.” “The core audience that watched the show was mostly, if not all, race fans. We wanted to try and grow the audience by making it more personal. The new format is now spread out to three classes and condensed down to three specific riders, all at different places in their careers. We spend time with them at home and on the road to see what makes them tick come race weekend.”
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Josh Herrin Came on Strong in the Second Half of 2024 | |
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“Pressure To Rise” can be seen on MotoAmerica Live+, YouTube, and the MTRSPT1 network.
“Pressure To Rise” continues to improve,” said MotoAmerica COO Chuck Aksland. “The show provides an engaging behind-the-scenes look at our riders as they prepare for and compete in the MotoAmerica series. Whether you’re a long-time fan or new to the sport, it does an excellent job of introducing the riders as more than just athletes. You get to know them on a personal level - their stories, challenges, and what drives them - helping to create a deeper connection between the riders and the audience.”
Follow the link to view the season-four trailer and episode one premiere of PRESSURE TO RISE.
The 2025 MotoAmerica Calendar starts of at the Daytona 200, which features the Supersport Class on March 6th - 8th. The Steel Commander Superbike Class gets underway at Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama on the weekend of April 4th - 6th.
See the complete schedule at MOTOAMERICA 2025.
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FORMULA 1 - Formula 1 has been at rest and resumes next weekend for the final six races of 2024 at the Pirelli United States Grand Prix at COTA on October 20th. We will find out in Austin if McLaren has retained their status as the car to beat in the season's second half.
Max Verstappen has not won a race since the beginning of summer, yet still retains a 52 point advantage over Lando Norris. That gap is more than two GP wins. So if McLaren and Norris want to top Verstappen, they have to not only perform at the top, but hope that Red Bull and Verstappen continue to fail to so.
One thing is clear, McLaren Mercedes lead Red Bull Honda by 41 points in the Constructors' Championship. The British racing conglomerate, with American Zak Brown at the helm, released its race-bred McLaren W1 this week.
The car, decked out in McLaren's famous papaya orange is the fastest lapping and fastest accelerating road-legal McLaren ever. That achievement tops even the super-lightweight and track-focused McLaren Senna by an astonishing 3 seconds a lap at McLaren’s Nardo reference circuit.
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The car boasts many engineering components derived directly from Formula 1 and the experience that McLaren has gleaned in pursuit of the Formula 1 World Championship. Low drag, high downforce and the ability to fine tune suspension settings are something the W1 shares with the MCL38.
The W1 offers two suspension settings; Race and Race+, with the latter being the firmest available. This allows drivers to select settings according to whether they are on bumpy tracks, where consistent aerodynamic downforce is needed, or flat, smooth surfaces on which the ground effect platform is optimized.
Four-figure horsepower numbers come courtesy of McLaren’s all-new Hybrid flat plane crank 90-degree MHP-8 V8 combustion engine and all-new E-module. It drives through an 8-speed transmission with E-reverse. Power and torque are to the rear wheels only, through an E-differential.
The 916 bhp of the new V8 and 342 bhp of the E-module combine to produce 1,258 bhp, giving W1 the highest-ever power output of any McLaren. This huge amount of power, together with total torque of 988 ft-lb and instant throttle response from the E-module, gives W1 astonishing acceleration figures: 0 - 60mph takes 2.7 seconds, 0 – 124mph is possible in just 5.8 seconds and 186 mph can be achieved in under 12.7 seconds.
The car was introduced on October 6th, 2024; the 50th anniversary of Emerson Fittipaldi sealing McLaren’s first Formula 1 Drivers and Constructors World Championships.
After all the big buildup. Even if you had the cash in hand, you can't have one. Just 399 customer cars will be produced – and all are already customer allocated.
If Verstappen does win his fourth straight championship with Red Bull in 2024, he will have to right the ship beginning next weekend at COTA, a circuit where he won in 2024.
The Pirelli United States Grand Prix is on Sunday, October 20th. The race broadcast is at 2:55 PM Eastern on ABC.
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Alboreto: Gasoline in the Veins - The story about the man who grew up to realize his childhood dream of driving a Formula 1 car for Enzo Ferrari is now available once more in the United States. Alboreto: Gasoline in the Veins is written by Michele Alboreto's brother Ermanno and details his early years and rise through the racing ranks. It also tells about his character outside the car and that is the contribution that we are most proud to be associated with. It began with an interview during Michele's Indy car career and a request to use it in his life story. We also contributed interviews with his teammates and racing legends like Giacomo Agostini. Listen to that interview HERE. For ordering info, reply to this update for details. There are a limited number of copies here in America, you will save international shipping prices by getting your copy right here. Visit the Facebook page HERE. | | | |
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INDYCAR - We are in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES offseason and that means driver announcements and testing news. Alexander Rossi leaves McLaren in 2025 and moves to Ed Carpenter Racing alongside Christian Rasmussen.
Rossi's replacement at McLaren is Christian Lundgaard, who has been at Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing for the past three seasons.
Yesterday Rahal Letterman Racing announced that INDY NXT by Firestone champion Louis Foster, who just completed a dominant run to his second open wheel title in three years, will make his NTT INDYCAR SERIES debut with the team in 2025 as part of a multi-year deal.
Foster, 21, won a series-high eight of the 14 races this season in the INDY NXT Championship for Andretti Global. He led the series in wins (8), poles (7), podiums (12), laps led (362/640) and completed every lap of competition to beat Abel Motorsports’ Jacob Abel to the title by 122 points. His previous title came in the 2022 Indy Pro 2000 Series, where he won seven races en route to being named the champion in the season finale.
Foster tested an Indy car for the first time in September of 2023 with Andretti Global at Road America. RLL is currently working to solidify Foster’s test program in preparation for the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season and that may include a test later this year.
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Louis Foster Jumps to INDYCAR in 2025
Louis Foster: “I am really looking forward to working with the team. Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing have Indy 500 victories, obviously Bobby has won an Indy 500 and there is a great wealth of knowledge with the team. I want to thank Bobby, David and Mike for their faith in my abilities and I want to thank all my sponsors who have helped me achieve my dream of driving in INDYCAR, in particular Copart. I can’t wait to start my INDYCAR career with the team and hopefully we can have a long and successful career together. I’m hoping that coming off the experience gained from winning the INDY NXT championship, that will leave me in a good stance to get the ball rolling. This is where the hard work starts. We will start the preparations and make sure we hit the ground running in St. Pete.”
INDYCAR debuted hybrid racing this past July, which means the power unit has yet to run in the series' most famous race - the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. That will change this May and on the run up to that, teams have been at the Brickyard this week testing.
Josef Newgarden and Pato O’Ward, along with reigning series champion Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing, were among the five drivers on the 2.5-mile oval today (Thursday). The three joined 2022 “500” winner Marcus Ericsson of Andretti Global, who was there testing tires for Firestone, in the afternoon session.
Friday, 11 car-and-driver combinations will take to the historic oval for morning and afternoon sessions. Newgarden, Palou and Ericsson will be joined by three other former “500” winners: Helio Castroneves of Meyer Shank Racing, Ryan Hunter-Reay of Dreyer & Reinbold Racing and Alexander Rossi of Ed Carpenter Racing.
Arrow McLaren will replace O’Ward at the test with team newcomer Christian Lundgaard. Other drivers participating include AJ Foyt Racing’s Santino Ferrucci, Juncos Hollinger Racing’s Conor Daly, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Graham Rahal and a Dale Coyne Racing driver to be announced. The test marks the team debuts of Rossi and Lundgaard.
The only team not participating will be PREMA Racing, which will begin its NTT INDYCAR SERIES testing for its new two-car team after the first of the year. PREMA has announced one driver for its Chevrolet-powered program: series veteran Callum Ilott.
The 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season starts Sunday, March 2nd with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding at St. Petersburg, Florida, live on FOX.
FORMULA E - On Wednesday, October 2nd, Formula E will present the first-ever all-women test session of an FIA Championship will take place on Thursday, November 7th at Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia, as part of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship’s pre-season testing schedule.
The first-of-its-kind test in the all-electric championship provides elite women racing drivers the opportunity to drive the new for Season 11 (2024/25) GEN3 Evo race car, which is capable of 0-60 mph in just 1.82 seconds – 30% faster than a current F1 car. The car will also be tested during the same week by the 11 race teams and 22 drivers currently competing in the series.
Each of the race teams in the championship will be required to field at least one woman driver for the half-day test, but encouraged to field two, who will all drive in current-season cars.
On Tuesday October 8th, McLaren Racing announced that Ella Lloyd has joined the McLaren Driver Development program and will represent the team in the 2025 F1 Academy season with Rodin Motorsport.
Ella, 19 years old from Wales, began racing competitively in 2022 in the Ginetta Junior Championship, finishing in the points at 15 of the 25 races that season. The following year, she competed in the Ginetta GT Championship, earning the vice-champion title in a competitive field.
At the beginning of 2024, Ella competed in the Formula Winter Series, taking the Female Driver Trophy multiple times. She competed in British F4, completing the 2024 season with three P2 results, one P3 and multiple points finishes. The Welsh racer also took part in the Singapore F1 Academy weekend as the Wild Card driver, finishing in the points in both races.
In line with the F1 Academy regulations limiting drivers to a maximum of two years in the series, Ella will step up to represent McLaren in the 2025 F1 Academy season, racing with Rodin Motorsport.
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As part of her role in the program, Ella will also compete in Formula E’s first-ever Women’s Test for the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team on Thursday, November 7th in Valencia. As part of Official Pre-Season Testing in preparation for the 2024/25 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.
Ella Lloyd: "I’m really excited to be joining the McLaren Driver Development program as the team’s F1 Academy driver in 2025. It’s an honor to drive for a team that has such a great racing history, and also a long track record for developing talent. With McLaren, I now have everything I need to keep developing and pushing the boundaries as a female in Motorsport. Thank you to Zak Brown, Stephanie Carlin and the entire McLaren team for their faith in me. I can’t wait to get racing in papaya.”
Formula E will be in action in preparation for Season 11 at Pre-Season Testing in Valencia, Spain on November 4th - 7th. The season opener is the São Paulo E-Prix on December 7, 2024.
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FIA WEC - At last month's 6 Hours of Fuji the BMW M Team WRT finally made some progress, claiming their first WEC Hypercar class podium.
Raffaele Marciello, Dries Vanthoor and Marco Wittmann took P2 in the No. 15 BMW M Hybrid V8. After posting the fastest time in free practice in the hands of Vanthoor, the Belgian proceeded to secure the car’s finest qualifying position in the headlining Hypercar category to-date to line up third on the grid, a mere 0.158 seconds adrift of pole position.
Wittmann then gained a spot to second at the start of the race, with the No. 15 crew remaining firmly up at the sharp end and in the mix for victory throughout, ultimately taking second just over 16 seconds behind the winning No. 6 Porsche.
While Vanthoor had a number of WEC appearances – including two class wins – prior to the current campaign, Marciello and Wittmann are rookies in the series, and both are hopeful that BMW M Team WRT can maintain its Fuji momentum through to the season finale in Bahrain and beyond.
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WEC BMW Hypercar Program Showed Progress in Japan | |
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Dries Vanthoor: “It’s great for the project and everyone at BMW M Motorsport to have secured the first Hypercar podium in WEC – especially for Vincent and Andreas, who pushed so hard. We’ve seen progress throughout the season and while we thought this track might not be the best for us, the improvements we have made paid off.
“It’s a big boost for us drivers and the team. It’s not just about the podium – it’s about being able to compete at the front and perform well. That’s a great feeling.”
Marco Wittman: “Looking at where we started with the Hypercar program and the progress we’ve made, we can really be proud. We gave a strong performance throughout the weekend – beginning in practice and qualifying – and had good pace in the race. The first podium felt incredibly good, and the entire team has done a fantastic job. I’m super-happy. Now, we want to achieve a similarly strong result in Bahrain.”
The 2024 WEC campaign will conclude with the Bapco Energies 8 Hours of Bahrain on October 31st – November 2nd.
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IMSA WTSC - This weekend's Motul Petit Le Mans features a field of 54 cars, spread across the four competing classes at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. It is both the regular season final race and the finale of the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup.
The race broadcast is on NBC from 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM ET. Then USA picks up the race at 6:00 PM until the conclusion.
Titles are to be decided in all categories. In GTP, the No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963 leads its teammate car, the No. 6 Porsche, by 124 points. A race finish of fourth place or better locks up the crown for the No. 7.
In LMP2, the No. 52 Inter Europol by PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports ORECA LMP2 07 has a 98-point edge, meaning a third-place finish guarantees the title.
It's the same scenario in GTD PRO, where the No. 77 AO Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R has a 99-point lead. In GTD, in order for the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 to clinch the championship, it must finish 14th or better.
As part of the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup, the race will see the return of the Lamborghini SC63 in the final round this season. With increasingly promising performances in the books in the previous rounds of the championship at Sebring, Watkins Glen, and Indianapolis, Lamborghini Iron Lynx is set to compete in the final round of the 2024 IMSA and Michelin Endurance Cup season, the Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
Matteo Cairoli, Andrea Caldarelli, and Romain Grosjean will share driving duties again, returning to action after their brilliant Indy display. The Italian combo has been in the hunt for the podium for a while in IMSA, while the quick Frenchman, who rejoined them at Indy, is willing to build on his blistering opening stint at the Brickyard.
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Georgia Tourist Attraction | |
The first two practices are in the books, with Thursday night practice scheduled for 7:30 PM.
In Practice 1 in the GTP class, the No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R of Scott Dixon, Sebastien Bourdais and Renger van der Zande set the standard with a 1:11.013. P2 in the first session was the Whelen Cadillac of Tom Blomqvist, Jack Aitken and Pipo Derani, 0.476 down to the 01 car. Third in class was the No. 6 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963 of Kevin Estre, Mathieu Jaminet and Nick Tandy.
Gar Robinson, Felipe Fraga and Josh Burdon led the LMP2 timesheets in the No. 72 Riley ORECA LMP2 07. In GTD PRO the No. 19 Iron Lynx Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 of Mirko Bortolotti, Jordan Pepper and Andrea Caldarelli took the top spot. The GTD class was led by the No. 21 AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3 of Simon Mann, Miguel Molina and François Heriau.
Class leaders in Practice 2: In GTP; No. 40 Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Acura ARX-06 of Colton Herta, Jordan Taylor and Louis Deletraz. In LMP2; the No. 11 TDS Racing ORECA of Steven Thomas, Mikkel Jensen and Hunter McElrea.
GTD PRO; the No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 296 GT3 of Davide Rigon, Alessandro Pier Guidi and Daniel Serra. In GTD; the No. 12 VasserSullivan Lexus RC F GT3 of Parker Thompson, Aaron Telitz and Frankie Montecalvo.
Practice 1 RESULTS
Practice 2 RESULTS
The season finale is on Saturday, October 12th - the Motul Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. Check out the ENTRY LIST.
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Images used are courtesy of race series and teams. All written content is property of Sarni Motorsports and can not be used without permission. Copyright 2024 | | | | |
