(Photo by Garry Eller/HH for GM/Chevrolet Racing)
Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Lowe's Chevrolet SS) won the Ford EcoBoost 400 on Sunday, the final NASCAR Sprint Cup race of the season at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Homestead, Florida, and with it, the 2016 Sprint Cup Championship. Johnson becomes only the third driver in the history of NASCAR's premier series with seven championship titles, tying Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt. It was also Johnson's 80th career win. Read more here (and read Peter's take in this week's "Fumes" -WG).
Brian France. Editor-In-Chief's Note: The NASCAR Chairman and CEO delivered his annual "State of the Sport" address at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday before the championship finale, and NASCAR's Mr. Tone Deaf-in-Chief reaffirmed that everything he thinks and that NASCAR is doing is perfect, saying he "wouldn't change a thing" about the "Chase" format or anything else, for that matter. Let's review, shall we? Sprint notified NASCAR two years ago that it wouldn't be renewing its sponsorship deal. There still hasn't been an announcement of a replacement. It's easy to see why, too, since NASCAR is insisting on asking an overinflated, premium price for a property that has been in a serious downward spiral for going on ten years now. France dismissed anyone who thinks there's a problem, saying with a straight face that alternative media streams have made up for the decline in TV ratings and in-person attendance. Right. (The early overnight ratings for NASCAR's Championship finale Sunday night were down 25 percent from a year ago.) And let's not forget NASCAR's 36-weekend death march of a schedule, which is the most ridiculous in all of sports (and that's saying something with the NBA and NHL as other egregious examples of scheduling stupidity); and the fact that the powers that be in Daytona Beach are steadfast in their refusal in curtailing its schedule, which has led to oversaturation and race fatigue among its own teams and drivers and especially with its most ardent supporters. Combine that with NASCAR's relentless clinging to old technology - it is the only major league racing series in the world that hasn't gone to center-locking hubs, preferring the hoary five lug nut approach on its wheels - and you have a perfect scenario for the sun setting on the France Empire. France's Alfred E. Neuman-esque, 'What Me Worry?" approach is not only flabbergasting, it's flat-out pathetic. But yet he "wouldn't change a thing." Nicely done. -PMD
(Audi Motorsport)
Lucas di Grassi, Loïc Duval and Oliver Jarvis (No. 8 Audi Sport Team Joest R18 Diesel Hybrid) delivered a lights-to-flag victory in the 6 Hours of Bahrain, the 2016 FIA World Endurance Championship season finale. Teammates Marcel Fässler, André Lotterer and Benoît Tréluyer (No. 7 Audi Sport Team Joest R18 Diesel Hybrid) finished second to make it a triumphant 1-2 in Audi's final race in international endurance competition. It was the 107th sports car victory for Audi and the manufacturer’s best result this season.
(Audi Motorsport)
“Thank you to the whole squad for an impeccable performance. You couldn’t wish for a sweeter farewell,” said Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich (far right). “Our competitors and the FIA WEC gave us a very emotional finale with many nice gestures, and we are saying thank you with the best possible sporting result for so many years of tremendous racing: an unforgettable weekend!”
(Audi Motorsport)
Marcel Fässler, André Lotterer and Benoît Tréluyer (No. 7 Audi Sport Team Joest R18 Diesel Hybrid) delivered a 1-2 for Audi in Bahrain, finishing 16 seconds behind their teammates.
(Audi Motorsport)
Since 1999, Audi's factory-entered LMP race cars have won 107 of 187 races in America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Since 2012, Audi has won 17 of 41 races in the FIA World Endurance Championship, with 16 pole positions, 23 fastest race laps and two drivers’ and two manufacturers’ world championship titles. No other manufacturer has been more successful in even just one of these categories.
(Audi Motorsport)
“Our intention had been to achieve the maximum today in Bahrain, and that’s exactly what we did,” said Stefan Dreyer, Head of LMP at Audi Sport. “A huge thank you goes to this top team, to Audi Sport Team Joest, to our drivers, and to all the people who made this possible behind the scenes in Neuburg, Neckarsulm and Ingolstadt. As emotional and touching this farewell may seem it is matched by the joy we feel about this top sporting performance with our one-two result and the two vice-championship titles. Sincere congratulations to everyone.”
(Audi Motorsport)
Lucas di Grassi, Loïc Duval and Oliver Jarvis after their lights-to-flag victory in the 6 Hours of Bahrain FIA World Endurance Championship race.
(Getty Images/NASCAR)
Twenty-four-year-old Daniel Suarez (No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Arris Toyota Camry), from Monterrey, Mexico, led 133 of 200 laps in the Ford EcoBoost 300 NASCAR XFINITY Series race Saturday night at Homestead-Miami Speedway, and then survived a wild, late-race restart to become the first Latin American driver to capture a NASCAR national series title. "I'm speechless right now," Suarez said. "It's very hard to put into words. I'm just very proud of everyone and thankful to have the family that I have - my mom, my dad. They gave me all the tools to be here right now. They put me in a car even when we didn't have the support or the racing background. They supported me and right now we are just living a dream."
(Porsche images)
Porsche has introduced its newly developed 911 RSR. Lighter overall, the new 911 RSR's normally-aspirated 4.0-liter flat-six develops 510HP and is positioned in front of the rear axle. “While retaining the typical 911 design, this is the biggest evolution by now in the history of our top GT model,” Head of Porsche Motorsport Dr Frank-Steffen Walliser commented. The new 911 RSR is completely new throughout with the suspension, body structure, aerodynamics, engine and transmission having been designed from scratch. The engine concept has enabled the designers to install a particularly large rear diffuser. Combined with a top-mounted rear wing adopted from the 919 Hybrid LMP1 race car, the level of downforce and the aerodynamic efficiency were significantly improved. Porsche is expected to run the new 911 RSR in 19 major races, which equates to more than 140 hours of racing. Porsche will run two factory entries in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), including the 24 Hours of Le Mans, as well as the American IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The new 911 RSR will make its debut at the Daytona 24-hour race in January 2017.
