SEPTEMBER 30, 2020
Sunday, September 27, 2020 at 11:26AM 
(Dan Isitane/F1)
Lewis Hamilton (No. 44 Mercedes-AMG Petronas) was denied a record-equalling victory at the Russian Grand Prix after he was hit with a 10-second penalty. Hamilton was penalized by the stewards for performing two illegal practice starts ahead of a race in which he had hoped to claim his 91st victory to match Michael Schumacher's all-time record. The penalty dropped him out of contention, with the world champion blasting the decision as "bull----." (We agree, it was Bush League Bullshit. -PMD). Valtteri Bottas (No. 77 Mercedes-AMG Petronas, above) took advantage of his Mercedes teammate's penalty to claim only his second win of the 2020 season, finishing 7.7 seconds ahead of Max Verstappen (No. 33 Aston Martin Red Bull Racing Honda). Hamilton finished third. Bottas is now 44 points behind Hamilton in the championship standings after 10 of 17 rounds. Hamilton will now also have to toe a disciplinary tightrope after he was dealt two additional points on his license, taking his 12-month tally to 10. If he receives two further penalty points at any stage during the next four grands prix, he will be hit with a one-race ban. (Thanks to Phil Duncan/The Telegraph)
(MotoGP)
Fabio Quartararo (No. 20 Petronas Yamaha SRT) reclaimed the Championship lead as he returned to the top step of the podium for the first time since the Andalucia GP with a fine performance at the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya. Andrea Dovizioso (No. 04 Ducati Team) suffered an opening lap crash, Valentino Rossi (No. 46 Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) crashed from P2, while Joan Mir (No. 36 Team Suzuki ECSTAR) and Alex Rins (No. 42 Team Suzuki ECSTAR) finished second and third. Watch video highlights here.
(IMSA)
Helio Castroneves and Ricky Taylor (No. 7 Team Penske Acura ARX-05 DPi/Michelin) won the Acura Sports Car Challenge at Mid-Ohio on Sunday. It was the third consecutive win for the Team Penske duo in the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship. The Taylor/Castroneves machine crossed the start/finish line just 0.607 seconds ahead of the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Racing Cadillac DPi/Michelin shared by Pipo Derani and Felipe Nasr after two hours and 40 minutes of racing on a glorious fall afternoon. It also was the team’s third straight Mid-Ohio victory at Acura’s home track.Ryan Briscoe and Renger Van Der Zande (No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi/Michelin) finished third. “This is a combination of everyone at Acura Team Penske, not just Ricky and I,” noted Castroneves, who said the last time he won three races in a row occurred in 2000 in Indy cars. “We all work together and share a lot of information. The No. 6 car was probably a little faster than us today, but somehow, we keep winning. But I knew to be patient at the start, and that helped put us here (as the winners) today.” “It was a great team effort all weekend,” Taylor added. “Everyone learns from each other, and I think that’s why this team is so successful.” Briscoe and van der Zande retained the WeatherTech Championship DPi class points lead with 180 points, but the result vaulted Taylor and Castroneves from sixth to third, just five points behind the leaders. Derani is alone in second place with 177 points, Nasr having missed the July 4 race at Daytona in July after contracting COVID-19. The WeatherTech Championship DPi season resumes Oct. 15-17 with the Motul Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. (Thanks to John Oreovicz/IMSA Wire Service)
(IMSA)
Jordan Taylor and Antonio Garcia (No. 3 Corvette Racing C8.R/Michelin) won the GTLM class at the Acura Sports Car Challenge at Mid-Ohio, capturing their fourth win of the season and leading a 1-2 Corvette class finish in the seventh race of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season. Garcia crossed the finish line 1.472 seconds ahead of Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner (No. 4 Corvette Racing C8.R/Michelin) in the two-hour, 40-minute race. It marked the ninth Corvette victory on the 2.258-mile permanent road course in the last 20 years, but the first since 2012. “The (No.) 3 car has been particularly strong all weekend,” said Taylor, who earned his 25th career IMSA victory but first at Mid-Ohio. “We led all four sessions. I think we just had a little bit of speed on them all weekend. The balance of the car was just really strong from the get-go. It says a lot for the team, coming here for the first time with the C8.R, with no testing, just simulator time and rolling off the truck so strong. … I think it’s hard to complain about anything at this point.” After winning the GTLM pole in morning qualifying, Taylor surrendered the class lead to Gavin on the opening lap but regained the top spot from his teammate 25 minutes later and never looked back. The Corvettes held the rival BMW Team RLL BMW M8 GTEs at bay all afternoon to complete their third 1-2 sweep this season. The No. 3 Corvette has won four of the last six races in 2020. Taylor and Garcia expanded their points lead to 17 over Gavin and Milner, while Chevrolet pushed its advantage to 11 points over BMW in the manufacturer chase. Bruno Spengler and Connor De Phillippi (No. 25 Team RLL BMW M8 GTE/Michelin) finished third. Next up is a 100-minute, GT-only race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL on Saturday, Oct. 11. (Thanks to Mark Robinson/IMSA Wire Service)
(Michelin Motorsport)
(Trans Am presented by Pirelli)
Ernie Francis Jr. held off Chris Dyson on a late restart, and scored his 46th career Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli victory on Sunday - and second of the weekend at VIRginia International Raceway - by a scant .911-seconds. The 22-year-old six-time Trans Am champion is credited with leading all the way in the No. 98 One South Wealth Advisors Ford Mustang. But it wasn’t as easy as Chris Dyson (No. 20 CDR Plaid ford Mustang) made numerous attempts to get past Francis Jr. The win marked a record-breaking moment for Francis Jr. as he passed Scott Pruett for fourth on the all-time list with his 23rd overall TA victory. "I can't say enough about my team,” said Francis “We were worried about a doubleheader weekend and how that would affect the car. Everything went smooth and they were on top of it. The car was on rails the entire weekend. It is great to be able to maximize on points this weekend with two wins. We got good momentum going towards the rest of the season so we can take home the championship. I can't wait to get to the next one!” Dyson was disappointed after coming so close to the victory. "It never feels good to come in second,” Dyson said. “We are here to win, but we had a great battle the entire way with Ernie. VIR is a tough place to pass, but that is how it is. We got held up a bit and I had more work to do than I thought. We had enough to rein Ernie in, but not enough to get by." Amy Ruman (No. 23 McNichols Company Corvette) finished third. In Saturday's action, Francis Jr. held off Boris Said (No. 2 Weaver Racing Dodge Challenger) and Dyson in a two-lap shootout to win. Said started on the pole and led the opening 18 laps, but Francis went to the inside on the front straight on lap 19, edged ahead and maintained the position through Turn 1. Francis led the final 13 laps, including a green/white/checker finish following a late incident, winning by 2.623 seconds. (Thanks to Trans Am Media)
(Trans Am presented by Pirelli)
TA2® Powered by AEM point leader Mike Skeen came from last to first to win his fourth race of the season on Sunday. Parking his No. 77 Liqui Moly Chevrolet Camaro after struggling to sixth on Saturday, Skeen borrowed Bob Lima’s No. 63 Camaro for the race. Saturday winner Tyler Kicera (No. 4 Carbotech Brakes Ford Mustang) pulled away at the start and dominated the race, while Skeen battled into podium contention. Lined up third on a restart with four laps remaining, Skeen quickly passed Cameron Lawrence (No. 8 3-Dimensional Services Mustang) and then Kicera.Skeen took the checkered flag by .248-seconds ahead of Kicera, with Lawrence a close third. in Saturday's race, Esports star Tyler Kicera scored his first victory in only his fourth TA2® Powered by AEM start on Saturday. Kicera pulled away from three of the series stars to win in a seven-lap sprint in the opening race for the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli doubleheader at VIRginia International Raceway. Kicera finished second in the recent Trans Am by Pirelli Esports Championship, winning five races. On Saturday, he took over second on lap 2 and raced into the lead two laps later. Moments later, an incident resulted in on-track repairs that put the field behind the safety car for 17 laps. When racing resumed with seven laps remaining, the Manheim, Pa., driver pulled away from Rafa Matos (No. 7 Silver Hare Racing Chevrolet Camaro), Cameron Lawrence and Thomas Merrill to win by 2.480-seconds. (Thanks to Trans Am Media)
Kurt Busch (No. 1 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet) used fortunate track position late in the race and some sure-bet restarts at the front of the field to win Sunday night’s South Point 400 at his hometown Las Vegas Motor Speedway The victory automatically earned Busch a position in the next round of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs – moving the 2004 series champion from last place among the twelve Playoff drivers entering the race to the first driver with a guaranteed spot in the Round of 8. With only one top-10 finish in the last six races at the 1.5-mile Vegas track and so much on the line, Busch was understandably emotional as he celebrated the big win after the checkered flag. “This is what kids dream of when they grow up racing, you dream of winning at your home town track,” Busch said. “For two decades it’s kicked my butt and tonight with this Monster Energy Chevy, I’m in awe. I knew the race would come to us. We needed to get to night-fall and one of those quirky [crew chief] Matt McCall pit sequences finally unfolded and we got lucky. You have to be lucky and you have to be lucky in any race, but we did it tonight with teamwork, pulling through and not giving up.” Busch held off Matt DiBenedetto (No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford) by a mere .148-seconds for the win – keeping the fan-favorite DiBenedetto from a first career victory celebration. Again. Denny Hamlin, who led a race-best 121 laps, finished third in the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. (Thanks to Holly Cain/NASCAR Wire Service)
(Road America)
The Sports Car Club America® (SCCA®) National Championship Runoffs® will take place at Road America, October 9-11. Road racing champions will be crowned next week at "America's National Park of Speed" as drivers from around the country participate in the 57th running of the pinnacle amateur road-racing event in the U.S. The event determines the best drivers of the season within each of the 26 classes of competition and this year nearly 600 entries are expected, making the Runoffs the largest annual amateur road-racing event in the world. The Runoffs is a winner-take-all championship for SCCA's Club racers and is open to any of the club's competition drivers who qualified for the event. Although contingency prize money is up for grabs, in reality, to win the SCCA National Championship Runoffs is a chance for bragging rights in the highly competitive world of sports car racing. For many drivers, winning the Runoffs is the peak of their racing career, but for some, it is a steppingstone to a profession behind the wheel. Some notable past Runoffs winners include Skip Barber, Paul Newman, Bobby Rahal, Graham Rahal, Roger Penske and Jimmy Vasser. Road America's fan-friendly paddock will be loaded with racers fielding a huge variety of cars including Corvettes and Mustangs; open-wheel formula cars; historic Triumphs and Austin Healeys; even Toyotas, Mazdas and BMWs. A lap around Road America's 4.048-mile circuit includes 14 turns, three high-speed straights and 170' of elevation changes offering the ultimate challenge for any sports car racer. Tickets are available at www.roadamerica.com and fans are encouraged to purchase tickets early and print them at home to enjoy contactless entry at the gate. Gates open at 7 a.m. daily and races run rain or shine. Kids 16 and under are free with a paying adult. Parking, paddock access and grandstand seating are also free with ticket purchase.
(Road America)
(Honda)
Honda Performance Development (HPD) is developing a 2.4-liter, twin-turbocharged V6 hybrid power unit capable of producing more than 900HP that will be ready for the start of the 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season. The hybrid formula is part of a multi-year extension INDYCAR has reached with Honda and Chevrolet, which promises a continuation of manufacturer competition in North America's pinnacle open-wheel racing series well into the next decade. The commitment also provides opportunities for additional manufacturers to join the series, which Honda strongly supports. "Honda welcomes this step to the future by INDYCAR, action that mirrors Honda's efforts to develop and manufacture high performance, electrified products that will meet industry challenges and delight our customers," said Ted Klaus, president of Honda Performance Development. "At Honda, we race to develop our people, to innovate technologies and to engage fans. We are proud of our uninterrupted, 27-year leadership in INDYCAR, and look forward to delivering a next-generation Honda 2.4-liter hybrid power unit with more than 900 horsepower." The INDYCAR announcement aligns Honda's North American racing programs with the company's product development activities. Globally, Honda expects two-thirds of its new vehicles sales to be electrified by 2030. A racer himself, company founder Soichiro Honda believed in competition – at the highest levels – as a means of improving Honda's people and products. In North America, American Honda and Honda Performance Development have been leaders in Indy car racing since the formation of HPD in 1993. Honda and HPD entered Indy car competition in 1994, winning its first manufacturers' and drivers' championships in 1996. No other manufacturer has matched Honda's success in Indy car, which includes 252 victories from 457 races, 16 drivers' titles, eight manufacturers' championships and 13 Indianapolis 500 victories.
(Photo by Walt Kuhn/INDYCAR)
Chevrolet has also agreed to a new, multi-year extension of their existing engine partnership with INDYCAR that will extend well into the end of the decade, providing stability and innovation for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. “To be able to announce a long-term, multi-year extension with our great partners at Chevrolet is phenomenal,” INDYCAR President Jay Frye said. “It’s an exciting time in INDYCAR with the innovations in the car, the new 2.4-liter engine, and hybrid technology.” Due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, the introduction of the 2.4-liter, twin-turbocharged V-6 with hybrid technology will be delayed to the year 2023. Working in partnership with Chevrolet and Honda, the new engine will give the most exciting and competitive racing series in the world an additional 100 horsepower, ultimately producing over 900. "Chevrolet has enjoyed great success since joining the NTT INDYCAR Series in 2012 with our 2.2-liter, twin-turbocharged, direct-injected V6 engine,” said Mark Reuss, president of General Motors. “We are thrilled to be moving forward with INDYCAR because it’s the perfect showcase for our engine technology, in the only open-wheel racing series in America, a high-tech, growing series that Roger Penske and his team are absolutely taking to the next level.” The newly designed powertrain system also will provide a departure from the traditional, manual handheld starters and will let drivers restart the car quickly should it stall on the track. This will benefit the AMR INDYCAR Safety Team as it reduces exposure time on track and adds to the fan experience by potentially reducing the number of caution flags on track.