Sunday
Sep062020
SEPTEMBER 9, 2020
Sunday, September 6, 2020 at 11:26AM 
(Photo by Chris Owens/INDYCAR)
Jimmie Johnson has signed a deal with Chip Ganassi Racing to run in INDYCAR for the next two seasons. The seven-time NASCAR champion will work to finalize sponsorship with Ganassi on a two-year program for Johnson to run the road and street course races on INDYCAR's schedule. The announcement was made Wednesday morning (9/9) and the partnership would allow Johnson to compete in select NASCAR Cup race with Ganassi as well. Johnson, who turns 45 next week, will retire from full-time NASCAR competition in November. Johnson first tested an Indy car - provided by Ganassi - on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course in July. “Ganassi was highly motivated to give me a chance to drive a car to see what I thought and the experience was all that I hoped for and more,” Johnson told Jenny Fryer of The Associated Press. “I left a good impression with them where there’s definitely interest on their side and now it’s time to formalize things and get the ball rolling.” Landing sponsorship is critical to the deal, Fryer reported, and Johnson said his personal team has had productive conversations with potential partners as his interest in INDYCAR has increased. He’s had only two primary sponsors — Lowe’s from 2001 through 2018 and Ally the last two seasons — and prefers consistent branding. Johnson intends to fill his 2021 schedule with approximately 15 events. INDYCAR's original 2020 schedule consisted of 12 road and street course events before the pandemic forced cancellations. Johnson and Scott Dixon are the winningest drivers of their generations in their respective formulas. Johnson’s 83 wins are tied for sixth all-time in NASCAR, and his seven titles are a record he shares with Hall of Famers Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt. “To pair Jimmie with the likes of Scott Dixon is quite an opportunity. They are truly in rarified air and I think everyone knows by now that I like winners,” Ganassi told Fryer. “The goal right now is for us to run Jimmie in an Indy car for at least the next couple of seasons, and we want to show people we’re serious about the program. We felt it was important to get the partnership done and start putting the financial building blocks in place to make this a reality.”
Jimmie Johnson has signed a deal with Chip Ganassi Racing to run in INDYCAR for the next two seasons. The seven-time NASCAR champion will work to finalize sponsorship with Ganassi on a two-year program for Johnson to run the road and street course races on INDYCAR's schedule. The announcement was made Wednesday morning (9/9) and the partnership would allow Johnson to compete in select NASCAR Cup race with Ganassi as well. Johnson, who turns 45 next week, will retire from full-time NASCAR competition in November. Johnson first tested an Indy car - provided by Ganassi - on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course in July. “Ganassi was highly motivated to give me a chance to drive a car to see what I thought and the experience was all that I hoped for and more,” Johnson told Jenny Fryer of The Associated Press. “I left a good impression with them where there’s definitely interest on their side and now it’s time to formalize things and get the ball rolling.” Landing sponsorship is critical to the deal, Fryer reported, and Johnson said his personal team has had productive conversations with potential partners as his interest in INDYCAR has increased. He’s had only two primary sponsors — Lowe’s from 2001 through 2018 and Ally the last two seasons — and prefers consistent branding. Johnson intends to fill his 2021 schedule with approximately 15 events. INDYCAR's original 2020 schedule consisted of 12 road and street course events before the pandemic forced cancellations. Johnson and Scott Dixon are the winningest drivers of their generations in their respective formulas. Johnson’s 83 wins are tied for sixth all-time in NASCAR, and his seven titles are a record he shares with Hall of Famers Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt. “To pair Jimmie with the likes of Scott Dixon is quite an opportunity. They are truly in rarified air and I think everyone knows by now that I like winners,” Ganassi told Fryer. “The goal right now is for us to run Jimmie in an Indy car for at least the next couple of seasons, and we want to show people we’re serious about the program. We felt it was important to get the partnership done and start putting the financial building blocks in place to make this a reality.”
(Photo by Luca Bruno/AP Pool)
Twenty-four-year-old Pierre Gasly (No. 10 AlphaTauri Honda) raced to one of the most surprising victories in recent Formula One history following a chaotic Italian Grand Prix. The Frenchman took the checkered flag at Monza just 0.4 seconds ahead of Carlos Sainz (No. 55 McLaren Renault), with Lance Stroll (No. 18 Racing Point BWT Mercedes) completing the season's most unpredictable podium. Lewis Hamilton (No. 44 AMG-Mercedes Petronas) stormed from last place to seventh after he was forced to serve a 10-second stop-and-go penalty for stopping for tires when the pit lane was closed. The best race of what has been a turgid season took a dramatic twist when the Safety Car was deployed on lap 20 with Kevin Magnussen's No. 20 Haas parked in a dangerous position. At that point Hamilton had established an 11-second lead over the McLaren duo of Sainz and Lando Norris (No. 4 McLaren Renault) before diving into the pits too soon and facing the wrath of the stewards. Stroll stayed out, moving him to second, while an early stop from Gasly promoted him to third (the Frenchman had started 10th on the grid). With Magnussen's car removed, the race restarted on lap 24 but a little more than a minute later, Charles Leclerc (No. 16 Scuderia Ferrari) crashed heavily in the Parabolica, veering into the barriers at speeds approaching 180mph. Leclerc was winded in the huge accident but managed to remove himself from the cockpit. The red flags were deployed, with the cars pulling into the pit lane and Hamilton appearing to head to the stewards' office to protest his penalty. A 27-minute delay ensued with Stroll, who had not stopped, allowed to take on fresh rubber. But a poor getaway after the red-flag period blew the Canadian's chances and Gasly got the best start moving into second behind Hamilton. (Thank you to The Telegraph for the details)
Twenty-four-year-old Pierre Gasly (No. 10 AlphaTauri Honda) raced to one of the most surprising victories in recent Formula One history following a chaotic Italian Grand Prix. The Frenchman took the checkered flag at Monza just 0.4 seconds ahead of Carlos Sainz (No. 55 McLaren Renault), with Lance Stroll (No. 18 Racing Point BWT Mercedes) completing the season's most unpredictable podium. Lewis Hamilton (No. 44 AMG-Mercedes Petronas) stormed from last place to seventh after he was forced to serve a 10-second stop-and-go penalty for stopping for tires when the pit lane was closed. The best race of what has been a turgid season took a dramatic twist when the Safety Car was deployed on lap 20 with Kevin Magnussen's No. 20 Haas parked in a dangerous position. At that point Hamilton had established an 11-second lead over the McLaren duo of Sainz and Lando Norris (No. 4 McLaren Renault) before diving into the pits too soon and facing the wrath of the stewards. Stroll stayed out, moving him to second, while an early stop from Gasly promoted him to third (the Frenchman had started 10th on the grid). With Magnussen's car removed, the race restarted on lap 24 but a little more than a minute later, Charles Leclerc (No. 16 Scuderia Ferrari) crashed heavily in the Parabolica, veering into the barriers at speeds approaching 180mph. Leclerc was winded in the huge accident but managed to remove himself from the cockpit. The red flags were deployed, with the cars pulling into the pit lane and Hamilton appearing to head to the stewards' office to protest his penalty. A 27-minute delay ensued with Stroll, who had not stopped, allowed to take on fresh rubber. But a poor getaway after the red-flag period blew the Canadian's chances and Gasly got the best start moving into second behind Hamilton. (Thank you to The Telegraph for the details)
(Acura)
Helio Castroneves and Ricky Taylor (No. 7 Acura Team Penske/Michelin) got the overall win in the six-hour IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship TireRack.com Grand Prix at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta on Saturday. Fighting back from an early-race penalty for a pair of pit lane violations during the first round of pit stops, Castroneves and Taylor recovered from a one-lap deficit to the field at the one-hour mark to regain the lead lap by the end of the second hour. The pair joined the battle for the race victory in the final two hours. With just over an hour remaining, Taylor used lapped traffic to pass his teammate Dane Cameron (No. 6 Acura Team Penske/Michelin) and eventually build a 14-second lead over the field. Cameron and co-driver Juan Pablo Montoya had an equally fraught race, with contact at the race start resulting in a spin for Cameron. Cameron quickly recovered and was up to second place just 30 minutes into the race. The pair remained in contention for the victory until the final minutes of the race, when contact with a GTD-class Ferrari that was returning to the circuit after sliding off course resulted in heavy damage to the No. 6 Acura, ending their day. The crash resulted in a full-course caution and erased a seven-second lead for Castroneves, but he held on for the final two laps of green-flag racing as he and Taylor combined for the second consecutive win of 2020, following their victory last month at Road America. (Thank you to Acura Media.)
Helio Castroneves and Ricky Taylor (No. 7 Acura Team Penske/Michelin) got the overall win in the six-hour IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship TireRack.com Grand Prix at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta on Saturday. Fighting back from an early-race penalty for a pair of pit lane violations during the first round of pit stops, Castroneves and Taylor recovered from a one-lap deficit to the field at the one-hour mark to regain the lead lap by the end of the second hour. The pair joined the battle for the race victory in the final two hours. With just over an hour remaining, Taylor used lapped traffic to pass his teammate Dane Cameron (No. 6 Acura Team Penske/Michelin) and eventually build a 14-second lead over the field. Cameron and co-driver Juan Pablo Montoya had an equally fraught race, with contact at the race start resulting in a spin for Cameron. Cameron quickly recovered and was up to second place just 30 minutes into the race. The pair remained in contention for the victory until the final minutes of the race, when contact with a GTD-class Ferrari that was returning to the circuit after sliding off course resulted in heavy damage to the No. 6 Acura, ending their day. The crash resulted in a full-course caution and erased a seven-second lead for Castroneves, but he held on for the final two laps of green-flag racing as he and Taylor combined for the second consecutive win of 2020, following their victory last month at Road America. (Thank you to Acura Media.)
(Michelin Motorsport)
Connor De Phillippi and Bruno Spengler (No. 25 BMW Team RLL BMW M8 GTE/Michelin) won the GTLM class in the TireRack.com Grand Prix at the 2.54-mile, 12-turn Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. The duo didn’t take the class lead until past halfway in Saturday’s six-hour race, the second of four races in the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup. De Phillippi grabbed first place for good with decisive passes of the No. 911 Porsche GT Team Porsche 911 RSR-19/Michelin and the No. 4 Corvette Racing C8.R/Michelin after the final round of pit stops with 52 minutes left. The 27-year-old American held steady from there, including a two-lap trophy dash following a final restart, to put the No. 25 BMW in victory lane for the first time since the 2019 Rolex 24 At Daytona. It was De Phillippi's fourth career IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship win and the first for Spengler. “It really came down to perfect execution,” De Phillippi said. “We had a fast car; the car was hooked up, the setup was really good. I think we didn’t have the fastest car early on but as the track rubbered in, we were able to have more pace throughout the stint. … At VIR (two weeks ago), we got P2 and I told (Spengler), ‘Man, we’re on the brink of a win,’ and we pulled it off today.” De Phillippi stretched the lead to as much as four seconds over Tommy Milner in the No. 4 Corvette before a collision involving the No. 5 Cadillac, No. 6 Acura and No. 63 Ferrari brought out a full-course caution with 12 minutes left on the clock. When the green flag waved for a two-lap finish, De Phillippi wasted no time putting slower GT Daytona cars between himself and the Corvette as a buffer and pulled away to win by 4.383 seconds. Jesse Krohn and John Edwards gave BMW Team RLL a pair of podium finishers by driving to third place in the No. 24 BMW Team RLL BMW M8 GTE/Michelin. (Thanks to Mark Robinson/IMSA Wire Service)
Connor De Phillippi and Bruno Spengler (No. 25 BMW Team RLL BMW M8 GTE/Michelin) won the GTLM class in the TireRack.com Grand Prix at the 2.54-mile, 12-turn Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. The duo didn’t take the class lead until past halfway in Saturday’s six-hour race, the second of four races in the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup. De Phillippi grabbed first place for good with decisive passes of the No. 911 Porsche GT Team Porsche 911 RSR-19/Michelin and the No. 4 Corvette Racing C8.R/Michelin after the final round of pit stops with 52 minutes left. The 27-year-old American held steady from there, including a two-lap trophy dash following a final restart, to put the No. 25 BMW in victory lane for the first time since the 2019 Rolex 24 At Daytona. It was De Phillippi's fourth career IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship win and the first for Spengler. “It really came down to perfect execution,” De Phillippi said. “We had a fast car; the car was hooked up, the setup was really good. I think we didn’t have the fastest car early on but as the track rubbered in, we were able to have more pace throughout the stint. … At VIR (two weeks ago), we got P2 and I told (Spengler), ‘Man, we’re on the brink of a win,’ and we pulled it off today.” De Phillippi stretched the lead to as much as four seconds over Tommy Milner in the No. 4 Corvette before a collision involving the No. 5 Cadillac, No. 6 Acura and No. 63 Ferrari brought out a full-course caution with 12 minutes left on the clock. When the green flag waved for a two-lap finish, De Phillippi wasted no time putting slower GT Daytona cars between himself and the Corvette as a buffer and pulled away to win by 4.383 seconds. Jesse Krohn and John Edwards gave BMW Team RLL a pair of podium finishers by driving to third place in the No. 24 BMW Team RLL BMW M8 GTE/Michelin. (Thanks to Mark Robinson/IMSA Wire Service)
(Michelin Motorsport)
In the always competitive GTD division for production-based cars, Mario Farnbacher, Matt McMurray and Shinya Michimi (No. 86 Meyer Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian Acura NSX GT3/Michelin) prevailed in a typical multi-manufacturer battle for the class victory, with a strong double-stint to the finish by defending champion Farnbacher sealing the victory in the TireRack.com Grand Prix. Farnbacher drove the final two hours of the six-hour race at Michelin Raceway, pulling away to win by 2.451 seconds. It’s the first victory of the 2020 WeatherTech Championship season, and moved Farnbacher and McMurry into sole possession of the GTD points lead. A lightning-fast pit stop when Farnbacher took the wheel with just under two hours remaining Saturday pushed him ahead of the No. 48 Paul Miller Racing Lamborghini Huracán GT3/Michelin driven by Madison Snow, Corey Lewis and Bryan Sellers, and that's where they finished. Ryan Hardwick, Patrick Long and Jan Heylen placed third in the No. 16 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3R/Michelin. Combined with a trio of podium finishes earlier this season, Acura now leads the GTD Manufacturers' Championship by eight points after six races in 2020. Farnbacher and McMurry lead the drivers' title chase by 12 points, and Meyer Shank Racing also has a 12-point lead in the teams' championship. The 2020 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship next heads to the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in three weeks for the Acura Sports Car Challenge on September 26-27. (Thanks to Mark Robinson/IMSA WIre Service)
In the always competitive GTD division for production-based cars, Mario Farnbacher, Matt McMurray and Shinya Michimi (No. 86 Meyer Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian Acura NSX GT3/Michelin) prevailed in a typical multi-manufacturer battle for the class victory, with a strong double-stint to the finish by defending champion Farnbacher sealing the victory in the TireRack.com Grand Prix. Farnbacher drove the final two hours of the six-hour race at Michelin Raceway, pulling away to win by 2.451 seconds. It’s the first victory of the 2020 WeatherTech Championship season, and moved Farnbacher and McMurry into sole possession of the GTD points lead. A lightning-fast pit stop when Farnbacher took the wheel with just under two hours remaining Saturday pushed him ahead of the No. 48 Paul Miller Racing Lamborghini Huracán GT3/Michelin driven by Madison Snow, Corey Lewis and Bryan Sellers, and that's where they finished. Ryan Hardwick, Patrick Long and Jan Heylen placed third in the No. 16 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3R/Michelin. Combined with a trio of podium finishes earlier this season, Acura now leads the GTD Manufacturers' Championship by eight points after six races in 2020. Farnbacher and McMurry lead the drivers' title chase by 12 points, and Meyer Shank Racing also has a 12-point lead in the teams' championship. The 2020 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship next heads to the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in three weeks for the Acura Sports Car Challenge on September 26-27. (Thanks to Mark Robinson/IMSA WIre Service)
(Michelin Motorsport)
In the LMP2 class, Patrick Kelly took advantage of a spin on the first lap by the other entry in the class to take the No. 52 PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports ORECA LMP2 07/Michelin to victory. Kelly was joined in victory by Simon Trummer and first-time WeatherTech Championship racer Scott Huffaker. Dwight Merriman fell several laps behind after the spin and subsequent repairs for damage in the No. 18 Era Motorsports ORECA LMP2 07/Michelin he shared with Kyle Tilley and Colin Braun. “It was unfortunate the other car crashed out in the first lap,” Huffaker said. “It was about managing traffic and keeping our nose clean. For my first race, I’m really happy to start out with a win. … (I was) a bit more anxious than nervous. When I saw the car pull up for the first stop, I was a bit nervous about that, trying to get a good pit stop. But once I got into the car, I felt a lot more comfortable.” (Thank you to Jeff Olson/IMSA Wire Service)
In the LMP2 class, Patrick Kelly took advantage of a spin on the first lap by the other entry in the class to take the No. 52 PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports ORECA LMP2 07/Michelin to victory. Kelly was joined in victory by Simon Trummer and first-time WeatherTech Championship racer Scott Huffaker. Dwight Merriman fell several laps behind after the spin and subsequent repairs for damage in the No. 18 Era Motorsports ORECA LMP2 07/Michelin he shared with Kyle Tilley and Colin Braun. “It was unfortunate the other car crashed out in the first lap,” Huffaker said. “It was about managing traffic and keeping our nose clean. For my first race, I’m really happy to start out with a win. … (I was) a bit more anxious than nervous. When I saw the car pull up for the first stop, I was a bit nervous about that, trying to get a good pit stop. But once I got into the car, I felt a lot more comfortable.” (Thank you to Jeff Olson/IMSA Wire Service)
(Chris Keane/Getty Images)
Kevin Harvick (No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford) was in the right place at the right time to take the lead, then held off a hard-charging Austin Dillon (No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet) by .343 seconds to earn his second career Cook Out Southern 500 win at Darlington Raceway in Sunday night’s NASCAR Cup Series Playoff opener. It was Harvick's series-best eighth victory of the season. Then, instead of taking the checkered flag after parking at the start-finish line, Harvick allowed an appreciative young fan – dressed in a brightly-colored Harvick T-shirt – to keep the flag himself. It was also Harvick's 57th career victory, ninth best all-time. He took the lead for good on lap 355 of 367 after Chase Elliott (No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet) and Martin Truex Jr. (No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota) made contact with the wall racing for the win in front of him. “Anytime you can win the Southern 500, it’s a good day," Harvick said. "This is one of the most prestigious races in our sport and one of the most prestigious race tracks in our sport. Any time you can win at Darlington it’s a big deal.” “Just not enough room there for the both of us,” Truex said of the contact with Elliott in Turns 1 and 2. “I thought I had enough of a run to clear him and I think it was close, obviously. I thought I had enough momentum and distance on him that he was going to let me in there. I didn’t expect him to be on my right rear. I was committed and once I realized he was there, nothing I could do. Lot to be proud of. I hate it for the 9 team. It was nothing intentional, just two guys there going for the win. If it was my fault, I apologize, I really felt like I had the position to get in there.” Elliott nursed his Chevrolet home and finished a disappointing 20th. “He had a run on me there off of [Turn] four and just kind of cleared himself into one, he was close but not all the way cleared, obviously,” said Elliott, who led 114 laps in the race. After Sunday’s win, Harvick has an automatic bid into the post-season’s Round of 12. The top 12 after the Bristol race in two weeks will advance to the next round of the playoffs. (Thank you to Holly Cain/NASCAR Wire Service)
Kevin Harvick (No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford) was in the right place at the right time to take the lead, then held off a hard-charging Austin Dillon (No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet) by .343 seconds to earn his second career Cook Out Southern 500 win at Darlington Raceway in Sunday night’s NASCAR Cup Series Playoff opener. It was Harvick's series-best eighth victory of the season. Then, instead of taking the checkered flag after parking at the start-finish line, Harvick allowed an appreciative young fan – dressed in a brightly-colored Harvick T-shirt – to keep the flag himself. It was also Harvick's 57th career victory, ninth best all-time. He took the lead for good on lap 355 of 367 after Chase Elliott (No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet) and Martin Truex Jr. (No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota) made contact with the wall racing for the win in front of him. “Anytime you can win the Southern 500, it’s a good day," Harvick said. "This is one of the most prestigious races in our sport and one of the most prestigious race tracks in our sport. Any time you can win at Darlington it’s a big deal.” “Just not enough room there for the both of us,” Truex said of the contact with Elliott in Turns 1 and 2. “I thought I had enough of a run to clear him and I think it was close, obviously. I thought I had enough momentum and distance on him that he was going to let me in there. I didn’t expect him to be on my right rear. I was committed and once I realized he was there, nothing I could do. Lot to be proud of. I hate it for the 9 team. It was nothing intentional, just two guys there going for the win. If it was my fault, I apologize, I really felt like I had the position to get in there.” Elliott nursed his Chevrolet home and finished a disappointing 20th. “He had a run on me there off of [Turn] four and just kind of cleared himself into one, he was close but not all the way cleared, obviously,” said Elliott, who led 114 laps in the race. After Sunday’s win, Harvick has an automatic bid into the post-season’s Round of 12. The top 12 after the Bristol race in two weeks will advance to the next round of the playoffs. (Thank you to Holly Cain/NASCAR Wire Service)