On a rain-soaked Sunday afternoon at the Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia, Miguel Oliveira (No. 88 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) mastered the wet conditions to claim victory in Mandalika. Reigning World Champion Fabio Quartararo (No. 20 Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) finished second ahead of compatriot Johann Zarco (No. 5 Pramac Racing Ducati). Marc Marquez (No. 93 Repsol Honda Team) was forced to miss the race after a massive crash in the warm-up that left him with a concussion. It was an absolutely stunning performance by Oliveira, and it was his first victory since the 2021 Catalan GP. Quartararo picked up a phenomenal P2 that will feel like a win for the Frenchman, and it’s a return to the rostrum for the first time since Barcelona 2021 for Zarco in P3. Watch race highlights here. (Thank you to MotoGP Media)
Editor-in-Chief's Note: Special AE contributor Whit Bazemore, the Renaissance Man and superb photographer is going to be giving us updates and his insider's perspective on the MotoGP season. MotoGP has become my personal favorite form of motorsport, and to have someone with Whit's talent share his visual art and deep knowledge of MotoGP is truly special for us, and we really appreciate it. By the way, you may recognize Whit's last name - Bazemore began making a living from drag racing when he was sixteen years old, and he is a two-time U.S. Nationals winner and still the fifth-fastest Funny Car driver ever at 333.25 MPH.-PMD
25 YEARS LATER.
By Whit Bazemore
Bend. MotoGP's return to racing in Indonesia after a 25-year absence was a weekend filled with surprise and shock, as well as the expected. What everyone expected had little to do with the actual racing, or the results. Instead, it was the beautiful scenery of the new seaside circuit set on the small island of Lompok (next to world-famous Bali), unpredictable and torrential weather including searing heat, as well as a largely unknown track surface. A revised and untested Michelin tire allocation was also expected. Not surprisingly, it was the unexpected that wrote the script and made this race (and the entire weekend) an edge-of-your-seat affair, and one with championship implications for many.
The weekend as a whole was difficult for everyone, as traction (in the dry) was in short supply. Never in recent memory have there been such lurid front and rear slides from so many. Exciting to watch? Yes. Frustrating and dangerous for the teams and riders? Yes. The high temps combined with a new, green surface were mostly to blame. Another reason for the lack of grip were the aforementioned tires. After a pre-season test here just four weeks ago, Michelin was forced to bring a revised rear tire to combat the heat. A harder casing for all three rear compounds ensured the tires would at least hold up for the 27-lap race distance in the 90F to 100F degree heat with track temps up in the 125F - 130F degree range. The harder casing lowered the tire’s temps by about 10C to 15C degrees, but also lowered traction. Needless to say, from a setup and performance standpoint, it benefitted few and hurt most. But everyone agreed Michelin had no choice - the conditions are what they are, and as the saying goes, “it’s the same for everyone.”
On race day, it was obvious that rear tire wear would be a deciding factor, with Michelin saying the soft “would not last in the heat, and the medium would experience ‘drop’ if not looked after.” That left the hard rear, which might allow a more aggressive riding style over the entire race distance, but with less initial traction. It was a toss-up between the two, if the race stayed dry. It was this hard rear that looked to play a part in the most violent and horrendous crash in many years. During the final moments of the morning warmup, Marc Marquez was trying the hard rear, when it slid out, off throttle, in the entry to the ultra-fast turn 7. The resulting fearsome highside sent Marquez at least 15 feet into the air at 125 MPH, bouncing and tumbling with the bike into the gravel trap. Marquez was visibly stunned, but managed to stumble away, having survived a very lucky escape. He was diagnosed with a concussion and deemed unfit to race. It could have been so much worse.
Later in the afternoon, just before the grid was getting ready for the sighting lap (30 minutes before race time), a massive thunderstorm hit, and the resulting torrential rain delayed the start by two hours. Finally, the race was started in pouring rain (not “torrential”) and Qurtararo led from the pole. He is not known as a wet weather racer, and sure enough, within two laps, he was down in 5th. Championship hopeful Pecco Bagnaia was mired down in 12th during lap one (and finished the race with only one point, a disappointing 15th).
Rainmeister Aussie Jack Miller moved into the lead during the first lap, but in the ensuing laps, could not open a gap over 2nd place surprise, Miquel Oliveira on the factory KTM. By lap four, Oliveira was past and into the lead. It was good to see, as injury last season made his race results inconsistent at best, and poor at worst. It being a contract year, there is no question Oliveira is under pressure to prove his place at KTM, despite being a three time MotoGP winner. Quartararo, meanwhile, found some wet weather rhythm and by mid race was mounting a comeback to finish a resounding 2nd. It was almost as if he had won. He looked excellent.
In the later stages, Oliveira opened a gap and managed it perfectly to get his fourth career MotoGP win, in what were extremely challenging conditions. Championship leader Enea Bastianini had a difficult race, being mired down near the back, before also finding his form and finishing eleventh. But the ride of the race might’ve been rookie Darryn Binder. He started second from last, yet finished in the top ten. It was a stellar effort from the Moto3 transplant and says he belongs in MotoGP. One race might not win you a championship, but it can certainly change opinions. Darryn Binder is the real deal.
Next year’s Indonesian GP might be worth a long day and night on an airplane to attend. A small beach cabin, some umbrella drinks, fierce thunderstorms, and one hell of a MotoGP race track that promises unpredictability - what’s not to like? If next year’s race is only half as good as this year’s, it’ll still be one of the best.
(Photo by Special AE Contributor Whit Bazemore)
Miguel Oiveira at Circuit of The Americas, 2021.
(Photo by Special AE Contributor Whit Bazemore)
Fabio Quartararo at Circuit of The Americas, 2021.
(MotoGP)
A screen shot of the beginning of the Marc Marquez crash in Indonesia. A devastating accident that left Marc with a concussion and unable to race on Sunday.
In front of enough spectators to fill a single school bus (maybe), Josef Newgarden (No. 2 Team Penske PPG Chevrolet) blew past Scott McLaughlin (No. 3 Team Penske XPEL Chevrolet) for the win in the XPEL 375 at Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday. Newgarden rocketed past the No. 3 XPEL Team Penske Chevrolet of teammate Scott McLaughlin on the outside of Turn 4 on the final lap and won a drag race to the checkered flag, hanging on for victory by .0669 of a second in the first oval race of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES season. The win was Team Penske’s 600th across all racing disciplines, and team owner Roger Penske was ecstatic to lay six crisp $100 bills on Newgarden’s palm in Victory Lane as a special bonus. Newgarden led just three of the 248 laps, while a dominant McLaughlin led 186 trips around the high-banked, 1.5-mile oval. “Unbelievable,” Newgarden said. “I think Scott led 95 percent of the laps. I hate doing that to a teammate, but I was going for it, just like he was. Man, I was loose; I was driving the thing sideways off (Turns) 3 and 4. I was trying to get a win. I’m just so pleased for everybody. Last lap, last corner – that’s what it’s all about at Texas.” Marcus Ericsson finished third in the No. 8 Chip Ganassi Racing Huski Chocolate Honda, 1.3537 seconds behind Newgarden. Will Power finished fourth in the No. 12 Team Penske Verizon Chevrolet, as Penske drivers earned three of the top four spots in the race. Team Penske also has won both races this season, as series points leader McLaughlin triumphed Feb. 27 in the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding. Six-time series champion and five-time Texas winner Scott Dixon finished fifth in the No. 9 Chip Ganassi Racing PNC Bank Honda. Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson achieved a career-best finish with ease by placing sixth in his first NTT INDYCAR SERIES oval race after starting 18th in the No. 48 Chip Ganassi Racing Carvana Honda. Johnson’s previous best finish was 17th last year as a rookie, when he only raced on road and street courses. “I hoped to qualify in the top 10 and race in the top 10,” Johnson said. “Missed the qualifying mark a bit, but once we hit the halfway point of the race, I really could sense and feel the car. It became second nature, and off I went. We knew going oval racing would help, and today got us into the competitive mix.” Newgarden averaged 165.467 mph in a race slowed by four cautions for 52 laps. (Thank you to INDTCAR Communications) Editor-in-Chief's Note: I'm hoping that's the last INDYCAR race at Texas Motor Speedway. It is, and has been, a flat-out embarrassment that damages the INDYCAR brand when it can least afford it. -PMD
(Chris Owen/Penske Entertainment)“Second is a great day, but unfortunately we made a little lapse and at the end of the day lost," McLaughlin said. If you’re going to lose to anyone, your teammate is the guy you want to lose it to. Gutted I couldn’t get it done for XPEL and Chevy. But at the end of the day, we’re there, and I learned a lot in the race that going to help us going in May to the Speedway. But I’m gutted. It still hurt. It’s how it is. But I’m pretty proud of how we’re running. My car wasn’t probably as good as it had been in traffic as it had been the whole race. I knew I was building push, I was building tightness. Once he (Newgarden) got on the outside there, I couldn’t come up above the line. I was stuck. I thought about going outside on Malukas there, but I was worried I would push up into the gray and into the fence. You’re damned if you do, damned if you don’t.”
(Chris Jones/Penske Entertainment)Marcus Ericsson's third-place finish in the No. 8 Chip Ganassi Racing Huski Chocolate Honda was his career-best finish on an oval. Watch the video highlights here.
Charles Leclerc (No. 16 Scuderia Ferrari) won a blockbuster 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix as Carlos Sainz (No. 55 Scuderia Ferrari) backed up a Ferrari one-two – as Red Bull suffered a double DNF to give Lewis Hamilton (No. 44 Mercedes) the final podium place in a stunning start to the season. Russell (No. 63 Mercedes), who started ninth, enjoyed superior race pace to the midfielders and took P4 after the Red Bulls retired, ahead of Kevin Magnussen (No. 20 Haas Ferrari) – who was fifth on his return to F1. Watch race highlights from F1 here. (Thank you to F1 Media.)
Twice in the final 75 minutes of the race, Earl Bamber lost the lead. Twice he regained it. Bamber overcame two incidents and a penalty in the final minutes Saturday and twice worked his way back into the lead, eventually prevailing to win the 70th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Presented by Advance Auto Parts. His victory in the No. 02 Chip Ganassi Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R co-driven with Alex Lynn and Neel Jani was nothing short of an adventure. “It was a team effort, not an individual one,” Bamber said. “I was just the one lucky enough to do the last hour. I could’ve probably made it a hell of a lot easier for everyone else, but hey, I made it. It was a good show, I think.” With 1 hour, 15 minutes remaining, Bamber replaced Lynn during a driver change with a lead of more than 30 seconds over the No. 5 JDC Miller MotorSports Cadillac DPi-V.R shared by Tristan Vautier, Richard Westbrook and Loic Duval. On the out lap, Bamber collided with the No. 13 AWA Duqueine D08 LMP3 car driven by Kuno Wittmer, drawing a drive-through penalty that gave the overall and Daytona Prototype international (DPi) class lead to Westbrook. Seconds after he passed Westbrook to retake the lead with 59:53 left, Bamber spun in a collision with the No. 21 AF Corse Ferrari 488 GT3 driven by Simon Mann. Bamber recovered, chased down Westbrook again and passed him with 45 minutes left. This time, he didn’t let go of the lead, carrying it to the finish 6.471 seconds ahead of Vautier, who replaced Westbrook on the No. 5 car’s final pit stop. The top three finishers, all Cadillacs, finished within 14.616 seconds as Pipo Derani brought the No. 31 Action Express Racing Cadillac co-driven with Mike Conway and Tristan Nunez home third. The 351 laps completed were a Sebring record for the DPi class, topping the previous mark set last year by two laps. It was the 61st IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship victory for Chip Ganassi Racing and second at Sebring. Bamber and Lynn both scored their second Sebring victories, Jani his first.The WeatherTech Championship resumes April 8-10 with the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. (Thank you to Jeff Olson and Mark Robinson/IMSA Wire Service)
(Michelin Motorsport)
It took a little more than a year but Sean Creech Motorsport made it atop the WeatherTech Championship podium in Le Mans Prototype 3 (LMP3) for the first time in one of the series’ marquee events. Joao Barbosa, Malthe Jakobsen and Lance Willsey survived 12 hours of class attrition and a nervous final few fuel-saving laps to claim the LMP3 victory at Sebring. It’s the third Twelve Hours of Sebring win for Barbosa and the first WeatherTech Championship victory anywhere for his co-drivers. The team ran just three races in 2021, finishing second in the Rolex 24 At Daytona. The No. 33 Ligier JS P320 repeated the Daytona result this January and the drivers were eager to go one step better at Sebring. The mission was accomplished with a victory margin of 48.586 seconds over the No. 30 Jr III Racing Ligier co-driven by Ari Balogh, Garett Grist and Dakota Dickerson. With several LMP3 rivals sidelined with mechanical issues earlier in the race, the No. 33 ran a steady pace, recovered from clutch problems that slowed pit stops and going a lap down, to leading 116 of the final 126 laps. (Thank you to Jeff Olson and Mark Robinson/IMSA Wire Service)
Corvette Racing claimed its 12th victory in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Presented by Advance Auto Parts since 2002, earning the triumph with drivers Antonio Garcia, Jordan Taylor and Nicky Catsburg in the No. 3 Corvette C8.R. Garcia qualified the No. 3 Corvette third fastest in the GTD PRO class for the second race of the 2022 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, then assumed the lead 58 minutes into the 12-hour marathon that was staged in hot and humid conditions. From there, Garcia and his co-drivers made no mistakes. The mid-engine Corvette was fast and reliable, and the team executed clean, penalty-free pit stops. In all, the bright yellow C8.R was out front for 247 of the 323 laps completed by the GTD PRO class winner. Catsburg did his part by emerging at the front of the field after a tense midrace battle with the No. 25 BMW Team RLL BMW M4 GT3, while Taylor completed the anchor leg of the race to seal the victory for Corvette by 5.464 seconds over the No. 63 Lamborghini Huracan GT3 shared by Mirko Bortolotti, Marco Mapelli, and Andrea Caldarelli that was fielded by TR3 Racing. This was Garcia’s fourth win in the Twelve Hours of Sebring. “Obviously at Daytona, we were not quite there,” he remarked. “Our testing here recently really paid off, and it’s nice to complete some unfinished business from last year.” The No. 14 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3 shared by Jack Hawksworth, Ben Barnicoat, and Aaron Telitz slowed in the final minutes, allowing the No. 97 WeatherTech Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo manned by Cooper MacNeil, Jules Gounon, and Alessio Picariello to claim the final podium finish. (Thank you to John Oreovicz and Holly Cain/IMSA Wire Service)
(IMSA)
This year marks the 65th Anniversary of Laguna Seca (WeatherTech Raceway). From the Press Release: In 1960, Laguna Seca had three years of racing under its belt and started to form into an elite racing venue. Its competitions often attracted not only the best drivers in the U.S., but around the world. Beginning that October, the Pacific Grand Prix implemented an innovative way to race. The competition was divided into two 200-mile heats, with a 30-minute break in between. This time was used for repairs on the cars which struggled in the first heat, and to tune up the ones that finished. Enter Sir Stirling Moss, a London native who was downshifting into the twilight of his International Motorsports Hall of Fame career in the early 1960s. Moss won 212 races between 1948-1962, including 16 Formula One Grand Prix events. Two of those 212 wins came in the 1960 and 1961 Pacific Grand Prix, where he went back-to-back. Moss would return to Laguna Seca often later in his life to take part in the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion.
As Moss took the trophy home during the 1960 Pacific Grand Prix, the man who finished second to Moss in the overall results was taking his final competitive laps. Carroll Shelby navigated the Laguna Seca course in his bright red No. 98 Maserati Tipo 61, in what would be the final race of his legendary career; a race which was cut short due to heart problems. Shelby finished fifth in the first heat and fourth in the second to place only behind Moss as the two icons went one-two in the final standings. Shelby became notorious for popping nitroglycerin tablets to ease chest pains from a chronic heart condition. After finishing second to Moss, Shelby complained to the press that he would have won the damned thing had he not had to slow down to take his heart medications while driving. Footage of that race can be seen here.
Perhaps the most famous drive of the 1961 season didn’t happen on the Laguna Seca pavement at all, but rather at the local Mark Thomas Inn hotel pool. Yes, you read that right. Augie Pabst, fueled by adult beverages and a bet from Roger Penske and Walt Hansgen, drove his Hertz rental car into the hotel pool. “I said, ‘Augie, you’ve had a really bad day. I bet you $100 that you won’t drive your rental car into the swimming pool,’” Penske later recalled. “So, sure enough, Augie stripped down to his undershorts, got in his rental car and drove right down between the diving board and into the pool. It was the most amazing thing I had ever seen!” The car was totally submerged, and unfortunately for Hansgen, he had forgotten to take his camera out of the trunk first. The following day the car was removed from the pool, and both Hertz and the Mark Thomas Inn – which is now the Hyatt Regency – received more publicity than they ever could’ve dreamed of as a result of the prank. When the group returned to the hotel the following year, the staff had placed a floating “no parking” sign in the pool.