Sunday
Jun122022
JUNE 15, 2022
Sunday, June 12, 2022 at 10:26AM 
(Photo by Joe Skibinski/Penske Entertainment)
Josef Newgarden (No. 2 Team Penske PPG Chevrolet) won the Sonsio Grand Prix at Road America presented by AMR on Sunday. It was his third victory of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES season, and he earned the $1 million PeopleReady Force for Good Challenge bonus. The Challenge rewards the first driver to win on all three types of circuits – road courses, street circuits and oval tracks – in 2022. The $1 million is shared, with $500,000 going to Team Penske and Nashville-area native Newgarden and $500,000 donated to Newgarden’s chosen charities. Newgarden, who previously won this season on the Texas Motor Speedway oval and the Long Beach street circuit, selected two charities to split the $500,000 portion – SeriousFun Children’s Network and Wags and Walks Nashville. “To finally get it done and most importantly to give that money to charity, half of that money is going to charity with SeriousFun Network and Wags and Walks Nashville,” Newgarden said. “I hope they’re happy about it. That’s a lot of money coming their way. “You’ve got to be on your toes at all times (in this series). You can go in with a plan, but you probably have to change your plan 90 percent of the time once the race starts to unfold. To be able to hit all these disciplines with this team, for me it’s the best series in the world.” Watch the race highlights from Motorsports on NBC here. (Thank you to INDYCAR Media)
Josef Newgarden (No. 2 Team Penske PPG Chevrolet) won the Sonsio Grand Prix at Road America presented by AMR on Sunday. It was his third victory of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES season, and he earned the $1 million PeopleReady Force for Good Challenge bonus. The Challenge rewards the first driver to win on all three types of circuits – road courses, street circuits and oval tracks – in 2022. The $1 million is shared, with $500,000 going to Team Penske and Nashville-area native Newgarden and $500,000 donated to Newgarden’s chosen charities. Newgarden, who previously won this season on the Texas Motor Speedway oval and the Long Beach street circuit, selected two charities to split the $500,000 portion – SeriousFun Children’s Network and Wags and Walks Nashville. “To finally get it done and most importantly to give that money to charity, half of that money is going to charity with SeriousFun Network and Wags and Walks Nashville,” Newgarden said. “I hope they’re happy about it. That’s a lot of money coming their way. “You’ve got to be on your toes at all times (in this series). You can go in with a plan, but you probably have to change your plan 90 percent of the time once the race starts to unfold. To be able to hit all these disciplines with this team, for me it’s the best series in the world.” Watch the race highlights from Motorsports on NBC here. (Thank you to INDYCAR Media)
(Photo by Joe Skibinski/Penske Entertainment)
2022 Indianapolis 500 winner Marcus Ericsson finished second in the No. 8 Chip Ganassi Racing Huski Chocolate Honda, 3.3710 seconds behind Newgarden. It was Ericsson’s fourth consecutive top-seven finish, and he regained the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship lead by 27 points over previous leader Will Power, who finished 19th in the No. 12 Team Penske Verizon Chevrolet.
2022 Indianapolis 500 winner Marcus Ericsson finished second in the No. 8 Chip Ganassi Racing Huski Chocolate Honda, 3.3710 seconds behind Newgarden. It was Ericsson’s fourth consecutive top-seven finish, and he regained the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship lead by 27 points over previous leader Will Power, who finished 19th in the No. 12 Team Penske Verizon Chevrolet.
(Photo by James Black/Penske Entertainment)
NTT P1 Award winner Alexander Rossi finished third in the No. 27 Andretti Autosport NAPA AUTO PARTS/AutoNation Honda. A second consecutive podium result this month continued a strong surge for Rossi, who has three straight top-five finishes this season. Romain Grosjean finished fourth in the No. 28 Andretti Autosport DHL Honda, with teammate Colton Herta rounding out the top five in the No. 26 Andretti Autosport Gainbridge Honda after starting 11th. Andretti Autosport placed three cars in the top five – Rossi, Grosjean and Herta.
NTT P1 Award winner Alexander Rossi finished third in the No. 27 Andretti Autosport NAPA AUTO PARTS/AutoNation Honda. A second consecutive podium result this month continued a strong surge for Rossi, who has three straight top-five finishes this season. Romain Grosjean finished fourth in the No. 28 Andretti Autosport DHL Honda, with teammate Colton Herta rounding out the top five in the No. 26 Andretti Autosport Gainbridge Honda after starting 11th. Andretti Autosport placed three cars in the top five – Rossi, Grosjean and Herta.
(ALEXIS GOURE - ACO)
The No. 8 Toyota GR010-Hybrid has won the 90th 24 Hours of Le Mans, securing a fifth win on in a row for Toyota Gazoo Racing. After triumphing in 2018, 2019 and 2020 in the Toyota TS050-Hybrid, driver Sébastien Buemi now has a fourth win to his name. The Swiss ace joins Belgian Olivier Gendebien (1958, 1960-62) and Frenchmen Henri Pescarolo (1972-74, 1984) and Yannick Dalmas (1992, 1994-95, 1999) in the rankings of all-time winners of the iconic endurance race. It was also a third overall win for Brendon Hartley. The Kiwi shared the wheel with Buemi in 2020 after winning with the Porsche LMP team in 2017. Buemi and Hartley were partnered by Japanese rookie Ryō Hirakawa. The No. 8 Toyota GR010-Hybrid was followed home by the No. 7 team car driven by Conway/Kobayashi/López. The No. 709 Glickenhaus 007 LMH driven by Briscoe/Westbrook/Mailleux finished third. The Japanese manufacturer’s victory was never seriously in doubt once TotalEnergies Chairman and CEO Patrick Pouyanné started the race at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday. The No. 8 Yoyota started on the pole following Hartley’s brilliant late, late lap in Thursday evening’s dramatic Hyperpole session. The two Toyota GR010-Hybrids regularly traded the top two positions until Sunday morning when the No. 7 machine had to pit for an engine reset. The No. 8 car showed remarkable consistency throughout to claim the 24 Hours of Le Mans trophy. Watch the race highlights courtesy of Michelin Motorsport here. And the race highlights after nineteen hours here.
(MICHEL JAMIN - ACO)
The No. 38 JOTA Oreca 07-Gibson won in LMP2. This was the second class win for British driver Will Stevens following his 2017 LMGTE Am triumph with JMW Motorsport in a Ferrari 488 GTE. Mexican Roberto González and Portuguese António Félix da Costa had never previously been on the top step of the Le Mans podium. González, da Costa and Stevens drove an extremely solid race, leading the class from the first hour. While a battle royale for the podium places ensued behind them, the trio remained supreme throughout. At the checkered flag, the No. 9 Prema Orlen Team Oreca 07-Gibson of Kubica/Delétraz/Colombo clinched second place ahead of the No. 28 JOTA Oreca 07-Gibson driven by Rasmussen/Jones/Aberdein in third.
(ALEXIS GOURE - ACO)
As expected, the LMGTE Pro class offered up a tense fight between Porsche, Ferrari and Chevrolet Corvette. The American manufacturer locked out the front row of the grid in qualifying and appeared strong until nightfall. The The No. 63 Chevrolet Corvette C8.R driven by García/Taylor/Catsburg suffered a puncture in its left rear tire, while the No. 64 Corvette Racing team car driven by Milner/Tandy/Sims suffered brake damage, apparently caused by debris. Alexander Sims was leading the class in the No. 64 machine mid-morning when disaster struck. An unfortunate error by François Perrodo in the No. 83 AF Corse Oreca 07-Gibson barged the C8.R into the barriers on the Mulsanne Straight, ending the Corvette team’s hopes of a first win since 2015. The near-simultaneous double retirement of the American challengers left Ferrari and Porsche to battle it out for victory. The No. 51 AF Corse Ferrari 488 GTE Evo driven by Pier Guidi/Calado/Serra, the No. 52 AF Corse Ferrari 488 GTE Evo driven by Molina/Fuoco/Rigon, the No. 91 Porsche 911 RSR-19 driven by Bruni/Lietz/Makowiecki and the No. 92 Porsche 911 RSR-19 driven by Christensen/Estre/Vanthoor fought tooth and nail with fortunes ebbing and flowing throughout the race. By dint of brake changes, punctures and slow zones, an advantage finally emerged for the No. 91 Porsche and the No. 51 Ferrari. Frédéric Makowiecki held off the challenge from James Calado to clinch the win for the German manufacturer. After three second places, it was the Frenchman’s first class win at Le Mans. Teammates Gimmi Bruni and Richard Lietz already have three each to their name. The AF Corse No. 51 and No. 52 Ferraris finished second and third, respectively.
(ARNAUD CORNILLEAU - ACO)
After taking second place in class last year, TF Sport took the LMGTE Am title in the No. 33 Aston Martin Vantage AMR. American Ben Keating, invited as the winner of the IMSA Jim Trueman Award, finally has a class title at the 24 Hours of Le Mans after triumphing in the LMP2 class at the IMSA 12 Hours of Sebring earlier this year. It was also a first Le Mans win for Dane Marco Sørensen (third in 2020 with Aston Martin Racing) and, of course, Portuguese rookie Henrique Chaves. They were followed home by the longtime class leader, the No. 79 WeatherTech Racing Porsche 911 RSR-19 driven by MacNeil/Andlauer/Merrill, and the No. 98 Northwest AMR Aston Martin Vantage AMR driven by Dalla Lana/Pittard/Thiim.
The No. 8 Toyota GR010-Hybrid has won the 90th 24 Hours of Le Mans, securing a fifth win on in a row for Toyota Gazoo Racing. After triumphing in 2018, 2019 and 2020 in the Toyota TS050-Hybrid, driver Sébastien Buemi now has a fourth win to his name. The Swiss ace joins Belgian Olivier Gendebien (1958, 1960-62) and Frenchmen Henri Pescarolo (1972-74, 1984) and Yannick Dalmas (1992, 1994-95, 1999) in the rankings of all-time winners of the iconic endurance race. It was also a third overall win for Brendon Hartley. The Kiwi shared the wheel with Buemi in 2020 after winning with the Porsche LMP team in 2017. Buemi and Hartley were partnered by Japanese rookie Ryō Hirakawa. The No. 8 Toyota GR010-Hybrid was followed home by the No. 7 team car driven by Conway/Kobayashi/López. The No. 709 Glickenhaus 007 LMH driven by Briscoe/Westbrook/Mailleux finished third. The Japanese manufacturer’s victory was never seriously in doubt once TotalEnergies Chairman and CEO Patrick Pouyanné started the race at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday. The No. 8 Yoyota started on the pole following Hartley’s brilliant late, late lap in Thursday evening’s dramatic Hyperpole session. The two Toyota GR010-Hybrids regularly traded the top two positions until Sunday morning when the No. 7 machine had to pit for an engine reset. The No. 8 car showed remarkable consistency throughout to claim the 24 Hours of Le Mans trophy. Watch the race highlights courtesy of Michelin Motorsport here. And the race highlights after nineteen hours here.
(MICHEL JAMIN - ACO)The No. 38 JOTA Oreca 07-Gibson won in LMP2. This was the second class win for British driver Will Stevens following his 2017 LMGTE Am triumph with JMW Motorsport in a Ferrari 488 GTE. Mexican Roberto González and Portuguese António Félix da Costa had never previously been on the top step of the Le Mans podium. González, da Costa and Stevens drove an extremely solid race, leading the class from the first hour. While a battle royale for the podium places ensued behind them, the trio remained supreme throughout. At the checkered flag, the No. 9 Prema Orlen Team Oreca 07-Gibson of Kubica/Delétraz/Colombo clinched second place ahead of the No. 28 JOTA Oreca 07-Gibson driven by Rasmussen/Jones/Aberdein in third.
(ALEXIS GOURE - ACO)As expected, the LMGTE Pro class offered up a tense fight between Porsche, Ferrari and Chevrolet Corvette. The American manufacturer locked out the front row of the grid in qualifying and appeared strong until nightfall. The The No. 63 Chevrolet Corvette C8.R driven by García/Taylor/Catsburg suffered a puncture in its left rear tire, while the No. 64 Corvette Racing team car driven by Milner/Tandy/Sims suffered brake damage, apparently caused by debris. Alexander Sims was leading the class in the No. 64 machine mid-morning when disaster struck. An unfortunate error by François Perrodo in the No. 83 AF Corse Oreca 07-Gibson barged the C8.R into the barriers on the Mulsanne Straight, ending the Corvette team’s hopes of a first win since 2015. The near-simultaneous double retirement of the American challengers left Ferrari and Porsche to battle it out for victory. The No. 51 AF Corse Ferrari 488 GTE Evo driven by Pier Guidi/Calado/Serra, the No. 52 AF Corse Ferrari 488 GTE Evo driven by Molina/Fuoco/Rigon, the No. 91 Porsche 911 RSR-19 driven by Bruni/Lietz/Makowiecki and the No. 92 Porsche 911 RSR-19 driven by Christensen/Estre/Vanthoor fought tooth and nail with fortunes ebbing and flowing throughout the race. By dint of brake changes, punctures and slow zones, an advantage finally emerged for the No. 91 Porsche and the No. 51 Ferrari. Frédéric Makowiecki held off the challenge from James Calado to clinch the win for the German manufacturer. After three second places, it was the Frenchman’s first class win at Le Mans. Teammates Gimmi Bruni and Richard Lietz already have three each to their name. The AF Corse No. 51 and No. 52 Ferraris finished second and third, respectively.
(ARNAUD CORNILLEAU - ACO)After taking second place in class last year, TF Sport took the LMGTE Am title in the No. 33 Aston Martin Vantage AMR. American Ben Keating, invited as the winner of the IMSA Jim Trueman Award, finally has a class title at the 24 Hours of Le Mans after triumphing in the LMP2 class at the IMSA 12 Hours of Sebring earlier this year. It was also a first Le Mans win for Dane Marco Sørensen (third in 2020 with Aston Martin Racing) and, of course, Portuguese rookie Henrique Chaves. They were followed home by the longtime class leader, the No. 79 WeatherTech Racing Porsche 911 RSR-19 driven by MacNeil/Andlauer/Merrill, and the No. 98 Northwest AMR Aston Martin Vantage AMR driven by Dalla Lana/Pittard/Thiim.
(Formula1.com)
Max Verstappen (No. 1 Oracle Red Bull Racing) led a Red Bull one-two in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix after retirements for Charles Leclerc (No. 16 Scuderia Ferrari) and Carlos Sainz (No. 55 Scuderia Ferrari), giving George Russell (No. 63 Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team) P3 at Baku. Pole-sitter Leclerc lost the lead at the start but regained it when the leading Red Bull of Max Verstappen pitted on Lap 19. One lap later, Leclerc’s race went up in a puff of smoke and he crawled back to the pits to retire. This would be Ferrari’s second retirement of the race as Carlos Sainz stopped with a hydraulic failure on Lap 9. Leclerc’s DNF left Verstappen ahead of Sergio Perez (No. 11 Oracle Red Bull Racing) who took fastest lap, with Mercedes driver Russell promoted into the final podium place, having started fifth. Driver of the Day Lewis Hamilton (No. 44 Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team) started seventh and finished fourth having pitted during the VSC on Lap 10 and the following one on Lap 34, passing Pierre Gasly (No. 10 Scuderia AlphaTauri) 10 laps later with the benefit of newer tires. Gasly finished fifth after starting sixth. Watch the video highlights here. (Thank you to Formula1.com)
Max Verstappen (No. 1 Oracle Red Bull Racing) led a Red Bull one-two in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix after retirements for Charles Leclerc (No. 16 Scuderia Ferrari) and Carlos Sainz (No. 55 Scuderia Ferrari), giving George Russell (No. 63 Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team) P3 at Baku. Pole-sitter Leclerc lost the lead at the start but regained it when the leading Red Bull of Max Verstappen pitted on Lap 19. One lap later, Leclerc’s race went up in a puff of smoke and he crawled back to the pits to retire. This would be Ferrari’s second retirement of the race as Carlos Sainz stopped with a hydraulic failure on Lap 9. Leclerc’s DNF left Verstappen ahead of Sergio Perez (No. 11 Oracle Red Bull Racing) who took fastest lap, with Mercedes driver Russell promoted into the final podium place, having started fifth. Driver of the Day Lewis Hamilton (No. 44 Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team) started seventh and finished fourth having pitted during the VSC on Lap 10 and the following one on Lap 34, passing Pierre Gasly (No. 10 Scuderia AlphaTauri) 10 laps later with the benefit of newer tires. Gasly finished fifth after starting sixth. Watch the video highlights here. (Thank you to Formula1.com)
(Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Daniel Suárez has made history. The 30-year-old Suárez became the first Mexican-born driver to win a NASCAR Cup Series race on June 12 at Sonoma Raceway, steering his No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Team Chevrolet to the checkered flag. The victory came in Suárez’s 195th career start at NASCAR’s top level. “It’s a crazy day. I have so many thoughts in my head right now,” Suárez said, becoming emotional in his victory celebration. “I mean, it’s been a rough road. It’s been a rough journey in the Cup Series. These guys believe in me — Trackhouse Racing, Justin Marks, Ty Norris. Everyone that helped me to get to this point. A lot of people in Mexico: Jay Morales, Carlos Slim. My family, they never gave up on me. A lot of people did, but they didn’t. … Just very happy we were able to make it work.” Suárez becomes the fifth Cup Series winner born outside the United States. The others: Aussie Marcos Ambrose, Italian-born Mario Andretti, Juan Pablo Montoya of Colombia and Canadian Earl Ross. Suárez is a graduate of NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program. Before going national, Suárez spent a good chunk of time in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, which is now known as the ARCA Menards Series East. Where Suárez first made his name known was the NASCAR Peak Mexico Series. The Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, native had his first stock-car start there on Sept. 6, 2009. He had four starts that year but then raced five full-time seasons through the 2014 season. Suárez won 10 times between 2012-14, placing a career-best runner-up in the 2013 final standings. His career then took off. “I’m extremely proud to be the driver from Mexico, the driver from a different background,” Suárez previously told NASCAR.com. “I don’t feel that the sport could have found someone more committed to myself, my culture and my background.” Watch the race highlights here. (Thank you to Terrin Waack/NASCAR Wire Service)
Daniel Suárez has made history. The 30-year-old Suárez became the first Mexican-born driver to win a NASCAR Cup Series race on June 12 at Sonoma Raceway, steering his No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Team Chevrolet to the checkered flag. The victory came in Suárez’s 195th career start at NASCAR’s top level. “It’s a crazy day. I have so many thoughts in my head right now,” Suárez said, becoming emotional in his victory celebration. “I mean, it’s been a rough road. It’s been a rough journey in the Cup Series. These guys believe in me — Trackhouse Racing, Justin Marks, Ty Norris. Everyone that helped me to get to this point. A lot of people in Mexico: Jay Morales, Carlos Slim. My family, they never gave up on me. A lot of people did, but they didn’t. … Just very happy we were able to make it work.” Suárez becomes the fifth Cup Series winner born outside the United States. The others: Aussie Marcos Ambrose, Italian-born Mario Andretti, Juan Pablo Montoya of Colombia and Canadian Earl Ross. Suárez is a graduate of NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program. Before going national, Suárez spent a good chunk of time in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, which is now known as the ARCA Menards Series East. Where Suárez first made his name known was the NASCAR Peak Mexico Series. The Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, native had his first stock-car start there on Sept. 6, 2009. He had four starts that year but then raced five full-time seasons through the 2014 season. Suárez won 10 times between 2012-14, placing a career-best runner-up in the 2013 final standings. His career then took off. “I’m extremely proud to be the driver from Mexico, the driver from a different background,” Suárez previously told NASCAR.com. “I don’t feel that the sport could have found someone more committed to myself, my culture and my background.” Watch the race highlights here. (Thank you to Terrin Waack/NASCAR Wire Service)
(Cadillac images)
Cadillac has unveiled its Project GTP Hypercar that previews the third-generation prototype race car from the American luxury brand. In 2023, Cadillac will contest the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the FIA World Endurance Championship, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans. “Cadillac will be competing again on the world racing stage, and we are all thrilled to return to Le Mans after 20 years,” said Global Cadillac Vice President Rory Harvey. “By competing in both the 2023 IMSA and WEC championships, Cadillac Racing has the opportunity to demonstrate its capability, craftsmanship and technology.” Codeveloped by Cadillac Design, Cadillac Racing and Dallara, the Project GTP Hypercar incorporates key brand design characteristics. Elements of the brand’s heritage such as vertical lighting and floating blades are present throughout and connect the Project GTP Hypercar to the future of Cadillac. “The Project GTP Hypercar is a unique convergence of form and function and showcases Cadillac’s future performance aesthetic,” said Chris Mikalauskas, lead exterior creative designer, Cadillac. “We have plenty more to come, from the upcoming race car to amazing production vehicles.” Since 2017, Cadillac has been competing at the forefront of American sports car racing in the IMSA manufacturers championship achieving numerous wins, podiums and championships in the Cadillac DPi-V.R. The new racing machine will be powered by an all-new 5.5L DOHC V-8 that will be paired to the LMDh common hybrid system and will begin on-track testing this summer and make its first race appearance at the Rolex 24 at Daytona in 2023. Recent Cadillac Racing achievements include: Winning the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship three times: 2021, 2018 and 2017. Winning the Rolex 24 at Daytona four times in a row: 2020, 2019, 2018 and 2017. Winning the Michelin North American Endurance Cup four times: 2020, 2019, 2018 and 2017. Watch the intro video here.
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