MAY 1, 2024
Sunday, April 28, 2024 at 09:34AM 
Scott McLaughlin (No. 3 Team Penske Good Ranchers Chevrolet) proved Sunday there’s no strategy like pure speed to win an NTT INDYCAR SERIES race. McLaughlin won the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix powered by AmFirst for the second consecutive year at Barber Motorsports Park, again using a mash-the-gas, three-stop pit strategy to earn his first victory of the season and his fifth career win. The triumph put a positive exclamation point on a trying week for Team Penske, which was penalized Wednesday for illegal use of the Push to Pass system at the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding. McLaughlin and Josef Newgarden were disqualified from the race, while Will Power received a 10-point penalty. “We know our job, we know what we need to do,” McLaughlin said. “I’m just super proud of the execution. A couple of yellows didn’t fall our way, but we just showed our pace. We just keep rolling, man. Definitely one of my best drives in terms of execution and just knocking out the laps. Very happy we could advance to the checkered flag there and bring home a W for Team Penske and for Roger (Penske).” Watch the Extended Race Highlights from Motorsports on NBC here. (Thank you to INDYCAR Media)
It was yet another dramatic Spanish GP after a near fairy tale story for Marc Marquez (No. 93 Gresini Racing MotoGP™), who was denied a first race win in 917 days by Francesco Bagnaia (No. 1 Ducati Lenovo Team). The Italian showed why he is #1, defending from #93 all the way to the line - pushing each other to the limits with tactics, contact and too many overtakes to count all in 25 laps in yet another Jerez classic. It was a record-breaking Spanish GP, with almost 300,000 fans flooding the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto. Those fans were treated to an absolute blockbuster after a dramatic Grand Prix, which will be spoken about for a long time. Behind the reigning World Champion after a race-long duel was Marc Marquez, who was forced to settle for second and celebrated in style with the Spanish crowd – finishing just 0.372s. Marco Bezzecchi (No. 72 Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) was third and was only able to watch the battle for the lead – a further 3.531s behind. So where was Jorge Martin (No. 89 Prima Pramac Racing)? The Championship leader crashed out of the lead of the race, only able to watch from the sidelines. Watch the Best Race Moments here. (Thank you to MotoGP.com)
(Photo of Francesco Bagnaia by AE Special Contributor Whit Bazemore)
A Nice Guy Champion or One of the Greatest Ever?
By Whit Bazemore
Bend. In real life, two-time reigning MotoGP World Champion Francesco “Pecco” Bagnaia is a mild-mannered, somewhat shy, but usually smiling, extremely nice gentleman. He comes across as a “normal” person, even in the MotoGP paddock during race weekends.
This is a form of motorsport where mistakes are too easy to make, but where unbridled aggression is almost always a necessity for success. It is easy to assume that someone with Pecco’s demeanor might not have what it takes when push comes to shove, when all the chips are on the table, and especially when, in the most dangerous of all motorsports, you must risk everything for winning.
Pecco Bagnaia’s mild manner is misleading. He may come across as a nice guy, and he is a nice guy, but he also has balls of steel, and most importantly, he also has the single most common trait all great motorsport champions have — an insatiable need to win — not to be confused with “wanting to win.” Everyone “wants” to win. Serial winners, the greatest of racers, need to win. You know who they are.
Sure, Pecco has made a few mistakes over the years when he has succumbed to the extreme pressures of a tight battle for the lead, those moments when only racing the bike at 10/10th’s will do the job. When elbows are out, when contact is made, then made again and again.
An argument can be made that all MotoGP racers are separated by an ultra-fine line of talent. It’s a fine line for sure, but it is a line nonetheless. And, they’ve all made such mistakes. It is the nature of 200-mph motorcycle racing. But the truth is, more often than not, Pecco has been inch perfect in such circumstances, delivering performances, race wins, and ultimately two World Championships to the most demanding and best team in the sport, the Ducati Factory. He has worked himself into the position every MotoGP racer wants to be in — the lead Ducati rider. A Joe average nice guy will never lead the Ducati Factory Team to World Championships. Never.
Marc Marquez is also a nice guy. But there is something different, something more obvious about him, a six-time MotoGP World Champion. He is perhaps the greatest motorcycle racer ever, and for sure, the greatest current racer. He has an intensity about him, obvious even when laughing...
There is no questioning Marquez’ NEED to win. Just this year, he opted out of the fourth and final year of his Repsol Honda contract, leaving some 25 Million Euros ($26.8M) on the table, to race for the much smaller Gresini Ducati satellite team, correctly sensing he could be far more effective (competitive and thus happier) on a year-old, used Ducati than on a brand-new, latest-spec Honda. It’s only about winning, not money.
Back in 2021, in Aragon, Spain, a thus far winless (in his third MotoGP season, but first with the factory Ducati team) Pecco went head to head against Marquez, Ducati vs Honda, in an epic race. Bagnaia led from the start, with Marquez following — within tenths — the entire race. With three laps to go, Marquez made the first of seven failed passes for the lead with Bagnaia re-passing Marquez each time, before Marquez finally went slightly wide mid-way through the final lap, conceding the win to the young Italian, who was basically perfect. At that point, it was the race of a lifetime for Pecco and provided a hint into his ability to fend off all pressure, be mistake free, and show an aggression on the bike that had been previously hard to see.
Since that pivotal moment in Aragon, a lot has changed. Pecco has gone on to win the aforementioned back-to-back championships, and Marquez has slowly suffered an additional two surgerys on his badly broken and damaged right arm (from Jerez in 2020), changed teams, and begun a comeback to the top of the sport which he had dominated since his rookie season in 2013 - until the arm injury.
But the biggest change is the mentality and position within the sport of both racers. Bagnaia is now the defending champion, the guy expected to win, and thus the hunted, while Marquez arguably has nothing to lose, nothing to prove, can afford more risks, and is now the hunter (as if he ever thought he wasn’t a hunter)!
A season-long championship battle between the two has had fans salivating for what excitement 2024 might bring.
It didn’t take long. A bittersweet crash between the two on the third to last lap at the season’s second race in Portimao while fighting for fifth position only served as a reminder of the uncompromising approach both men have to not just winning races, but to simply beating the other no matter the final position. Fifth place, and no quarter given.
At the next race, in Austin a few weeks ago, Bagnaia struggled with rear tire chatter and did not contend. Marquez was super quick, but a reoccurring brake problem caused him to crash just a few corners after taking the lead at mid-distance.
Jerez was the first real battle between the two for a race win this year. A fit Marquez, on the year-old Ducati, hunting Bagnaia on his shiny new red factory machine. Except, it was the other way around. Marquez qualified on pole, his first on a Ducati, and took the lead. Bagnaia, starting from seventh, slotted into fourth though turn 1 before making what will surely be the overtake of the entire season into turn 6 — a double overtake around the outside of Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martin to slot into second. Just a few turns later and Bagnaia was past Marquez, for the lead. Short lived, however, as Martin, the Championship leader, and Bagnaia’s fierce rival from last season, moved into the lead. It was Martin, Bagnaia, Bezzecchi and Marquez in front of the nearly 300,000 rabid Spanish fans until Martin made a mistake and crashed with 15 to go. Marquez then cleanly out-braked Bez into second where he then shadowed Bagnaia until three laps to go.
It’s like the best movie — you know there will be an ending, you just don’t have a clue as to what it will be.
As it was, Marquez and Bagnaia passed each other, aggressively, at the fastest part of the race track (because Bagnaia is so, so good under braking, there was simply no way Marquez could out-brake him into the standard turn 6 overtaking spot) at least three or four times. Who’s counting, when the action is so riveting? They rubbed with tire marks left on leathers, but respect was there and no one crashed.
Bagnaia showed again that he is made of steel, and trumped Marquez on his home soil. Aside from the 2021 Aragon race, this win in Jerez will be his other “best win.” In terms of the Championship, it could not have come at a better time.
Marquez, though, is getting better with his Ducati at every race. He’s had to learn a new way of riding. The bike has different strengths than his old Honda, but at least it has strengths! And Marquez is already in the fight for the championship. It will be a long season for everyone except Marquez. The guy is hunting, with nothing to lose. No pressure. The pressure is on everyone else. Pecco has shown, again, that he can withstand it. But can he do so for an entire season? If so, he will become one of the sport’s true greats, someone more than just a Champion. Aragon and now Jerez have proven he can do it. It takes balls of steel and unwavering self-belief. Don’t let the friendly Bagnaia fool you — he is no nice guy.
(Photo of Marc Marquez by AE Special Contributor Whit Bazemore)
The April 18 RRDC Evening with Sir Jackie Stewart Presented by Firestone drew a crowd of well over 400 guests that included champion racing drivers, industry leaders, sanctioning group representatives and other icons of the racing world. The 14th annual banquet celebrating the legends of motorsport honored the three-time Formula 1 World Champion at a banquet held at the Long Beach Hilton Hotel prior to the running of the 49th Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. All proceeds from the evening, including from the live and silent auctions, will benefit Stewart's Race Against Dementia, Team USA Scholarship, and The Mark Donohue Foundation, which supports the RRDC's SAFEisFAST initiative. The event honors auto racing's most influential leaders, which have included Dan Gurney, Parnelli Jones, Roger Penske, Jim Hall, Brian Redman, Mario Andretti, Bobby Unser, George Follmer, Emerson Fittipaldi, Johnny Rutherford, David Hobbs, Rick Mears and Jacky Ickx.
"Tonight, we're honoring Sir Jackie Stewart, dubbed the 'Flying Scot' for good reason," said Road Racing Drivers Club president Bobby Rahal in his introduction. "His incredible list of accomplishments includes three Formula 1 World championships – where he held the record for the most wins by an F1 driver for 14 years – and Rookie of the Year honors at the Indianapolis 500 – a race he almost won but was denied by a mechanical failure with eight laps to go. "Alongside his numerous career milestones, Sir Jackie was and is an outspoken advocate for safety in racing, as well as for those battling dyslexia and dementia – funding the global charity Race Against Dementia."
A short video written and voiced by NBC Sports TV commentator Leigh Diffey chronicled Stewart's career, and a "vintage" clip from the Ed Sullivan Show featuring a staged slot-car race among early-era F1 drivers Stewart, Graham Hill, Dan Gurney and Stirling Moss entertained the racing royalty in the audience. Also shown was a dynamic music video featuring Stewart's son Paul as well as accomplished musicians Eric Clapton, Nick Mason and Simon Le Bon providing a glimpse into the life of Sir Jackie Stewart, who was awarded the OBE in 1972 and knighted in 2001.
Rahal then quizzed Stewart, who shared stories of his years with race teams such as BRM, Tyrrell, and others, and recounted tales of his many encounters with other internationally-acclaimed racing drivers, in particular his friend Mario Andretti, who came to the stage. The two bantered about their on- and off-track relationship, with Andretti finally responding with, "Well, Jackie is Jackie. We've known each other for eternity. He's one of the individuals in my life that has inspired me to be a better driver. But our friendship was there from the beginning and it got stronger and stronger as individuals and we look back and reflect on our time together and it brings smiles to our faces. And he has a great sense of humor. He showed that tonight beautifully. "Also, for him to come forward and spend so much time to try to address the dementia situation is a credit to him. We try to participate in our own way to help that aspect. Jackie is a mover and shaker. We talked about the safety aspect of the sport, and how important that was. And now he wants to battle something that's affecting him personally. Good for him."
Said Stewart," I'm very proud that I was invited in the first place and I'm really so happy to have this financial commitment in our fight to Race Against Dementia. It's such an important thing for my whole family, for the world. It's very important. Very big. Thank you for the honor." A "live" painting created in the first two hours of the evening by renowned artist Bill Patterson depicting Stewart's career from 1965 to 1973, featuring his 1965 BRM and 1973 Tyrrell F1 race cars, signed by Stewart, was auctioned off, fetching $26,000. As bidding between two individuals progressed, auctioneer Leigh Diffey offered up a second matching painting, with the approval of the artist, upping the bid for two paintings to $52,000. Top bidders? Mario Andretti! and Scott Borchetta. A silent auction was also held of a number of racing images signed by Stewart.
The stage banner, displayed behind Stewart and Rahal. and the canvas prints of Stewart's Tyrrell F1 car were created by Paul Laguette, whose mother-in-law suffers from dementia. This, and his love of the sport, inspired Laguette to produce these pieces.
Editor's Note: This is our dearly departed billboard, which we had at Road America for several years. Peter gifted the phrase "America's National Park of Speed" to the track, which now uses it proudly in all of its communications. -WG
Editor's Note: Click on "Next 1 Entries" at the bottom of this page to see previous issues. - WG