JULY 24, 2024

(Formula1.com)

Oscar Piastri (No. 81 McLaren Formula 1 Team) grabbed his debut Grand Prix victory in Hungary after intra-team drama played out, with teammate Lando Norris (No. 4 McLaren Formula 1 team) belatedly responding to an order to hand back the lead to the Australian who had lost out due to the team’s pit stop strategy. After the duo went three abreast with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen (No. 1 Oracle Red Bull Racing) off the line, Piastri emerged as the leader into Turn 1 and from there led much of the Grand Prix. When Norris was pitted first during the second round of stops, however – seemingly to cover off Lewis Hamilton (No. 44 Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team) behind – the Briton was the one to emerge ahead. This prompted the team to make several calls to Norris to give back the position to his fellow McLaren driver, an order that he seemed reluctant to follow for many laps. But on Lap 68 of 70, Norris slowed down and allowed Piastri to pass. The 23-year-old went on to take the win, two seconds up the road from Norris. Lewis Hamilton, meanwhile, claimed the final podium position, having faced drama of his own after contact with Max Verstappen during a late-race battle. Watch the Race Highlights here. (Thank you to Formula1.com)

(Joe Skibinski/INDYCAR)

Michael Andretti’s raised right arm said it all following the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto at Exhibition Place, and the team owner could have raised two. One for Colton Herta, another for Kyle Kirkwood. The two drivers gave Andretti Global a win for the first time since last year’s rebranding and its first 1-2 finish in a race since Kirkwood and Romain Grosjean delivered in 2023 at Long Beach. Herta ended a 40-race winless drought by scoring his first NTT INDYCAR SERIES race in 799 days, and an Andretti car won this event for the ninth time. Andretti won seven times as a driver, Ryan Hunter-Reay went to victory lane for Andretti’s team in 2012. “We needed this so bad,” Andretti said after the race. “We’ve been competitive all year but we just haven’t been able to get the final result. “It was a big day.” Herta effectively led from start to finish, relinquishing the lead only twice to pit. Officially, he paced 81 of the 85 laps, with Kirkwood following him throughout, including on the stops. For the weekend, Herta had the fastest lap in all three practices, won the NTT P1 Award and then he won the race, a feat that is mind-boggling if not unprecedented. It’s believed no driver in the sport’s history has so dominated an event weekend. Herta now has eight career wins. “We’ve been knocking on the door to win for so long,” Herta said. “Forty-one starts without a win is a long time, and it’s been disappointing for us. I think we’re a team – Michael is the owner -- that demands perfection … (I’m) so happy. The Gainbridge Honda was so fast.” The separation between Herta (No. 26 Gainbridge Honda) and Kirkwood at the finish line was .3469 of a second, but the driver of the No. 27 AutoNation Honda said he was less concerned with passing Herta than keeping third-place Scott Dixon (No. 9 Chip Ganassi Racing PNC Bank Honda) at bay. Dixon's third-place finish ties him with Mario Andretti for the most top-three finishes in series history. Each has 141. Watch the Race Highlights here. (Thank you to INDYCAR Media)

(motorsportcollector.com)

Editor-in-Chief's Note: I wanted to take this opportunity to mention George Levy's fantastic new book, Texas Legend - Jim Hall and his Chaparrals. This Official Biography of Jim Hall is simply one of the finest biographies I have ever read, and it stands as the definitive work chronicling the life and achievements of Jim Hall. Full disclosure, Jim Hall is and has been one of my all-time favorites, and Levy's book does Jim justice like no book before it. It is filled with details and anecdotes never revealed until now. I highly recommend this book for enthusiasts and non-enthusiasts alike. It is a superb effort and well worth the read. -PMD 

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