Monday
Sep022019
SEPTEMBER 4, 2019
Monday, September 2, 2019 at 08:58AM 
(Photo by Chris Owens/INDYCAR)
Team Penske solidified its hold on the NTT IndyCar Series Championship in Sunday's Grand Prix of Portland at Portland International Raceway. Will Power (No. 12 Team Penske Verizon Chevrolet Turbo V6) drove away with the race victory - his second in as many NTT IndyCar Series races - while teammate Josef Newgarden (No. 2 Team Penske Hitachi Chevrolet Turbo V6) extended his lead in the championship standings heading to the season finale Sunday at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, Calif., on September 22. Power's first victory at this 12-turn, 1.964-mile track was sweet for several reasons. In addition to being the 37th of his Indy car career - he tied Sebastien Bourdais for sixth place in the sport's history - it was the first win at the track where he made his Indy car testing debut in 2005. "I remember thinking I wish I could get paid to do this," Power said. (Thanks to IndyCar Media, as always.)
Team Penske solidified its hold on the NTT IndyCar Series Championship in Sunday's Grand Prix of Portland at Portland International Raceway. Will Power (No. 12 Team Penske Verizon Chevrolet Turbo V6) drove away with the race victory - his second in as many NTT IndyCar Series races - while teammate Josef Newgarden (No. 2 Team Penske Hitachi Chevrolet Turbo V6) extended his lead in the championship standings heading to the season finale Sunday at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, Calif., on September 22. Power's first victory at this 12-turn, 1.964-mile track was sweet for several reasons. In addition to being the 37th of his Indy car career - he tied Sebastien Bourdais for sixth place in the sport's history - it was the first win at the track where he made his Indy car testing debut in 2005. "I remember thinking I wish I could get paid to do this," Power said. (Thanks to IndyCar Media, as always.)
(Photo by Chris Owens/INDYCAR)
IndyCar Series rookie Felix Rosenqvist (No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing NTT DATA Honda) matched his season best with a second-place finish in Portland.
IndyCar Series rookie Felix Rosenqvist (No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing NTT DATA Honda) matched his season best with a second-place finish in Portland.
(Photo by Chris Owens/INDYCAR)
Alexander Rossi (No. 27 Andretti Autosport NAPA AUTO PARTS Honda Turbo V6) and Simon Pagenaud (No. 22 Team Penske Menards Chevrolet Turbo V6) finished third and seventh, respectively, and were unable to help their title chances much. Newgarden (No. 2 Team Penske Hitachi Chevrolet Turbo V6), the 2017 champion, holds a 41-point lead on Rossi, a 42-point lead on Pagenaud and pushed Scott Dixon (No. 9 Chip Ganassi Racing PNC Bank Honda Turbo V6) - minus-85 - closer to championship elimination heading into the season-ending, double-points race. Newgarden can secure the Astor Cup and the $1 million bonus by finishing fourth or better in Monterey. "It would be nice if (the finale) wasn't double points, but it is and we knew that from the start of the season," he said. "We will have to make the most of it. I don't think it will be easy." INDYCAR concludes its 17-race season with the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey on Sunday, September 22. Television coverage will begin on NBC at 2:30 p.m. ET (11:30 a.m. PT local) with the green flag scheduled for 3:15 p.m. (12:15 p.m. local). Live radio broadcasts will be available on the Advance Auto Parts INDYCAR Radio Network and SiriusXM Satellite Radio (XM 205, Sirius 98, Internet/App 970).
Alexander Rossi (No. 27 Andretti Autosport NAPA AUTO PARTS Honda Turbo V6) and Simon Pagenaud (No. 22 Team Penske Menards Chevrolet Turbo V6) finished third and seventh, respectively, and were unable to help their title chances much. Newgarden (No. 2 Team Penske Hitachi Chevrolet Turbo V6), the 2017 champion, holds a 41-point lead on Rossi, a 42-point lead on Pagenaud and pushed Scott Dixon (No. 9 Chip Ganassi Racing PNC Bank Honda Turbo V6) - minus-85 - closer to championship elimination heading into the season-ending, double-points race. Newgarden can secure the Astor Cup and the $1 million bonus by finishing fourth or better in Monterey. "It would be nice if (the finale) wasn't double points, but it is and we knew that from the start of the season," he said. "We will have to make the most of it. I don't think it will be easy." INDYCAR concludes its 17-race season with the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey on Sunday, September 22. Television coverage will begin on NBC at 2:30 p.m. ET (11:30 a.m. PT local) with the green flag scheduled for 3:15 p.m. (12:15 p.m. local). Live radio broadcasts will be available on the Advance Auto Parts INDYCAR Radio Network and SiriusXM Satellite Radio (XM 205, Sirius 98, Internet/App 970).
(Getty Images/BBC Sport)
Twenty-one-year-old Charles Leclerc (No. 16 Scuderia Ferrari) finally took his maiden Formula 1 victory after holding off Lewis Hamilton (No. 44 Mercedes-AMG Petronas) to win the Belgian Grand Prix. Leclerc dedicated the win to Formula 2 driver Anthoine Hubert, who was killed in a crash on Saturday. "This one is for Anthoine," he said over team radio after crossing the line. "Feels good, but difficult to enjoy on a weekend like this." After pulling up in the pits at the end, Leclerc celebrated in fittingly subdued style, pointing at the sticker on his Ferrari dedicated to the memory of Hubert, against whom he had raced on his way through the ranks to F1. Leclerc had come close to wins twice before in his first season with Ferrari, his second in F1, but delivered under pressure at the classic Spa track. But he had to fight for it as Hamilton closed to less than a second behind in a nail-biting finish. Valtteri Bottas (No. 77 Mercedes-AMG Petronas) was third, ahead of Sebastian Vettel (No. 5 Scuderia Ferrari) who had a disappointing day - outclassed and out-paced by his younger teammate. (Thanks to BBC Sport.)
(Getty Images/NASCAR)
In a rain-delayed race that finished at 2:00 a.m., Erik Jones (No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing SportClips Toyota) claimed the most important victory of his career in the Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway early Monday morning. Jones held off a charging Kyle Larson (No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet) and teammate Kyle Busch (No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota) for his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory of the season and the second of his career. “It was a lot of pressure,” Jones said. “Kyle (Busch) is a great race car driver. I’ve raced him a lot, and obviously you want to beat him to win, right? I was just locked in, man. I stayed focused. I really thought it was our night when we got out front. It’s amazing for me to be able to hold off Kyle. It’s really cool, just for the history we have with Kyle giving me my first opportunity in the Truck Series (at Kyle Busch Motorsports). To race him for the win in such a big race, that’s pretty cool and something I’m never going to forget.” (Thanks to NASCAR Media.)
Twenty-one-year-old Charles Leclerc (No. 16 Scuderia Ferrari) finally took his maiden Formula 1 victory after holding off Lewis Hamilton (No. 44 Mercedes-AMG Petronas) to win the Belgian Grand Prix. Leclerc dedicated the win to Formula 2 driver Anthoine Hubert, who was killed in a crash on Saturday. "This one is for Anthoine," he said over team radio after crossing the line. "Feels good, but difficult to enjoy on a weekend like this." After pulling up in the pits at the end, Leclerc celebrated in fittingly subdued style, pointing at the sticker on his Ferrari dedicated to the memory of Hubert, against whom he had raced on his way through the ranks to F1. Leclerc had come close to wins twice before in his first season with Ferrari, his second in F1, but delivered under pressure at the classic Spa track. But he had to fight for it as Hamilton closed to less than a second behind in a nail-biting finish. Valtteri Bottas (No. 77 Mercedes-AMG Petronas) was third, ahead of Sebastian Vettel (No. 5 Scuderia Ferrari) who had a disappointing day - outclassed and out-paced by his younger teammate. (Thanks to BBC Sport.)
(Getty Images/NASCAR)In a rain-delayed race that finished at 2:00 a.m., Erik Jones (No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing SportClips Toyota) claimed the most important victory of his career in the Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway early Monday morning. Jones held off a charging Kyle Larson (No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet) and teammate Kyle Busch (No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota) for his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory of the season and the second of his career. “It was a lot of pressure,” Jones said. “Kyle (Busch) is a great race car driver. I’ve raced him a lot, and obviously you want to beat him to win, right? I was just locked in, man. I stayed focused. I really thought it was our night when we got out front. It’s amazing for me to be able to hold off Kyle. It’s really cool, just for the history we have with Kyle giving me my first opportunity in the Truck Series (at Kyle Busch Motorsports). To race him for the win in such a big race, that’s pretty cool and something I’m never going to forget.” (Thanks to NASCAR Media.)