F1 – Button wins wild Hungarian Grand Prix
Jenson Button (McLaren Mercedes) overcame rapidly changing weather conditions to win the Hungarian Grand Prix. The win came in Button’s 200^th Grand Prix.
NHRA – John Force breaks another record in Sonoma qualifying
John Force became NHRA’s all-time leader in No. 1 qualifying positions when he raced to the top spot in Funny Car Saturday at the FRAM / Autolite NHRA Nationals at Infineon Raceway.
Brad Keselowski Captures Unexpected Win at Lucas Oil Raceway
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[/media-credit]After starting on the pole and leading 189 laps of the Kroger 200 Nationwide Series race at Lucas Oil Raceway Saturday night, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. could almost taste the win. But with Brad Keselowski in the picture nothing is certain.
After a green-white-checkered restart, Keselowski wasted no time in overtaking leader Stenhouse Jr. and blasted across the finish line for his second win this season in the Nationwide Series.
“It’s a very special win being from Michigan,” Keselowski said. “I’ve been coming to this race track for years. I’ve been to victory lane as a team guy and a mechanic but never a driver. It’s so special to win here and win here in a Dodge.”
The majority of the race was tame with Roush Fenway Racing teammates, Stehnouse Jr. Carl Edwards and Trevor Bayne leading the pack. Elliot Sadler who started the race in last position and rookie Austin Dillon were also looking strong as the race began winding down.
The action became more heated towards the end of the race. Things began to go badly for Carl Edwards after a caution on lap 175 for a wreck involving Steve Wallace, Michael Annett and Tim Andrews. Edwards was penalized for exiting too fast off of pit road. He slowly worked his way back towards the front but the penalty cost him a shot at the win.
Dillon did not pit and restarted the race in first position, followed by Stenhouse Jr., Bayne, Sadler and McDowell. But Dillon didn’t keep the lead long and was quickly passed by Stehnouse Jr. and Bayne advanced to second place.
But with only twelve laps to go, Bayne suffered a blown engine, bringing out another caution.
More chaos ensued when Justin Allgaier, who had made his way into the second position, had a brake fire which forced him off the track.
Because the drivers had already lined up for the restart, the NASCAR rule which states that drivers must stay in their lanes, went into effect.
This moved Brad Keselowski, who had been behind Allagaier in fourth, up to the second position.
Keselowski, who had been mid-pack for much of the race, was now in a position to make something happen.
On the restart, Keselowski quickly made his move, forcing Stenhouse Jr. high and taking the lead.
The race was under green for only two laps when Elliot Sadler spun out, collecting his teammate Austin Dillon, and ending their hopes for a top five finish.
Finally, on lap 202, the race was underway again but Keselowski held onto the lead to capture the victory.
After the race, Stenhouse Jr. was obviously disappointed saying, “It’s frustrating. I’ve been working on my restarts all year, but it got us tonight. Our car was pretty fast, but you couldn’t say it was dominant since we didn’t win the race.”
However, Keselowski gave Stenhouse Jr. credit for having the car to beat.
“I had a great short-run car that could give Ricky a run for his money. If the race was two or three laps longer, I’m sure Ricky would have drove around us.”
James Buescher finished in second place with Stenhouse Jr., Aric Almirola and Carl Edwards rounding out the top five.
Stenhouse Jr. leads the points standings in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, followed by Reed Sorenson, Elliot Sadler, Justin Allgaier and Aric Almirola.
Keselowski wins final Nationwide race at Lucas Oil Raceway
The last race for the NASCAR Nationwide Series at the Lucas Oil Raceway started off looking like Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was going to stink up the show and lead the entire race.
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[/media-credit]Stenhouse Jr. started from the pole and lead 189 laps of the scheduled 200 lap race. In fact, a majority of the race was lead by the three Roush Fenway Racing cars of Stenhouse Jr, Trevor Bayne, and Carl Edwards as they all ran in the top five most of the night.
The first accident of the night occurred on lap 177 when the 40 car of Tim Andrews and the 62 of Michael Annett spun into the turn three and four wall. Steve Wallace entered turn three at full speed and hit his teammate, Annett hard. Wallace then slammed into the car of Andrews which was also stopped on the track.
The caution flew again for Trevor Bayne’s blown motor on lap 190, setting up a 10 lap shootout to the finish. Keselowski took the lead from Stenhouse with seven laps to go in the race.
The caution flew again a few laps later for a wreck involving Elliott Sadler after he and Stenhouse got together battling for second place.
The ensuing caution set up a green, white, checker finish. Keselowski got his second win of the year in the Nationwide series.
James Buescher finished second to Keselowski followed by Stenhouse, Aric Almirola, and Carl Edwards rounding out the top five.
Stenhouse is the points leader followed by Reed Sorenson and Elliott Sadler.
Keselowski wins the NNS race at Lucas Oil Raceway
Brad Keselowski won a side-by-side, bumping and grinding battle with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in the final laps of Saturday nights NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) race at Lucas Oil Raceway and made the pass with a handful of laps remaining.
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[/media-credit]But a late spin by Elliott Sadler setup a green-white-checkers restart. Keselowski was able to hold off James Buescher and Stenhouse Jr. to win the final NNS race at the speedway.
“We ended up restarting in second position on the outside lane and I knew that if I could get around the 6 car that we had a shot at the win. I had a great short-run car that could give Ricky (Stenhouse Jr.) a run for his money. If the race was two of three laps longer, I’m sure Ricky would have drove around us. Our Discount Tire Dodge Challenger was great on the short run. It’s great to get back to victory lane again.” Keselowski said.
Stenhouse Jr. led 188 laps and dominated the night until lap 188 after a yellow flag came out when Trevor Bayne blew an engine. Stenhouse Jr. took the inside on the restart which allowed Keselowski to first battle on the outside and then bump and grind his way by on the inside.
“I just knew that I needed to get a good restart. He still beat me. We drove into 1 and 2 and he had a great run, he was clearing me. So I crossed back over, got back to the bottom and raced him into 3. The next thing I knew I was in the lead.” Keselowski said.
On lap 175, Tim Andrews, Michael Annett and Steve Wallace were involved in a hard crash between turns three and four. Andrews and Annett both were stopped at the outside wall and Wallace spun coming out of four and hit teammate Annett with the back of his car, spinning it around in the air and then into Andrews’ car. This brought out a 12 minute red flag condition for track cleanup.
“I got loose there underneath the 40 (Tim Andrews) — I think we were lapping him for about the 10th time tonight.” Annett said. “I was probably over aggressive on my part, but it’s just a shame to tear up a good race car — actually two Rusty Wallace Racing cars. I heard Steven I guess got jacked up from behind slowing up for the wreck when the guy behind him didn’t see it and tore us both up. Just a shame, but we have Iowa next weekend and that’s a big one for us.”
“I got in the brakes and the care got sideways. It just slid all the way through the corner and there was nothing I could do except try to nail it to accelerate away from Michael (Annett). It was just one of those racing deals. I hate it for both of our cars. Both of our cars were running good and we were getting better. It’s just one of those things.” Wallace said.
On lap 193, Justin Allgaier’s car caught on fire while driving around under caution. Allgaier has to take his flaming car behind pit wall and Reed Sorenson’s crew quickly pulled him out. He finished 27th.
Sadler started 42nd and worked his way through the field. But on lap 198 while battling for third spot be lost control and spun between turns three and four, collecting his Kevin Harvick Inc. teammate Austin Dillon. What could have been a top-5 finish for Sadler, ends up being 16th.
Stenhouse Jr. moved into the series points lead by 4 points over Reed Sorenson.
The series heads to Iowa Speedway for the U.S. Cellular 250 presented by the Enlist Weed Control System on August 6th.
Travis Pastrana, Danica Patrick and Kimi Raikkonen Face Common NASCAR Choice
Travis Pastrana, Danica Patrick and Kimi Raikkonen have one thing in common, that of dabbling in a variety of NASCAR Series racing while still maintaining careers in other racing and sports endeavors.
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[/media-credit]Yet at some point, all three of these talents, one from Rally and X Games fame, one from IndyCar Racing, and the other a Formula One champ, must make an important choice. They must decide if they will give their all to focus on making it in the realm of stock car racing.
Unfortunately, Travis Pastrana had his choice made for him this weekend. Instead of participating in “Pastranathon”, competing in the X Games as well as making his NASCAR Nationwide debut at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis, Pastrana broke his right foot and ankle while attempting a double ‘TP Roll’ on his motorcycle in X Game competition.
“I’m disappointed in myself for letting everyone down,” Pastrana said. “I can’t tell you how sorry and how disappointed I am that I messed that trip to Indy up.”
Because of Pastrana’s injuries, including not only his leg and foot injury as well as an injury to his hand that he sustained in practice, the 27 year old driver’s choice as far as NASCAR competition has been made at least until next year.
“I have surgery scheduled for Tuesday,” Pastrana said. “I have to get my hand pinned and plated, my right leg pinned and plated, and my right foot pinned and plated. So unfortunately I won’t be up for about two months.”
“I’m definitely hoping to get back as fast as possible and get as much time in that car as possible and go have some fun,” Pastrana continued. “I look forward to being in NASCAR next year.”
Pastrana’s team owner, Michael Waltrip, was also disappointed that his driver’s choice was made for him as far as his Nationwide racing debut.
“Like fans everywhere we were so excited about Travis’ debut,” Waltrip said. “We have a long-term vision with Travis which includes lots of NASCAR.”
“We can’t wait to get him healed and in our race cars,” Waltrip continued. “We’ve waited a long time for someone like Travis Pastrana. I guess we’ll just have to wait a little bit longer.”
While Pastrana had his choice made for him regarding NASCAR, IndyCar Racing driver Danica Patrick still has a major choice before her. She must decide soon what her future will be in both or either of these racing series.
This year, Patrick, while maintaining her IndyCar Racing obligations, has also been racing select Nationwide races under the JR Motorsports banner.
Rumors have, of course, been rampant about her racing future in 2012. Many have speculated that she will run a full-time Nationwide schedule, as well as a handful of Cup starts.
Yet even her team owner Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is uncertain as to the choice she will make about competing in stock car racing full-time.
“I haven’t heard anything,” Dale Junior said. “I think things are looking positive for us to put something together.”
“I would like for her to run full-time,” Junior continued. “I’m sure she is considering that and I think she would enjoy it.”
“She seems to really enjoy driving stock cars and racing in the Nationwide Series,” Earnhardt, Jr. said of Patrick. “We just have to see but I haven’t heard anything about it.”
While Dale Earnhardt, Jr. may be excited about Danica Patrick’s future in NASCAR, one other driver, a Formula 1 champion, has virtually disappeared from the NASCAR scene. After trying his hand at both the Truck and Nationwide Series, Kimi Raikkonen has seemingly not chosen the stock car scene.
Raikkonen started out both NASCAR runs, including the Truck Series and the Nationwide Series, with high hopes and good feelings.
“Everybody’s been very nice and very welcome,” the ‘Iceman’ said of his NASCAR foray. “It’s a nice atmosphere, very relaxed.”
Unfortunately, Raikkonen struggled and finished the Top Gear 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 27th place, several laps down.
“It was nice in the beginning but it turned out to be really bad,” Raikkonen said. “Once it got difficult, you cannot race and you really try to survive. Up until that point, it was fun.”
But when asked if the race was fun enough to return to the NASCAR scene, the Finland native said simply, “I don’t know yet.”
And that seems to sum it up for all three of these drivers. Their NASCAR futures are simply uncertain.
One final commonality, however, remains for all three of these racing stars in their own rights. Each one, Pastrana, Patrick and Raikkonen, must eventually not only choose to race in the world of stock cars, but in order to be successful, they will also have to choose to make it their first, and potentially, their only priority.
