CHARLOTTE, N.C. — By the time this reaches the mailboxes of our dedicated SPEED SPORT readers, the calendar will have turned to August and more than half of the racing season will be complete.
With that in mind, now seems like a good time to take a look at some of the things that have surprised us as the racing world prepares to enter the final dash to the checkered flag.
– Did anyone pick Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick to be winless by the time the month of July rolled around? They accounted for 17 NASCAR Cup Series victories a year ago, so the fact neither driver had visited victory lane by July 8 is stunning.
– The step up in performance by the Red Bull Formula 1 program has been extremely impressive. As of July 4, Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez had won six of nine races, with Verstappen accounting for five of those victories. He was leading the F-1 standings by 32 points, but with a lot of races remaining seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton could not be counted out.Â
– There is no denying that Ty Gibbs is a very talented race car driver, but it’s shocking he has become so successful so quickly in NASCAR Xfinity Series competition. At this writing, Joe Gibbs’ grandson had two victories and seven top-five finishes in nine starts. (Editor’s Note: He has since won a third Xfinity Series race).
– Perhaps more surprising than his success in the Xfinity Series is the fact that Gibbs was not leading the ARCA Menards Series standings in early July. He trailed Corey Heim by three points as of this writing, with Gibbs (five) and Heim (three) winning the first eight races of the season. (Editor’s Note: Gibbs has since taken the point lead).
– Bubba Pollard continues to struggle with his asphalt late model program and had yet to find victory lane. He took some time off to help his family with promotional work at Georgia’s Senoia Raceway, which they reacquired earlier this year.Â
However, even before taking time off, Pollard had been struggling. He returned to action on July 3 at Jennerstown (Pa.) Speedway with the CARS Super Late Model Tour and finished 16th in an 18-car field.
– There’s a youth movement underway in the NTT IndyCar Series as drivers such as Alex Palou, Pato O’Ward, Colton Herta, Marcus Ericsson and Rinus VeeKay have visited victory lane. Meanwhile, veterans Ryan Hunter-Reay, James Hinchcliffe, Will Power, Simon Pagenaud and Alexander Rossi were winless through 11 events. (Editor’s Note: Will Power has since found victory lane).
– Donny Schatz finally got his 300th World of Outlaws victory June 18 at Dubuque (Iowa) Fairgrounds Speedway, but that’s not the surprising part. That honor goes to the fact that it was his only World of Outlaws victory during the first half of the year. The 10-time series champion certainly seems to be lacking the speed and consistency to which we’ve all grown accustomed.
– Brad Keselowski will be heading to Roush Fenway Racing next year as a driver and team co-owner. The news came as a massive surprise given Keselowski’s loyalty to team owner Roger Penske over the past decade. Still, Keselowski has never hidden the fact that he eventually wanted to become a Cup Series team owner. Austin Cindric will replace him behind the wheel of the No. 2 Ford.
– Dominic Scelzi scored a dozen victories during the first hal of the year, including a marquee triumph in the Dirt Cup at Washington’s Skagit Speedway. His younger brother, Gio Scelzi, had only one victory, which came during a weekly 410 sprint car show at Knoxville (Iowa) Raceway. If you had that on your bingo card, you should buy a lottery ticket. (Editor’s Note: Gio Scelzi triumphed in the 360 Knoxville Nationals after this writing).
– Kaylee Bryson had yet to win a midget feature with POWRi or USAC, but the Toyota Racing Development driver had notched multiple asphalt late model wins in the Northwest. Perhaps she’s better suited to stock car racing than dirt midget racing? Only time will tell.
– In what is expected to be his final year of racing, 60-year-old Rich Bickle has been surprisingly competitive after going winless in recent years. He scored a big win in the Joe Shear Classic at Madison Int’l Speedway in Oregon, Wis., during May and backed it up with a weekly victory at Slinger (Wis.) Super Speedway. Anyone else wish he would stick around awhile longer?
– If you’d have asked in January how many victories Rico Abreu would have by early July, we would have said around a half dozen. Instead, he had only one, which he earned on his prelim night during the Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals.
Hopefully, the California sprint car ace can turn things around in the second half of the season. (Editor’s Note: Abreu won the Hard Knox feature during the Knoxville Nationals).