It’s time for our weekly Friday morning tour around the racing world. From hot laps to the main event, here’s what’s on our mind this week.
Hot Laps: Silent Fireworks?
If we can have noiseless electric-powered race cars, when will we get Fourth of July fireworks without the “booms?”
Qualifying: Worrisome
The less we hear about the condition of 16-time NHRA Funny Car champion John Force following a violent accident last weekend, the more worrisome it gets. Here’s hoping for some good news soon.
First Heat: Off Weekend
Neither the World of Outlaws, nor High Limit Racing have any events scheduled between June 29 and July 10. It’s a rare off weekend for national touring sprint car drivers. How many will go race other places?
Second Heat: Bullring Action
Macon Speedway in Illinois is hosting a three-night extravaganza this weekend. It all began last night at the tight, fifth-mile dirt track with Jason Feger winning the annual Herald & Review 100 for the DIRTcar Summer Nationals late models.
It will wrap up Friday and Saturday with two nights of competition for the USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car Championship.
If you live nearby, get there.
Third Heat: Close Finish
It’s crazy to think that the margin of victory in the six-hour IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) Int’l was a mere .749 seconds with the No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsports machine edging the Chip Ganassi Racing Cadillac of Renger van der Zande and Sebastien Bourdais.
Fourth Heat: No Lame Duck Here
Stewart-Haas Racing driver Josh Berry and crew chief Rodney Childers are not performing like their team is closing at the end of the season and they are looking for work.
Berry has been among the most consistent performers in the NASCAR Cup Series since SHR announced it will close at the end of the season.
Fifth Heat: Over The Fence
With so many talented up-and-coming drivers in the Toyota Racing Development pipeline it was interesting to see Joe Gibbs Racing jump the fence to grab Chase Briscoe to replace Martin Truex Jr. next season.
That said, Briscoe, who is currently a teammate to Berry at SHR, is certainly worthy of the ride alongside fellow vets Denny Hamlin, Christopher Bell and Ty Gibbs.
Dash: Staying Put
It made big news this week when Max Verstappen confirmed that he would remain with the Red Bull Formula 1 team. How the heck is that news. The Dutch driver is has won seven of 10 races this season and is well on his way to a fourth consecutive championship with the team. Why would he leave?
B Main: Keystone State
The 34th running of PA Speedweek kicks off Friday night at Williams Grove Speedway. All nine features scheduled for the series will pay at least $10,000 to win, with two events paying $20,000 or more.
Saturday’s Kevin Gobrecht Memorial at Lincoln Speedway will pay $25,000 to the winner, with the July 5 Mitch Smith Memorial at Williams Grove offering $20,000. We expect to see some interlopers from national touring series as Speedweek enters its second weekend.
Feature: Rain Tires
NASCAR, however, is having success with wet-weather tires in combatting the weather.
Last week’s NASCAR Cup Series event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway was run to its conclusion thanks to the use of “rain tires.” The race would have been declared official without their availability.
And more importantly that running the full distance, the wet-weather tires did not significantly impact the results and allowed for an entertaining finish.