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: Gold Cup Money
The 70th running of the Mike Curb Gold Cup Race of Champions is Saturday night at California’s Silver Dollar Speedway.
The race runs for the first time under the High Limit Racing banner and will pay a record $100,070 to the winner.
Qualifying: Double Duty
Marco Andretti, a veteran of many Indy car races at The Milwaukee Mile will do double duty at the Wisconsin State Fairgrounds race track on Sunday.
Andretti will drive the No. 17 Chevrolet for Cook Racing Technologies in the ARCA Menards Series race and later in the day compete in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event aboard the No. 04 Chevrolet for Roper Racing.
First Heat: A Little Boot
Normally when a touring hero comes to town and takes on the locals, fans cheer loudly for their local hotshoes. Such wasn’t the case on Wednesday night at Silver Dollar Speedway when frequent California sprint car winner Justin Sanders was booed after he made contact with Kyle Larson and sent the NASCAR Cup Series champion spinning. The move gave Sanders the lead and he paced the final six laps for a 360 sprint car triumph to open the Mike Curb Gold Cup Race of Champions.
Second Heat: What’s Going On?
What the heck is happening with the Team Penske IndyCar Series operation this season.
First, there was the much-noted scandal at the beginning of the season involving push-to-pass, which saw Josef Newgarden stripped of a victory. Now we have one Penske driver (Newgarden) accused of causing an accident that allowed him to win the race by a teammate (Will Power).
Still, with Newgarden’s victory Saturday at World Wide Technology Raceway, Team Penske has won six of the 13 IndyCar Series races this season, including the Indianapolis 500.
Third Heat: Three Predictions
While not the final race of the NASCAR Cup Series regular season, Saturday night’s event at Daytona Int’l Speedway will go a long way toward determining the final four entries into the playoffs.
Here are three predictions for the 400-mile race: 1. There will be a lot of crashed race cars; 2. It will end in an overtime finish; 3. Someone not already locked into the playoff field will win.
Fourth Heat: Longevity
Three-time Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen turned heads on Thursday when he said his career has passed the halfway point. The 26-year-old makes his 200th career start on Sunday.
By contrast, seven-time Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton, who recently signed a long-term contract to drive for Ferrari beginning next season, is 39 years old and he will make his 347th start Sunday in The Netherlands.
Dash: Rest In Peace
Eloy Gutierrez died earlier this week after a battle with cancer at age 75. Eloy was known in every sprint car pit area across the land after a long career as in scoring with the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series. Eloy was always smiling. RIP, Eloy.
B Main: Under The Radar
One thing that flew under the radar last weekend was the podium performance of Isabella Robusto and Taylor Reimer during the ARCA Menards Series round at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. Robusto, in her first dirt-track race, and Reimer finished second and third, respectively, marking the first time two female drivers were on the podium in the same ARCA race.
In addition, Tony Breidinger came home sixth, with Amber Balcaen eighth, which meant four women finished in the top 10.
Feature: Five Months
One might call NASCAR officials and investigators thorough, but it was mind-blowing to see Thursday’s penalties levied against Joe Gibbs Racing, Denny Hamlin and crew chief Chris Gabehart come more than five months after the engine infraction occurred on March 17 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.
What happens if a similar engine-seal violation is discovered in the championship-deciding race at Phoenix Raceway in November? Imagine the implications of a five-month wait. We look forward to learning more about what took so long.