Motorsport Weekend Round-up
There was truly something for everyone this weekend as Kiwis took on an oval, a street track and race circuits. Here's your wrap-up of the weekend's action. The Darlington oval is legendary for it's difficulty because of it's unique shape, and due to a rain system forcing cancellation of practice and qualifying, Shane van Gisbergen had to hit it in the race having not turned a single lap of the speedway.
If there is one thing we know about SVG though, it’s that he’s adaptable.
His #97 Chevrolet started the race from P17, the position based on a combination of race results, fastest laps and team points.
It ended up being a drama-free race for SVG, hanging with the mid-pack for most of the race and taking part in a run to the line to finish the race in P15.
IndyCar
It was the start of the IndyCar’s legendary Month of May, where the USA’s premiere open-wheel series sets up residence at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
This weekend was a race on the Indianapolis Road Course, before the iconic Indy 500 takes place in two weeks.
Scott Dixon had a strong qualifying, putting his Chip Ganassi Racing car P6 on the grid. Scott McLaughlin had a tricky session, only managing P13.
Both Kiwis made moves during the race, with McLaughlin charging through the field to finish in P6 after climbing seven positions. Dixon would lead the Kiwi contingent across the line however, climbing two positions to finish just short of the podium in P4.
Indy NXT
Callum Hedge had his third outing in Indy NXT this weekend at the Indianapolis Road Course.
His weekend started strong, finishing P4 in a busy race that featured well over 100 on-track overtakes, from which Hedge started P8. He would start from P8 again in the second race but would ultimately concede two positions and finish the race in P10.
He leaves the weekend P9 in the championship standings.
USF Pro 2000
The third tier of US open-wheel racing was also at Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend in support of IndyCar, with Liam Sceats joining the contingent for another round.
It was a very strong weekend at the triple header for the young Kiwi IndyCar hopeful. Sceats stepped on to the podium twice, finishing P2 in the first two races. Race 3 would see him cross the line in P5.
These results have shot Sceats up to P4 in the championship standings.
Porsche Carrera Cup Asia
Marco Giltrap had the first Asian outing for his dual Carrera Cup programme this year, competing full-time in Carrera Cup Australia and part-time in Carrera Cup Asia.
Suzuka is not a track for the faint-hearted, but Giltrap was quickly up to speed, securing P4 in both qualifying sessions – his first time driving a car in anger on the high-speed circuit.
Giltrap would see strong results in both races, keeping clean and finishing each outing in P5.
Giltrap’s next race will be the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia round over June 8-9 taking place at The Bend in Australia.
World Endurance Championship
It was a dramatic weekend at the Six Hours of Spa for the World Endurance Championship.
It seemed the #2 Cadillac of Earl Bamber was on-track for a breakout weekend after his teammate put the car P2 in qualifying. They dropped down to P4 during the race, and as Bamber was battling for third position 4 hours in, he clipped a LMGT3 car, sending his Cadillac in to the barriers near-airborne and littering the track with debris. Thankfully Bamber was cleared by the medical center soon after.
The crash caused a 2 hour halt to proceedings, but once the racing resumed, the #8 Toyota of Brendon Hartley was able to secure a P6 finish at the checkered flag.
Formula E
The Jaguar TCS Racing pairing of Nick Cassidy and Mitch Evans seems to be going from strength to strength, and it’s becoming increasingly rare for there to be a race weekend that doesn’t see at least one of them stepping on to the podium.
The Berlin E-Prix proved no different, with Cassidy taking a podium in both races, including a yet another win for the Kiwi in the first race.
Mitch Evans also had a strong weekend, finishing just off the podium in P4 for the first race, and rounding the weekend off with P6 in the second race and a solid points haul.
Cassidy now leads the championship standings, with Evans sitting 5th in the standings.