Motorsport Recap: Supercars drivers score big on home soil!
Taupo, New Zealand
Matt Payne proved that there is something extra special about racing at home in New Zealand, winning two races over the weekend and earning the round with the prestigious JR Trophy. Claiming pole on Saturday morning for Race 8 was the boost he needed before managing a chaotic race filled with penalties and strategic moves. He maintained his lead to finish 4.1 seconds ahead of Cam. The battles continued throughout the weekend, and Matt came away lucky in the endurance race on Sunday afternoon to get into the lead early in the race. Having to then hold on for the 61-lap race, Payne was victorious and crossed the line first for the second time. This weekend’s results move Matt Payne to third overall in the driver standings.
Ryan Wood secured his maiden podium with a third-place finish in the first race on Saturday. A special moment to achieve it with his family and friends at the race. With it only being his second season of racing in Supercars, Wood’s previous best result was P4, which was also at Taupo Motorsport Park and in Perth.
Andre Heimgartner had a solid weekend, placing in the top 10 across all three races – P8, P8 + P6. Supercars are back on track at Symmons Plains Raceway for the Snowy River Caravans Tasmania Super 440, May 09-11.
Middle East
Liam Lawson initially finished 13th at the Bahrain Grand Prix, but post-race penalties dropped him to 17th. He received a five-second penalty for colliding with Lance Stroll during a safety car period and a ten-second penalty for an aggressive move on Nico Hülkenberg. Despite qualifying issues and strategic challenges, Lawson felt the car was fast but couldn't capitalize due to the penalties and high tyre degradation.
North America
Scott Dixon finished P8 at the IndyCar Series Grand Prix of Long Beach, moving up from his qualifying position of 14th. This top-10 finish was a milestone, as Dixon hit his 300th top-10 finish, adding to his legacy. Speaking of legacy, Scott Dixon was inducted into the Long Beach Motorsports Walk of Fame on Thursday.
"It's an honour to be added to the Long Beach Motorsports Walk of Fame," said Dixon. "The first time I came here was 1999 in Indy Lights. It's always a marquee event. There are not many events on any schedule that people can celebrate like this. I think what we really enjoy as drivers and teams is the atmosphere. This place is wild. It's got a lot of energy. It's a lot of fun.”
Earl Bamber was also racing at Long Beach in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship this weekend. Bamber placed 4th in the race alongside his teammate, Jack Aitken, in the #31 car for Whelen Cadillac. Earl Bamber will be back on track this weekend for WEC 6 hours of Imola, as will Brendon Hartley.
Mitch Evans had a challenging race at the inaugural Miami ePrix. Despite showing a strong pace in practice, he qualified 14th. During the race, he managed to navigate into points-scoring positions but was caught in an incident on lap 20 involving Maximilian Günther and Jake Hughes. This incident effectively ended his race, as he had nowhere to go with the other cars stopping before him. Evans eventually finished 16th, a disappointing result given his potential. Evans is currently 10th in the Formula E World Championship standings and will be looking to bounce back in the upcoming double-header in Monaco.
Today’s NASCAR Cup race at Bristol Motor Speedway saw Shane van Gisbergen starting from P36, he faced multiple setbacks, including a spin and contact with Cody Ware on Lap 178, leading to significant damage and multiple laps down. Later, a mechanical issue forced him to retire on Lap 274. Despite the tough race, van Gisbergen is gaining valuable experience and remains resilient. NASCAR will return to Talladega Superspeedway on April 28.
