Motorsports Racing News & Blog Articles

Tony Kanaan is known for his NTT IndyCar Series exploits as the 2004 champion and 2013 Indianapolis 500 winner. While he currently competes in Stock Car Brasil, he is keen on trying out American stock cars. In an exclusive interview with Brazilian motorsport publication Grande Prêmio, he revealed he is in talks to run two NASCAR road course races in 2022. Kanaan did not specify a team nor series, but added that Chip Ganassi Racing IndyCar team-mate and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson is assisting with negotiations.

“There is an opportunity, still very remote, it’s still too early to say, but to do at least two NASCAR races on the road circuits here in the United States, especially now that I’m doing Stock Car,” Kanaan told Grande Prêmio.

Kanaan is no stranger to closed-wheel racing, winning the 2015 Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona overall and dabbling in the Superstar Racing Experience. Prior to joining Ganassi’s IndyCar programme in 2014, he had a meeting with NASCAR powerhouse Joe Gibbs Racing about potentially racing in the now-Xfinity Series before graduating to the Cup Series, though no contract offer came.

Since retiring from full-time IndyCar racing in 2020, Kanaan returned to his native Brazil to race in Stock Car Brasil for Full Time Bassani. After placing thirty-second in the 2021 standings, he currently sits seventeenth in points with a best race finish of eleventh at the Autódromo Internacional Ayrton Senna. His team-mate for the multi-driver Corrida de Duplas races (such as at José Carlos Pace) is Pietro Fittipaldi, a fellow IndyCar driver and former NASCAR regional series champion.

Due to his SCB obligations, a NASCAR start would have to avoid clashing with said series. For example, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course slate on 31 July–1 August appears to be an obvious choice for NASCAR, but it is on the same weekend as SCB’s race at Autódromo José Carlos Pace. The Cup and Xfinity road races at Road America (2/3 July) also conflicts with Stock Car Brasil’s Velopark race.

Charles Leclerc ended the opening day at the Monaco Grand Prix the same way he started it, on top. The Monegasque ended Free Practice Two as the driver to beat, ahead of team-mate Carlos Sainz Jr and Sergio Pérez.

The Monegasque dipped under the seventy-three second mark, setting a weekend best time so far of a 1:12.656, just four-hundredths faster than Sainz. The rest of the field were well off of the Scuderia Ferrari duo, who appear to have some margin to those behind. Max Verstappen ended the day fourth, whilst the ever-impressive Lando Norris ended the day fifth.

The same couldn’t be said for his team-mate, as Daniel Ricciardo brought out a red flag during the session after crashing heavily at the Swimming Pool section. The Australian unlike his car was okay.

George Russell was once again top Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team driver in sixth, from Pierre Gasly in seventh. Only the top seven drivers were within a second of the pacesetter.

To Fernando Alonso in eighth there was another three-tenths, the Spaniard was ahead of Sebastian Vettel and Yuki Tsunoda who rounded-off the top ten. Tsunoda may be in trouble though, with himself and Kevin Magnussen under investigation for impeding, and an unsafe release. Lewis Hamilton was a woeful twelfth, whilst Mick Schumacher who had a new MGU-K and gearbox fitted following the morning session, finished seventeenth.

Monaco Grand Prix Free Practice 2 Full Results:

Home boy Charles Leclerc topped Friday’s opening session, with Sergio Pérez and Carlos Sainz Jr a whisker behind at the Circuit de Monaco.

Leclerc looked strong around the streets of his home country, on the back of a shocking retirement from the Spanish Grand Prix. The Monegasque set the fastest time of the morning on the yellow-walled Medium tyres, clocking a 1:14.531. The top three were separated by just seven-thousandths of a second, tiny margins around the historic venue.

Last weekend’s winner Max Verstappen was fourth, within two tenths of his title rival. It was then the McLaren F1 Team on the timesheets with Lando Norris, who started the weekend off on a good-note, ending the morning in fifth-place. Pierre Gasly also went strongly, finishing just behind Norris in sixth but one place ahead of the British driver’s team-mate.

Then came the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team with George Russell in eighth and Lewis Hamilton in tenth, the pair sandwiched Sebastian Vettel who impressed.

The swimming pool section appears to be catching a number of drivers out, most notably Kevin Magnussen, It wasn’t a great morning for the Haas F1 Team, as Mick Schumacher brought out the session’s sole red flag. The German stopped at the pit-entry, due to a suspected gearbox issue.

The GB3 Championship has reached quarter-distance after the first two rounds at Oulton Park and Silverstone, and makes the first of two visits to Donington Park this weekend (28-29 May).

Joel Granfors leads the standings by three points after taking his first poles and a win at Silverstone, with Luke Browning just behind.

Last time at Donington

The 2021 GB3 season concluded in Leicestershire in front of the Sky Sports F1 cameras, as Zak O’Sullivan officially won the title in the second visit of the season.

O’Sullivan and Reece Ushijima took pole for Race 1 and 2 respectively, while Mikkel Grundtvig started Race 3 from reverse-grid pole.

Carlin‘s champion-elect sealed the title, and an FIA Formula 3 Championship test, with a lights-to-flag win on Saturday, ahead of Ushijima and Roman Bilinski.

Following a difficult weekend at the Spanish Grand Prix, Scuderia AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly is looking forward to bringing in new ideas and implementing them at the iconic Monaco Grand Prix. 

“Barcelona was a difficult weekend for the team, I missed out on FP3 which meant we were on the backfoot for Qualifying when we tried something different that didn’t really work. 

“Honestly, we didn’t have the pace all weekend and the race was one to forget, as the car was very difficult to drive after I picked up some front wing damage early on. We already have some ideas on what we can do to improve, hopefully starting this week in Monte Carlo.”

Gasly is excited to race at the historic Circuit de Monaco, which is one of his “favourites” on the calendar due to its challenging nature and the adrenaline that comes with weaving through the tight Monaco streets.

“Monaco is both historic and iconic in Formula 1. The whole world knows the Monaco Grand Prix, and photos from the early days of this race show how little this circuit has changed. It is famous for its setting and for the difficulties it presents the drivers. Maybe sometimes the race itself is not the most exciting of the year, but in terms of the degree of difficulty for the driver it is one of the most, if not the most, difficult race of the year. 

Over a decade after his last NASCAR race, Kimi Räikkönen is set to do it again. On Thursday, Trackhouse Racing Team announced the 2007 Formula One World Champion will return to stock car racing by entering his maiden Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International on 21 August. He will drive the #91 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.

During his first exit from F1 in 2011, he began dabbling in NASCAR’s Camping World Truck Series and now-Xfinity Series, respectively finishing fifteenth and twenty-seventh. Both starts were at Charlotte Motor Speedway, an oval that is a far cry from the circuits that he grew up on. Conversely, he will not have to worry about mastering an oval this time as Watkins Glen is one of six road courses on the Cup schedule and a former F1 track.

Räikkönen would have made his Cup début later in 2011 at Sonoma Raceway for Robby Gordon Motorsports. However, a test at Virginia International Raceway ended after twenty laps when he went off course and the car’s splitter dug into the grass, damaging the front. While the Cup start was aborted, his interest in racing persisted even after returning to F1; in a 2014 interview with CNN, he said he “really enjoy[ed] the whole NASCAR thing. It’s just completely different and fun. It was a good experience. “Hopefully I can do more someday.”

Having retired from F1 after the 2021 season, the Finn has a much more open schedule to try other things, like serving as the team principal for Kawasaki Racing Team in the FIM Motocross World Championship. A visit from Trackhouse owner Justin Marks suddenly had him back in America.

“I wasn’t looking to race again, but Justin came to my home in Switzerland and convinced me how serious he was about putting together a top-notch programme,” Räikkönen commented. “This will be fun, but it’s something I will take very seriously. I know how competitive the NASCAR Cup Series is and it will be a big challenge.”

This is it. The “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” is now upon us. The most prestigious race on the calendar, the Indianapolis 500, is just days away.

Thirty-three drivers will go 200 laps around the 2.5 mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway for a chance to kiss the bricks and drink the ice-cold milk waiting for them in victory lane.

For those in the championship that are vying for the Astor Cup as much as they are the Borg Warner Trophy, this race is worth double points and could have huge implications on the championship. Coming into this race, the ultra-consistent Will Power leads the championship with 170 points. He is followed by Alex Palou in second with 156 points, and Scott McLaughlin sits third only four points behind the defending champion. Josef Newgarden sits fourth in the championship after struggling in the GMR Grand Prix earlier this month, while Indy 500 polesitter Scott Dixon sits fifth on 133 points.

Who etches their name into the history books? Who will claim the Borg Warner Trophy? Will double-points launch a championship-winning campaign, or will a costly mistake create an insurmountable setback? Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the Indianapolis 500.

WHAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR?

To put it into one word, history. Helio Castroneves won the 105th Indianapolis 500, becoming the fourth driver ever to win the race four times.

After cutting his teeth in his native Mexico, Max Gutiérrez will aim for his maiden NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Friday. He will drive the #37 Chevrolet Silverado for AM Racing.

Gutiérrez has competed in the PEAK Mexico Series since 2021, finishing fourth in points in his rookie year with top tens in all but two races. Still seeking his first career win in the series, he finished fourth in the 2022 season opener at Autódromo Chiapas in April.

While much of his career has been in Mexico, he is more than familiar with competition in America, having raced in the ARCA Menards Series and its regional divisions since 2020. He ran the full 2021 ARCA Menards Series East schedule for Rette Jones Racing, during which he won the season opener at New Smyrna and placed fourth in the standings.

In the main ARCA series, he has seven career starts for Troy Williams and RJR, scoring his maiden top ten at Talladega. He also finished third in the New Smyrna ARCA East opener.

“I am very happy because it will be my NASCAR Truck début at Charlotte,” reads a rough translation of a statement made by Gutiérrez to NASCAR Mexico. “We already made my seat and I am very anxious to be able to participate in this series. There are thirty-seven trucks and thirty-six are going to qualify. I am happy and grateful to my sponsors. We are going to try to do our best and try to be among the first and have a good race.”

As with any road course race, the NASCAR Xfinity Series‘ 4 June date at Portland International Raceway will see some new faces. On Wednesday, DGM Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing separately announced the NASCAR débuts of Mason Filippi and Connor Mosack, respectively.

Filippi will drive the #91 Chevrolet Camaro. The 24-year-old arrives in NASCAR with plenty of sports car racing experience, having previously competed in the Pirelli World Challenge before moving to the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge in 2019. Currently racing in the MPC TCR class for Bryan Herta Autosport, he has three career wins and finished runner-up in the 2019 standings.

Four races into the 2022 Michelin Pilot Challenge, Filippi and co-driver Tyler Maxson are eleventh in points with a best finish of seventh at Laguna Seca. The duo opend the season with poles at Daytona and Sebring.

“I’m thrilled to get behind the wheel of a Xfinity car and see what I can do on the track with DGM Racing,” said Filippi. “I’ve raced in Portland before and can’t wait to go back with a new challenge.”

In 2019, Filippi finished on the podium in both TC America Series races at Portland, winning the first from the pole and placing third in the second. The win was one of six that year as he ended third in the championship despite missing three rounds.

Less than a week after round four of the 2022 FIA Formula 2 championship, the grid is back for round five on the streets of Monte-Carlo where they will battle it out for glory around the sport’s most iconic circuit.

After debut podiums for four drivers in Spain, it now means that two-thirds of the grid (fifteen of twenty-two) now have a podium in F2 to their name, adding to the mix of a great season ahead.

The Story So Far

The last round at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya was dominated by one driver and one driver only: Felipe Drugovich.

The MP Motorsport man was a man on a mission, taking victory in the Sprint Race on Saturday afternoon and putting in a tyre-management masterclass on Sunday to win the Feature Race after starting from tenth on the grid.

The two wins bumped the Brazilian up to six career F2 wins, just two shy from the eight-win record held by Artem Markelov and Nyck de Vries.

Pirelli Motorsport will bring their softest available compound to this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix, and Mario Isola says teams will be looking at ways to get the best out of it if they are to be a contender.

The C5 has only been used in one event prior to this weekend, which was in the Australian Grand Prix, but this weekend’s race the Circuit de Monaco will see one of the most important Qualifying sessions of the whole season, with the tyre set to play the lead part in proceedings.

And as such, Isola, Pirelli’s Motorsport Director, says teams will run the C5 a lot in free practice to get a handle on its potential prior to Qualifying.

“Monaco is often described as one of the most unpredictable races of the year, but the truth is that qualifying takes on a particular significance as track position is key here,” said Isola.  

“As a result of that, understanding how to maximise the softest C5 compound – which has only raced at one event so far this year, in Australia – will be a vital part of free practice.”

Sebastian Vettel came agonisingly close to a points finish at last weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix, the German finished the race in eleventh place at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

The four-time World Champion will be hoping for one better this weekend at the historic Monaco Grand Prix, a race which Vettel believes “every driver has special memories of”. The German will be in desperate need of a good Qualifying, with only two overtakes happening on average at the Circuit de Monaco since 2018.

Vettel is expecting a physical affair, where endurance will play a key part.

“Every driver has special memories of Monaco and wants to create more, and we all know that some of the most famous moments in Formula One history happened here. I think this will be a physical Grand Prix where drivers will hustle the cars that bit more than they have in the past, so there will be an element of endurance too.”

“Qualifying will be an even greater test” – Lance Stroll

Lance Stroll was much further off the points than his team-mate in Spain, and will be hoping for a much stronger weekend at Monaco.

It was a mixed Spanish Grand Prix for the McLaren F1 Team, after an ill Lando Norris recovered an excellent points finish, whereas Daniel Ricciardo ended up disappointingly outside the points.

Ricciardo complained of no grip all race, something he definitely won’t want to suffer from at this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix, where there is “very little margin of error”. Norris is in a race against time to be fully fit for the race, which requires maximum concentration, after being diagnosed with tonsillitis.

Both drivers live close to the historic Circuit de Monaco, so will be wanting a strong haul of points this weekend.

McLaren Team Principal Andreas Seidl, is very much looking forward to Monaco, where he’s interested to see how the new cars will get along with the bumpy venue.

“I’m looking forward to this weekend! Monaco is such a historic race and one the drivers and the team love so it’s shaping up to be a good weekend. Our upgrades worked as expected in Spain and the team at track and back at the factory continue to work incredibly hard to optimise the car. It will be interesting to see how the new regulation cars run on the tight streets.

Lando Norris produced an incredible race under the circumstances at the Spanish Grand Prix, after being ill throughout the weekend. Norris finished in the points places and was then diagnosed with tonsillitis shortly after the race.

Norris will be hoping to take some of that grit and determination from Spain into this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix, which for many drivers including Norris and Daniel Ricciardo is effectively a home race.

The Brit lives near the circuit and is excited to be able to stay in his own home, as he prepares to “rest up” ahead of the famous race.

“I always look forward to the Monaco weekend. It will be nice to be racing so close to home, particularly as I can wake up in my own bed! Last year it was a fantastic race for me and whilst we’re not back at that level just yet, I’m hoping we can pick up some good points here. Qualifying on Saturday is going to be key but it will be interesting to see how the race plays out on Sunday with these new cars. 

“I’m taking these few days to rest up and to focus on getting better before diving into Monaco. Spain was incredibly tough, but I was very pleased to get some points for the team. Let’s keep moving forward and ensure we’re ready for the busy weekend ahead!” 

Williams Racing had a disappointing Spanish Grand Prix last weekend, with both drivers struggling for pace and finishing well outside of the points places at the Circuit de Catalunya-Barcelona.

This weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix presents the famous side with a new challenge, of dealing with the “bumps and kerbs” of the Circuit de Monaco. Whilst Monaco is normally a race with minimal overtaking, this year’s new cars may throw some surprises into the mix. A number of teams have suffered from reliability issues already this season, meaning that if Williams keep it clean, a strong result could be on the cards.

Williams Head of Vehicle Performance Dave Robson, discussed all the challenges that the historic circuit present the team.

“Monaco is always a challenging circuit that requires a specific approach to setup and car management. With the new 2022 cars, this is going to be an even greater challenge as it will be necessary to move the car away from the aerodynamic optimum in order to be able to deal with the bumps and kerbs of the Monte Carlo streets.

“Apart from some additional brake cooling and steering options, we have no test items or upgrades for this event and so we will be free to spend the practice sessions exploring the car setup and helping the drivers to get maximum confidence in the car.

“The tyres are the softest of the Pirelli range, including the C5 compound, which we last used in Melbourne. This very soft compound worked well at Albert Park and so it may require a different approach to get it into the best window in Monaco.

“Although normally warm and dry, there is always a risk that the cloud cover on the mountains can quickly move over the circuit, completely changing the character of the track. We will need to be mindful of this and look to capitalise on it if it happens.”