Well, you get a ‘two-fer’ this week. Intrepid Inside Track editor Greg MacPherson wanted to have a holiday before the heavy lifting really kicks in for the 2027 Motorama next March 12-14.
Reports have him spending several rainy days on golf courses in Ireland! It seems race tracks aren’t the only places experiencing rain this year.
It’s official. Dodge will have cars (number undetermined at this time) running in the Daytona 500 next February!! Kaulig Racing currently runs five Rams in the Truck Series and they, reportedly, will be the team selected to run the Mopars.
Eleven-year-old Brexton Busch, son of the late Kyle Busch, paid tribute to his father by doing an epic burnout Friday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He was driving the Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet that his father used to drive. I don’t think there was a dry eye in the crowd. And he finished it off with the Rowdy Bow!! As well, there were ten cars from his father’s career lined up on pit road. WAY cool!
How about Treyten Lapcevich!! Dale Earnhardt Jr. put him in one of his cars for the CARS event on the famous 4/10-mile South Boston (Virginia) Speedway which is, for context, about an hour east of Martinsville Speedway. He won the CARS race and finished fourth in the Pro Late Model race. OH Canada!!
Several Formula One racing teams flying into Singapore for the Grand Prix got surprised at customs when some of the stuff they were trying to bring into the Republic turned out to be illegal. Those items included vaping products, cigarettes and even e-scooters. I’m not sure how the ban on those items was not known beforehand.
It appears that Dodge is very close to returning to NASCAR Cup action. Can Brad Keselowski be part of the discussions? It seems a deal has been struck with ECR Engines, a company owned by Richard Childress, to build the motors. Could RCR switch to Dodge? Hmmm.
It seems that Tom Cruise wants to drive in an ARCA race at Daytona in February “to get a better feel for real life inside a stock car in the heat of competition”!! Cruise will be filming the follow-up to the popular Days of Thunder from way back in 1990. Hey, if Cleetus can do it, why not Tom? And, as NASCAR is in the entertainment business and NOT the racing business, his presence would sell a ton of tickets. Win/win/win!!
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NASCAR Cup Series
Charlotte – Due to the weather not cooperating for Sunday’s race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the starting lineup was established based on NASCAR’s metric system. As a result, Kyle Larson (Chev) started from the pole followed by Chase Briscoe and Tyler Reddick (both in Toyotas). Thirty-nine cars: 18 Chevs, 11 Fords and 10 Toyotas.
Due to the weather, a Competition Caution came out on lap 35 to check tires. The yellow came out right after the restart for contact between Ty Gibbs and Brad Keselowski on corner 4 exit. With three laps to go in Stage 1, Bubba Wallace, Alex Bowman and William Byron got together on corner 4 exit and Wallace’s car got really used up from hitting the wall hard. Larson got the stage win.
On lap 117, John Hunter Nemechek spun for another yellow. Christopher Bell won Stage 2. The yellow came back out on lap 205 when Gray Gaulding got bounced into the wall by Tyler Reddick on corner 2 exit and spun down and off the track.
Chase Briscoe won in a very close race (0.029 seconds) over teammate Christopher Bell while Ryan Blaney ended up third.
Phoenix – Ryan Blaney won the pole for Sunday’s race at Phoenix Raceway over teammate Joey Logano (both in Fords) and Chase Briscoe (Toyota). Points leader Kyle Larson (Chev) started a distant 22nd. Thirty-seven cars: 17 Chevs, 10 Fords and 10 Toyotas.
On lap 43, Riley Herbst got into the back of Michael McDowell in Turn 4 with both cars spinning out. Yellow flag. Logano got the Stage 1 win.
One lap past the halfway mark, Austin Dillon spun and spanked the wall in Turn 4 for a caution. Logano got the Stage 2 win.
On lap 223, Cody Ware spun from a flat tire. There had been a bunch of tire failures and all of a sudden it bit the points leader. Larson got into the wall in Turn 1 for another yellow. He went down two laps.
At the flag it was Tyler Reddick with the win over Blaney and Chase Elliott.
In the points, Larson leads Bell by only five and Briscoe by 24.
Next race: Talladega, Sunday at 2 p.m. on TSN 5.
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NASCAR O’Reilly Series
Charlotte – Similar to Cup, qualifying was rained out and the lineup was set by the metric system. As a result, Carson Kvapil started from the pole ahead of Corey Day and Jesse Love (all in Chevs). Thirty-eight cars: 29 Chevs, six Toyotas and three, count ’em, three Fords.
For some reason (the tech guys left early???), NASCAR.com did NOT have Live Timing for the race. Not to worry, faithful servant Jayski.com had us covered!!
Similar to the earlier Cup race, a Competition Caution came out, this time on lap 20, to check tire wear due to the lack of track time. Day won Stage 1. Stage 2 went green and Justin Allgaier got the stage win.
On lap 111, Ryan Sieg, with a ‘little’ help from Rajah Caruth, spun, bringing out the first race caution. Nine laps later it appeared that Caruth suffered some karma as he blew a tire going into Turn 1, but unfortunately he collected Jake Finch. Yellow.
On lap 155, Ryan Ellis looped it in Turn 1 for another caution. With 15 laps to go, Brent Crews blew a right-front tire and spanked the wall to bring out the caution flag.
At the flag it was Day in a three-wide pass over Love and Sheldon Creed.
Phoenix – Second-place points man Jesse Love (Chev) won the pole over Brandon Jones and William Sawalich (both in Toyotas). Points leader Sheldon Creed started fourth. Thirty-eight cars: 30 Chevs, six Toyotas and two Fords.
A bit of rain started dropping around lap 21 and two laps later the yellow came out. The teams started switching to rain tires. After about ten laps the green came back out. Love won Stage 1.
Stage 2 went clean and green and Love got the stage win as well. On the stage restart, Taylor Gray, Lavar Scott and Brennan Poole tangled on corner 2 exit, bringing out the yellow. Poole’s tough night continued on lap 159 when he looped it on corner 2 exit again. Caution.
At the flag it was Love over Sam Mayer and Justin Allgaier.
In the points, Love leads Allgaier by 36 and Day by 39.
Next race: Talladega, Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on USA.
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NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
Charlotte – Connor Mosack (Chev) won the pole for Friday night’s race at Charlotte Motor Speedway ahead of Tanner Gray and Kaden Honeycutt (both in Toyotas).
Canadians Cole Butcher (Ford) and Stewart Friesen (Toyota) qualified 23rd and 26th. Friesen was back there because he bounced off the wall during qualifying.
Stages 1 and 2 went clean and green and the first yellow didn’t come out until lap 100 for Friesen, who got into the wall again. The caution came back out on lap 114 when Kris Wright spanked the wall and definitely moved the suspension around.
On lap 189, the yellow came back out when a bunch of trucks got used up just after the restart: Rajah Caruth, Daniel Dye, Leland Honeyman, Luke Baldwin, Connor Mosack, Gio Ruggiero and Ben Rhodes.
At the flag it was Layne Riggs over Christian Eckes and Honeycutt. Butcher finished 18th and Friesen was 35th.
Phoenix – Number-two points guy Layne Riggs (Ford) nabbed the pole over points leader Kaden Honeycutt (Toyota) and Chandler Smith (Ford).
Canadians Cole Butcher (Ford) and Stewart Friesen (Toyota) qualified 14th and 17th.
Thirty-six trucks: 14 Chevs, 10 Fords, seven Toyotas and five Rams.
Ty Majeski got the caution-free Stage 1 win. On the last lap of Stage 2, Ben Rhodes exploded a tire and left some debris on the track. Pole sitter Majeski got the Stage 2 win.
Friesen only took two tires and got off pit lane first to take the lead. It turned out to be a questionable call as he slipped back through the pack.
The race went green to the checker with Honeycutt getting the win over Eckes and Riggs.
With the win, Honeycutt extends his lead in the points to 39 over Riggs and by 112 over Eckes. Friesen sits 12th with Butcher 19th.
Next race: Talladega, Friday at 4 p.m., tape-delayed to Saturday at 4 p.m. on CTV SPEED.
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Formula One
Singapore – Once again, rainy weather caused problems with a race, this time in Singapore.
George Russell (Mercedes) topped FP1 and then Max Verstappen (Red Bull) started from the pole on the wet track for the Sprint Race ahead of George Russell (Mercedes) and Charles Leclerc (Ferrari).
Max spun his tires on the wet track and Russell got the lead. Coming around the last corner on the first lap, Russell spun and hit the inside wall, bringing out the Safety Car. At the same time Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) and Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) dropped out of the race.
The green came back out on lap 6. At the halfway mark it was Verstappen, Hamilton and Leclerc.
Coming to the flag it appeared that Lando Norris’s brain shorted out as he tried an ill-conceived pass on teammate Oscar Piastri and spun both of them. Verstappen took the win over Hamilton and Leclerc.
The same three qualified at the front for the main race, with Max on the pole followed by Leclerc and Hamilton. Canadian Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) qualified 19th.
On lap 8, Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi) rolled to a stop just off track, apparently with transmission problems. The Virtual Safety Car was deployed.
One lap before halfway, Franco Colapinto stopped on track for what appeared to be transmission problems.
At halfway it was Verstappen over “best buddies” Norris and Piastri!!
The laundry flew again on lap 37 when Stroll stopped on track.
At the flag it was Verstappen over Leclerc and Kimi Antonelli. Hamilton faded to sixth from what I suspect was the wrong choice of tires. Stroll finished 20th.
Max has been on a tear over the past four races, collecting 94 of 108 possible points. Unfortunately, it is too little, too late.
In the Drivers’ Championship, Antonelli leads Russell by 102 and Hamilton by 111.
In the Constructors’ Championship, Mercedes leads Ferrari by 134 and McLaren by 239.
Next race: COTA, Sunday at 3:55 p.m. on TSN 5.
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NHRA
The series visited the Texas Motorplex on the weekend and the fans were treated to full fields in the Pro ranks.
Top Fuel – Points leader Shawn Langdon topped the 19 cars in qualifying with a 3.648 at 340.39. Canadian Dan Mercier qualified 13th.
Antron Brown ran a 3.706 at 335.75 in the final, taking out a tire-smoking Maddi Gordon.
Four upsets and five smokers.
Funny Car – Jack Beckman was quickest of the 20 entries, putting down a 3.852 at 330.13. Canadian Spencer Hyde qualified 12th.
J.R. Todd beat Matt Hagan in the final with a 3.931 at 331.76.
Five upsets and four smokers.
Pro Stock – Dallas Glenn continued his strong run, laying down a 6.434 at 213.50 to top the 19 cars. Canadians Matt and Eric Latino qualified third and seventh.
Glenn marched through the field and beat Matt Hartford in the final with a 6.478 at 212.30.
Five upsets and one smoker.
Pro Stock Bike – Gaige Herrera was quickest of the 18 bikes, running a 6.651 at 203.05.
Matt Smith won the final with a 6.660 at 203.08 over Richard Gadson.
Four upsets.
Outlaw Street – Scott Taylor was quickest of the 10 entries (for the eight-car ladder), running a 3.667 at 206.79.
Carson Baker won the final over Clay Cole with a 3.666 at 205.35.
Three upsets.
Factory Stock – Doug Duell was tops of the 11 entries with a 7.559 at 182.82.
Damn, I’m old enough to remember when a 7.55 was a respectable Top Fuel time. Now they are doing it with full factory-built cars. Wow.
Former Pro Stock standout Mark Pawuk came out of the No. 10 qualifying spot to beat Lee Hartman in the final with a 7.522 at 185.07.
Five upsets.
Next race: Las Vegas, November 1.
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Local Tracks
Buxton Speedway – Next race: Saturday, Eve of Buxton Destruction, MS & Enduro.
Toronto Motorsports Park – King of the North No Prep, Saturday.
Any comments can be sent to Dave Mathers via email at motionman@rogers.com or by Facebook Messenger.
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