Motorsports Racing News & Blog Articles

George Russell has just two races left of his Williams Racing career ahead of his full-time move to the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team in 2022, the first of which comes this weekend at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Saudi Arabia.

This weekend will see Formula 1 race in Saudi Arabia for the first time, and Russell is excited by the potential of the new Jeddah track, which will likely become the fastest street circuit in the sports history.

Russell is hoping to be able to return to the points-paying positions for the first time since the Russian Grand Prix in September as he looks to ensure Williams finish eighth in the Constructors’ Championship in 2021.

“On track, I am looking forward to getting my first look at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit,” said Russell. “It is sure to be an exhilarating track to drive with its high-speed nature and, when you couple that with the fact it’s a street circuit and the walls will be close, I’m sure it will be a thrilling spectacle both inside and outside the car.

“As we head into this final double-header of the season, our full focus as a team remains on consolidating our position in the Constructors’ Championship and we will be giving it absolutely everything to do so.”

Williams Racing will go into this weekend’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix with sorrow in their hearts after the death of Team Founder and long-time Team Principal Sir Frank Williams earlier this week at the age of seventy-nine.

Sir Frank only stepped away from the team midway through 2020 when the Williams family sold the team to Dorilton Capital, but his legacy and dedication to the team and Formula 1 through immense difficulties will never be forgotten.

He left the team with them having won one-hundred and fourteen races, nine Constructors’ Championships and seven Drivers’ Championships, a remarkable record for an independent team.

Current Williams driver George Russell says the team are determined to mark Sir Frank’s passing with a strong weekend at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, although it will be a solemn weekend for all at Williams.

“It’s with a great sadness that we head to Saudi Arabia this weekend following the passing of Sir Frank, but as a team we are determined to pay our respects and honour him in the way we know he would want us to; by racing,” said Russell.

Since 2013, the Stadium Super Trucks have torn up the streets of Long Beach, California in support of the NTT IndyCar Series‘ Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. Things will not be any different in 2022 when ticket sales began Monday for the 8–10 April weekend. Included in the announcement was confirmation that SST will be among a number of undercard classes including IMSA, the Super Drift Challenge, and Porsche Carrera Cup North America.

“We are delighted to return to our traditional April race dates in 2022,” Grand Prix Association of Long Beach CEO Jim Michaelian stated. “Two months ago, our 2021 event went off very successfully after being delayed due to the pandemic. Now, we get to bring the excitement and family fun back to the streets of Long Beach in the spring. It’s going to be a weekend full of activity for the entire family.”

Long Beach is the only track to have hosted SST every year since the inaugural season in 2013, with the exception of 2020 which was cancelled due to COVID-19. The pandemic forced the 2021 Grand Prix to be moved from its traditional April date to September, where it served as the final round of the 2021 SST season.

Jerett Brooks and Robby Gordon are the defending winners. Gordon, who also has experience at Long Beach in IndyCar, leads all SST drivers in victories there with four (2014, 2017, 2019, 2021). Matt Brabham trails by one with triumphs in 2017, 2018, and 2019, while Sheldon Creed swept the 2016 weekend. Brooks, Justin Lofton (2013), E.J. Viso (2015), and Gavin Harlien (2018) have one win apiece.

Additional dates have not been confirmed, though one can expect the trucks to continue following IndyCar to various street and road course events. Of the thirteen other tracks on the 2022 IndyCar schedule, SST has visited nine: St. Petersburg, Texas Motor Speedway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Detroit Belle Isle, Road America, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Honda Indy Toronto, Nashville, and Portland International Raceway. St. Petersburg, Mid-Ohio, and Nashville joined Long Beach on the 2021 SST calendar, with Mid-Ohio welcoming SST twice in conjunction with the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Although the Xfinity Series will not return to Mid-Ohio in 2022, the Camping World Truck Series will début at the Lexington road course on 9 July.

It has been a busy Tuesday in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, and Tate Fogleman has entered the chat with his own story. After two seasons with Young’s Motorsports, he will join On Point Motorsports‘ #30 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro for the 2022 season.

“I’m looking forward to being with On Point Motorsports,” Fogleman stated. “I know everybody that works here is dedicated to racing just like I am. They’re willing to work hard and use their resources, and they’ve had success in the previous season. I’m hoping to build on that.”

After having just one top-ten finish in forty-five career starts, Fogleman stunned the racing world when he edged out the field in a wild overtime finish at Talladega that ended with him crashing after crossing the line in first. Although his twentieth-place points finish was three spots lower than where he placed as a rookie, two top tens and a win obviously make 2021 a much sweeter year.

The son of former NASCAR driver Jay Fogleman, he began Truck racing in 2018 after competing in the CARS Super Late Model Tour.

Fogleman replaces Danny Bohn, who ran all but two races (Michele Abbate and Brennan Poole drove at COTA and Texas, respectively) in the #30 in 2021 with two top tens and finished twenty-second in the standings. The team débuted in 2018.

The Mclaren F1 Team go into the penultimate round of the championship on the back of a horrendous triple-header, all but ending their hopes of third in the constructors’ standings. The team will be hoping to get back to form this weekend at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Lando Norris was one of a number of drivers who’s race was ruined by a puncture at the Qatar Grand Prix. The British driver goes into the weekend at the brand-new Jeddah Corniche Circuit hoping to score some valuable points. The circuit which is the second longest and the second fastest on the calendar looks set to be a thriller.

Norris is excited to experience the new street circuit and expects qualifying to be pretty special.

“The track in Jeddah is going to be fun, it’s a really fast and flowing track with close walls, which will create a unique challenge. I’ve been driving the circuit in the simulator to get up to speed with the layout, which is really important when arriving at a new venue.

“Qualifying in these cars at this circuit is going to be a very cool experience, and will set us up for a strong race on Sunday. We’re going to be giving it our all right up until the chequered flag in Abu Dhabi, to finish in the best possible position in both championships.”

The Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team are looking to finish the final rounds of the championship on a high, as Formula One enters it’s first-ever Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at the newly built Jeddah Corniche Circuit.

Lance Stroll enters this weekend on the back of an excellent sixth place at the Qatar Grand Prix, a similar result this weekend may see him jump his team-mate in the drivers championship and move up to twelfth. It will be a weekend that will keep all the drivers on their toes, as they look to get up to speed as quickly as possible at the longest street circuit on the calendar.

Stroll is hoping to carry his form from Qatar into this weekend, where he believes Friday’s Free Practice Sessions will be crucial.

“It’s a brand-new track in Saudi Arabia, which means the early practice sessions will be crucial – and we’ll be learning every lap of the weekend too. It’s a good challenge – and, after finishing sixth in Qatar, we want to carry that form into the final two races of the season to end our year on a high.” 

“We have prepared for the track as much as we can” – Sebastian Vettel

Sebastian Vettel also finished the Qatar Grand Prix in the points, just. The German claimed a single point from the Losail International Circuit, and will be hoping to better his team-mates result this weekend, if he wants to end the season as top Aston Martin driver.

Both Uralkali Haas F1 Team drivers go into this weekend’s first-ever Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on an equal playing field, as all the drivers get ready to face the brand-new Jeddah Corniche Circuit.

Mick Schumacher had a good Qatar Grand Prix last time out, in what was possibly the team’s strongest performance all season. This weekend offers Schumacher a good opportunity to push for a Qualifying Two spot, with all the drivers having to learn the new Saudi Arabian street circuit.

The circuit is set to be the second fastest of the season, Schumacher is excited to see what the circuit is going to feel like.

“250km/h sounds pretty fast so I’m definitely excited to see what it’s going to be like driving around the circuit. Nobody has driven around the track before so to tackle it, it’s important to get up to pace in FP1 and find your way around, to get the philosophy of the track right. It’s always a challenge I feel to find the right approach to a new track and that’s the same for everybody.

“Hopefully we’re going to be involved in the overtaking and be in a position where we can fight. The hope is there and for sure we will try our best to get up to pace and fight with some other cars.”

Chase Purdy‘s sophomore year in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will be in a Toyota. On Tuesday, Hattori Racing Enterprises announced Purdy as the driver of the #61 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro.

“I couldn’t be more excited to join the HRE team,” Purdy stated. “They have consistently won races and been a weekly contender for the last several years. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to race with this group in 2022.”

After a part-time schedule in 2020, Purdy competed for Rookie of the Year honours in the #23 of GMS Racing. Despite a rough regular season as he failed to finish higher than fifteenth and missed the final race due to a positive COVID-19 test, he notched two top tens in the playoffs at Gateway (sixth) and Talladega (ninth). He finished nineteenth in points.

At season’s end, Grant Enfinger was announced as the 2022 driver of the #23. Instead of moving to one of the team’s other three trucks that has not been filled (#2, #21, #26), Purdy joins HRE, a team that has seen much success in recent years. HRE’s #16 was piloted by Austin Hill for the last three seasons, during which he won eight races, before he moved up to the Xfinity Series.

It was not immediately revealed if Purdy’s #61 is a renumbered #16 or a second truck that HRE will field. At the moment, Purdy is the only driver contracted to HRE.

Pierre Gasly goes into this weekend’s inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, on the back of a mixed Qatar Grand Prix where he took his first front-row start since he raced in Super Formula back in 2017, he’ll be hoping to take this qualifying speed into the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.

Whilst his qualifying speed was exceptional in Qatar, his race pace was not. Both Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda struggled in the race and dropped backwards in rapid fashion. This weekend offers a new opportunity to Gasly to further excel, the Frenchman has had a brilliant campaign so far and will be looking for a strong end to the season.

The Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda driver believes this weekend will be very complicated for all the drivers and that it will be an exciting challenge.

“Saudi will be extremely quick, with a large number of very high-speed corners, some of them blind. I think it’s going to be very complicated from a driving point of view and there will be the extra challenge of the track surface being completely new.

“No cars have ever raced on it, there will be no rubber down and probably some oil will still be coming out of the tarmac, which is what normally happens at a new circuit. So, we are looking at a street circuit with quite low grip, which is a new challenge as no one has any data from the track.”

Another step in the right direction for Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway has been taken. On Tuesday, the City of Nashville announced Mayor John Cooper has agreed to Speedway Motorsports Inc. and Bristol Motor Speedway‘s proposal to revitalise the historic half-mile oval.

“We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to work with the mayor, government officials, and Nashville community to breathe new life in the legendary Fairgrounds Speedway,” stated SMI head Marcus Smith. “In addition to bringing major NASCAR series races back to the historic facility, we’ll create a calendar for local racing and special events that generates a positive economic impact for the region.”

The Fairgrounds, which opened in 1904 and hosted the NASCAR Cup Series from 1958 to 1984, has not seen much major action in the years since. In an effort to bring NASCAR back to the area, Bristol and SMI launched a restoration campaign last December, while NASCAR increased its presence in Nashville by hosting the Champion’s Week banquet downtown and returned to Nashville Superspeedway in nearby Lebanon after a decade-long absence; the NTT IndyCar Series also débuted on a downtown street circuit. In March, Cooper signed a letter of intent to begin the process and confirmed Bristol would operate the track.

The plan intends to renovate the speedway while minimizing costs for the city; while the city will retain ownership, Bristol will manage it for thirty years. Revenue bonds will be issued by the Metro Sports Authority to help pay for restoration. The grandstands will also be rebuilt to seat 30,000 fans, double the current number.

Local council debates have taken place during which opponents cited issues such as noise on race days, a concern that BMS hopes to mitigate by reducing track test sessions and sound reduction technology. Despite the NIMBYism, Nashville’s Metro Charter requires racing to take place at the Fairgrounds, which was appeased through local events and smaller series such as the ARCA Menards Series and Superstar Racing Experience. To boost the economy, the proposal includes expanding the speedway’s capabilities to host non-racing events.

Max Verstappen goes into this weekend’s first-ever Saudi Arabian Grand Prix knowing that this weekend could see him crowned world champion, if results go his way at the brand new Jeddah Corniche Circuit.

This weekend in Saudi Arabia could be one that Verstappen remembers forever, with the possibility of being crowned champion on Sunday. On the other hand this weekend could also see Lewis Hamilton draw level on points with the Dutchman, there really is no room for error from either driver this weekend.

Verstappen will be hoping to get up to speed at the brand new street circuit quickly on Friday, and get an understanding of all twenty-seven corners! The circuit is the second longest and second fastest on the calendar, meaning that concentration will be absolutely critical at the fast and flowing street circuit.

The championship leader recognises that there is no room for mistakes this weekend but is calm that he can perform at his best.

“I’ve driven the track on the simulator and it seems like a really fast track, so there’s no room for error. Of course, there will always be a bit of guesswork as we haven’t driven on the track there yet. It’s going to be interesting and I’m looking forward to the challenge. It’s been fun to go to different tracks again this year.

From 2012 to 2015, David Gilliland drove the #38 for Front Row Motorsports on a full-time basis. Six years later, his son Todd Gilliland will do the same. On Tuesday, FRM announced Gilliland will drive the #38 Ford Mustang for the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season and compete for Rookie of the Year honours, while Zane Smith joins the team’s Camping World Truck Series stable in the #38 Ford F-150.

Gilliland enjoyed a solid 2021 Truck campaign in which he won the inaugural NASCAR race at Circuit of the Americas. Although he was eliminated from the playoffs after the first round, he finished a career-best seventh in points with sixteen top tens and ten top fives to go with the victory. He joined FRM in 2020, the same year that the team expanded its Cup operations into the Trucks, after being a Toyota development driver for much of his career.

The promotion means he bypasses the second-tier Xfinity Series and jump straight into the top level. Scott Speed in 2009 is the most recent driver to race full-time in the Cup Series with no prior Xfinity starts (his Xfinity début came two weeks after his Cup rookie campaign began). While moving from Trucks directly into Cup is very rare, the biggest success story of such a graduation is Kurt Busch, whose Cup rookie year came in 2001 after a season in the Trucks (with some Cup starts) and would not appear in Xfinity until 2006. Unlike Busch, however, Gilliland enters Cup without ever making a start in the series.

“I feel like I’ve found a home at FRM,” said Gilliland. “I’ve been around the team when I was growing up and watching my dad race. I joined the truck team here and it has been a good place for my career. I can’t wait to step up into the NASCAR Cup Series. I know the challenges ahead, but I’m planning to be here and help grow with this team for a long time.”

The #38 has been a rotating door of drivers since David Ragan‘s retirement at the end of 2019. John Hunter Nemechek took over the car in 2020, but only lasted one season—finishing twenty-seventh in points—before departing to head to the Truck Series. Another rookie in Anthony Alfredo became the #38’s pilot in 2021, during which he placed thirtieth in the standings with a single top ten at Talladega in the fall. Reigning Daytona 500 winner Michael McDowell will serve as his team-mate in the #34.

The Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team enter the penultimate round of the championship at the first-ever Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, with the team still in contention for both titles, a single slip up this weekend though could see Lewis Hamilton’s reign come to an end.

Formula One ventures into a completely brand new circuit this weekend at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, coming in at 6.1km with twenty-seven corners, it becomes the second longest and the second fastest circuit on the calendar. The fast and flowing street circuit should suit Mercedes perfectly, especially with Hamilton having his new engine from Brazil to use this weekend.

Hamilton will be looking to further close the gap on championship leader Max Verstappen, knowing though that a single slip-up could see him lose the championship in Saudi Arabia. This weekend looks set to be a thriller.

Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff is excited that the team are still in the fight for both titles, especially after where they were halfway through the season.

“Two races to go, and two Championships still to be decided. We are all excited to still be in the fight at this stage in the season, it’s a privilege and a testament to our resilience when we see where we stood in the early summer. Both titles are wide open, and our mission is clear. Last time out we saw a faultless drive by Lewis in Qatar, commanding the race from start to finish, and a strong recovery for Valtteri before the unfortunate puncture took him out of contention.
 
“The car has been performing well recently and is probably in the best place it has been all season, with the drivers confident to push it to the limit. That’s encouraging for the final races and gives us strong momentum to take forward. Jeddah is another completely new challenge, an all-new track to get to grips with and a lot of work has gone on behind the scenes to ensure we hit the ground running on Friday, because getting as much information as we can during those initial sessions will be vital.
 
“It’s a fast street circuit with long flat-out sections and several high-speed corners, lined by barriers meaning it’ll be high risk and reward. We’re more motivated than ever and we expect to be in the hunt, so we are all looking forward to the debut grand prix in Saudi Arabia. Just a few days ago we lost Sir Frank Williams. He will be in all our thoughts this weekend and we’ll try our best to deliver a performance that’s worthy of his racing spirit.”

Formula One is back this weekend for the inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, the penultimate round of this breathtaking season which takes place at the only recently built Jeddah Street Circuit, giving Pirelli plenty to think about.

Many believed the circuit wouldn’t be ready in time to host this weekend, amazingly though with just days until the event kicks off, the track is ready and it looks stunning. Saudi Arabia is the thirty-fourth country to host a Formula One Grand Prix, for which Pirelli have decided to bring their middle range of tyres, the C2, C3 and C4 compounds.

This weekend is a complete step into the unknown similar to the Qatar Grand Prix last time out, except with the massive difference being that many forms of racing had taken place at the Losail International Circuit before. With Jeddah the only data that has been gathered is from the simulator, making this weekend one not to miss.

It’s based off the data gathered from the sims that Pirelli have opted for their middle range, which they believe will suit well to the fast and flowing street circuit. The circuit which has been designed by the well-known Hermann Tilke, is the longest street circuit on the calendar at just over 6.1km, with it being the second longest circuit in general, behind Spa.

Not only this but the circuit which sits right alongside the coast, is set to be the second fastest on the calendar behind Monza, with average speeds of over 250kph being predicted. The circuit does take the record now though of having the most turns on the calendar, drivers will have to get up to speed on Friday and learn all twenty-seven corners, one of which is banked at twelve-degrees.

McLaren Racing announced today the confirmation of ownership of NTT IndyCar Series team Arrow McLaren SP with 75% majority shareholding, officially putting the team under the McLaren Racing banner, a deal first announced at the Music City Grand Prix in August.

The team will now be run with a five-person board including AMSP owners Sam Schmidt and Ric Peterson, along with three representatives of McLaren, all chaired by McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown. Taylor Kiel, the current president of AMSP, will be responsible for the team’s operations and report directly to Brown and the board.

The financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed.

McLaren have been partnered with the team formerly known as Schmidt-Peterson Motorsports since 2020, and experienced tremendous growth and success. Young star Pato O’Ward has been the highlight, finishing third in the championship this past season while collecting two wins from five podium finishes, eight top-five finishes and three pole positions.

Aside from their partnership with Schmidt-Peterson, McLaren have a history in IndyCar that spans over 50 years. During the 1970s, they amassed 28 victories including three Indianapolis 500 victories. Their first victory in the event came in 1972 with Mark Donohue, while Johnny Rutherford won two Borg Warner trophies with the team in 1974 and 1976, before the manufacturer left the sport in 1979.