Testing SpeedwayMedia.com

Author: Briar Starr

  • NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series Preview-Charlotte

    NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series Preview-Charlotte

    In what feels like forever, the NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series will return to on-track action Tuesday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway after a two-month hiatus from racing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The last race took place on Feb.ruary 21 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. 

    During that time period, NASCAR had announced they were expanding not only the Xfinity Series field, but the Truck Series field to 40 vehicles to compete in the race. Originally, the Truck Series field was limited to 32, but COVID-19 has made an impact financially, therefore NASCAR increased the field size to help with the financial health for each series. 

    After that rule was announced, the entry list saw up to 47-Trucks entered to compete. However, a random draw took place on Sunday afternoon and seven of those trucks had to go home. While seven of those went home, there were some familiar faces back in the field including Richie Waulters, Trey Hutchens, Bryan Dauzat, Charlie Henderson of Henderson Racing, and Norm Benning. Unfortunately, Erik Jones, Richie Waulters, Trey Hutchens, Dawson Cram of Boyd Long, Tim Viens of Mike Affrano, Bryant Barnhill of Reaume Brothers Racing, Parker Kligerman of Henderson Racing and Norm Benning missed the cut after the random draw. ThorSport’s Ben Rhodes got the pole when the draw was over. 

    With that in mind, here are five drivers who might just get the victory Tuesday night at Charlotte. 

    1. Matt Crafton – The three-time champion and veteran Matt Crafton has the most starts out of any active drivers at Charlotte. The ThorSport driver has a total of 17 starts with two wins, including his first career win that came in 2008. Overall, Crafton has seven top fives and 13 top-10 finishes along with 108 laps led. He also qualified on the pole last year and finished fifth in the race after leading seven laps. Crafton also won Stage 1 as well. The last time he got the victory at Charlotte was four years ago in 2016.
    2. Stewart Friesen – The Halmar International Racing driver has made three starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway with a best finish of third that came in last year’s event. He has yet to lead any laps at the 1.5-mile speedway but finished a respectable sixth place in both stages in 2019. The Canadian also qualified second in 2019 as well, which was his best qualifying effort out of the three starts. Friesen will start 10th on Tuesday night due to the random draw.
    3. Sheldon Creed – It’s hard to go off one start at any particular racetrack, but the GMS Racing driver Sheldon Creed had a solid finishing position in his first Truck start by finishing 12th. He ran as high as fifth and spent 103 laps in the top-15. In doing so, Creed also finished eighth and seventh respectively in both stages. The GMS driver also finished runner up in last year’s ARCA event with GMS Racing.
    4. Brennan Poole – Poole surprised everyone in his first Truck Series outing in last year’s race at Charlotte. He qualified in the 17th position but had a solid outing by managing track position and taking advantage of a late-race restart. In fact, Poole found himself in position to be an upset winner and had the potential to beat Kyle Busch in a three-lap dash to the finish. Unfortunately, he came up short, but scored a second-place finish, scoring Steven Lane’s team his best finish as a team owner.
    5. Kyle Busch – It would be hard to imagine counting Busch out of any race that he competes in, especially in the Truck Series at Charlotte. The Las Vegas, Nevada native has an impressive record scoring eight wins in the 13 races he has competed in. That’s a 62% winning percentage, well over half. Busch even won four races in a row in a stretch from 2010-2014. While Matt Crafton scored his first-ever NASCAR win at Charlotte, Busch did the same in 2005 when driving for former owner, Billy Ballew after starting third in that race. Busch’s worst finishing effort was 11th, which came in 2007. Otherwise, it ’s been runner-up or win. Don’t be surprised if the KBM team owner can make it nine wins on Tuesday night, as he will already have two races under his belt.

    The Truck Series started racing at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2003 and has seen eight different winners including Ted Musgrave, Kyle Busch, Matt Crafton, Dennis Setzer, Ron Hornaday Jr, Justin Lofton, Kasey Kahne, and Johnny Sauter. Of those drivers, Busch has the most wins with eight followed by Hornaday and Crafton with two apiece, as all other drivers only have one win. 

    The highest a driver has won from was the pole position also set by Busch that occurred four times, the last taking place two years ago in 2018. The lowest a driver has ever started to win the race was set by Busch as well, which was seen in 2006 where he qualified 20th. 

    Chevrolet has the most wins with nine for a manufacturer and Toyota with eight. Dodge has one win while Ford surprisingly has zero wins. 

    The most cautions that took place in this event were 10 cautions for 47-laps, back in 2011. The fewest was in 2016 which saw three cautions for 14 laps. The most lead changes occurred in last year’s race with 19.  

    Busch also has the most stage wins with three, while Crafton, Brett Moffitt, and John Hunter Nemechek have all picked up a stage win since stages were implemented in 2017. 

    To limit exposure and prevent more COVID-19 cases, there will be no practice or qualifying. The North Carolina Education Lottery 200 can be seen live on Fox Sports 1 and heard on MRN Radio at 8 p.m. ET. 

  • BMW i Andretti Formula E Team Faces Mixed Results In Berlin Outing

    BMW i Andretti Formula E Team Faces Mixed Results In Berlin Outing

    Coming into Round No. 5 of the virtual FIA ABB Formula E Series event, BMW i Andretti Formula E’s team were hoping for a better turnaround than last weeks event after failing to the finish the race at the virtual Hong Kong.

    Speaking of the Berlin race track (Tempelhof Airport), Maximilian Günther was heading into his home racetrack and was seeking to provide a respectable finish in front of his fans. Günther, qualified in the fifth position with a time of 1:09.596, as qualifying was held prior the virtual race.

    When the race went green, Günther managed track position and running inside the top-10. However, Mahindra’s Pascal Wehrlein and the Andretti’s Günther collided with each other. Due to the incident, Günther was sent into the wall and wounded up spinning out. The Andretti driver fell back to eighth in the running order, but was able to gain one more position in the final results, as the German native ended up finishing seventh at his home racetrack.

    For Günther, it was all he could savage and looks forward to the next event.

    “After qualifying and the start here, I was actually in a good position to reach the podium, but in my opinion it was an overly harsh action that cost me the race. My car nearly overturned after the collision with Pascal Wehrlein and it was severely damaged. Finishing seventh and scoring some championship points was the best I could do in that situation. It was damage limitation.”

    His teammate, Alexander Sims, started 22nd after qualifying. Though, Sims had a difficult time working his way up through the field as track position proved to be key. The English native picked off several positions before the virtual event ended, but could not finish much higher than 15th as Sims ran out of time.

    “It was nice to drive in Berlin this time. I felt more at home here than on other circuits and I had a lot of fun. Unfortunately, my speed is still not that good but my driving was more consistent this time and I improved by a few places. Just like in Hong Kong recently, I struggled again with some of the settings on my simulator. That is another consequence of my lack of experience but I think I’ll have it under control for the next race.“

    Meanwhile, in the Challenge Series, team driver Kevin Siggy picked up the victory after dominating the race and leading all 15-laps.

  • Oliver Rowland and Kevin Siggy Prove Victorious in Round No. 5 Of The Virtual FIA ABB Formula E Series Challenge

    Oliver Rowland and Kevin Siggy Prove Victorious in Round No. 5 Of The Virtual FIA ABB Formula E Series Challenge

    The FIA ABB Formula E Series continued their virtual racing series Saturday afternoon in support of UNICEF (United Nations Children Fund).

    This week the series came to Temelhof Airport, located in Berlin, and was the site for Round No. 5 of 8 for the Driver’s and Challenge Series grid.

    Mahindra Racing driver, Pascal Wehrlein has dominated the virtual series the last couple of weeks by winning two consecutive races in a row. When the series arrived virtually at Tempelhof Airport, many thought Wehrlein would once again prevail and strike for a third consecutive win. Though, while Wehrlein was unable to score the victory, a familiar but a different name was on top.

    Nissan e.dams driver, Oliver Rowland proved victorious for his second victory in the virtual series after he overtook Mercedes-Benz Stoffel Vandoorne (twice in the race). Vandoorne had a strong outing, as he would qualify on the pole and led for some parts of the race, before falling short and finishing second to Rowland. Despite the domination from Vandoorne and Rowland being class of the field, as well as Daniel Abt (more on that later), they had to survive and avoid another first-turn, first-lap chaos that pursued. Though, they were able to make it through the incident unscathed.

    Afterward, Rowland had raced 15-clean laps en route to his second victory of the virtual series. Though, the English native notes that the last few weeks have not gone as he had hoped.

    “After the last few weeks, I have been a bit unfortunate, so I was keen to just stay out of trouble,” Rowland said. “When they started fighting in front of me, I took the opportunity when it came! I was a little worried because Stoffel was so fast. I had to be perfect and then in those last few laps, I was so nervous. I was just trying to hold it together.”

    Even though Vandoorne finished second in the event, he claimed the fastest lap of the day with a time of 1:09.249.

    “A mixed bag with this race, for a couple of reasons. The pace was very good again. Julius Baer pole position number three, so picking up a couple of points for that. I had a fairly good start, getting into the lead but losing it through some aggressive fighting with car number 66. In the closing stages, I managed to catch up to the back of Oliver Rowland with two laps to go but there was not real opportunity to get past him cleanly. So, another P2 and a fastest lap as well makes this an overall good performance. Victory feels around the corner, I need to keep it clean in these races and finish off the job. On to the next one!”

    While Rowland was victorious, Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler’s Daniel Abt ran into trouble as he would be disqualified from the race for misconduct. In doing so, the German was stripped of all his points and will make a donation of E10,000 ($10,904 in U.S. dollars) to a charity of Abt’s choice.

    “I would like to apologize to Formula E, all of the fans, my team and my fellow drivers for having called in outside help during the race on Saturday,” Abt said. “I did not take it as serious as I should have. I gone into this project on the part of the Formula E organization. I am aware that my offense has a bitter aftertaste, but it was never meant with any bad intention. Of course, I accept the disqualification from the race. In addition, I will donate 10,000 Euros to a charitable project.”

    Meanwhile, in the Challenge Series that features some of the top sim racers in the world, also saw chaos during their race as well.

    Lorenz Hoering, also saw a disqualification from the event, and was also disqualified for the remaining rounds of the virtual series.

    While Hoering’s incident was unfortunate, BMW’s Kevin Siggy completely dominated the event as he would set the fastest lap in qualifying and led all 15-laps to victory.

    “The Berlin track was a good addition to the competition, and it was fun to learn,” Siggy said. “I was really happy about my pace in qualifying. In the race, I managed to hold my pace in Turn 1, and I got lucky that I did not get hit or pushed wider than I did. I am a bit gutted that I did not get the TAG Heuer fastest lap as well, but next time I am hoping I do the same.”

    While Wehrlein finished third in the event, the Mahindra driver still leads the Championship points standings over Stoffel Vandoorne by eight points, 86 over 78.

    Official Driver’s Grid Results

    1. Oliver Rowland, led 8-laps
    2. Stoffel Vandoorne, led 2-laps
    3. Pascal Wehrlein
    4. Edoardo Mortara
    5. Nico Mueller
    6. Maximilian Guenther
    7. Andre Lotterer
    8. Antonio Felix da Costa
    9. Mitch Evans
    10. Neel Jani
    11. Sbeastien Buemi
    12. Robin Frijns
    13. Felipe Massa
    14. Alexander Sims
    15. Oliver Turvey
    16. James Calado
    17. Ma Qing Hua
    18. Jean-Eric Vergne
    19. Jerome D’Ambrosio
    20. Sam Bird
    21. Brendon Hartley
    22. Lucas di Grassi
    23. Nyck de Vries- Disqualified for spinning Oliver Turvey intentionally
    24. Daniel Abt-Disqualified

    Challenge Series Grid Results

    1. Kevin Siggy, led all 15-laps
    2. Petar Brljak
    3. Lucas Mueller
    4. Peyo Peev
    5. Marius Golombeck
    6. Niek Jacobs
    7. Jan von der Heyde
    8. Jacob Reid
    9. Markus Keller
    10. Kush Maini
    11. Jim Parisis
    12. Ben Hitz, OUT
    13. Alisdair Irvine, OUT
    14. Cem Bolukbasi, OUT
    15. Nuno Pinto, OUT
    16. Noah Reuvers, OUT
    17. Arjan Veltens, OUT
    18. Chris Shepherd, OUT
    19. Axel La Flamme, OUT
    20. Archie Hamilton, OUT
    21. Lionel O’ Connor, OUT
    22. Scott Sovik, OUT
    23. Charlie Martin, OUT
    24. Lorenz Hoerzing, Disqualified

    Championship Points Standings Driver’s Grid

    1. Pascal Wehrlein, 86 points
    2. Stoffel Vandoorne, 78 points
    3. Maximilian Guenther, 73 points
    4. Robin Frijns, 48 points
    5. Oliver Rowland, 43 points
    6. Nico Mueller, 29 points
    7. Edoardo Mortara, 27 points
    8. Neel Jani, 25 points
    9. Oliver Turvey, 20 points
    10. Nick Cassidy, 19 points
    11. James Calado, 19 points
    12. Antonio Felix da Costa, 14 points
    13. Andre Lotterer, 12 points
    14. Nyck de Vries, 6 points
    15. Sebastien Buemi, 5 points
    16. Felipe Massa, 4 points
    17. Ma Qing Hua, 2 points
    18. Mitch Evans, 2 points
    19. Alexander Sims, 1 point
    20. Jean-Eric Vergne, 0 points
    21. Lucas di Grassi, 0 points
    22. Brendon Hartley, 0 points
    23. Sam Bird, 0 points
    24. Daniel Abt, 0 points

    Team Standings

    1. Mahindra Racing, 88 points
    2. Mercedes-Benz EQ, 84 points
    3. BMW i Andretti Motorsport, 74 points
    4. Envision Virgin Racing, 67 points
    5. Nissan e.dams, 48 points
    6. TAG Heuer Porsche, 37 points
    7. ROKiT Venturi Racing, 31 points
    8. GEOX Dragon, 29 points
    9. NIO 333, 22 points
    10. Panasonic Jaguar Racing, 21 points
    11. DS TECHEETAH, 14 points
    12. Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler, 0 points

    Challenge Grid Championship Points Standings

    1. Kevin Siggy, 102 points
    2. Lucas Mueller, 73 points
    3. Petar Brljak, 70 points
    4. Peyo Peev, 66 points
    5. Joshua Rogers, 45 points
    6. Jan von der Heyde, 32 points
    7. Jacob Reid, 20 points
    8. Nuno Pinto, 17 points
    9. Niek Jacobs, 16 points
    10. Ben Hitz, 15 points
    11. Olli Pahkala, 12 points
    12. Erhan Jajovski, 10 points
    13. Marius Golombeck, 10 points
    14. Remco Majoor, 6 points
    15. Kuba Brzezinski, 6 points
    16. Jim Parisis, 6 points
    17. Markus Keller, 6 points
    18. Noah Reuvers, 1 point
    19. Alex Lynn, 1 point
    20. Kush Maini, 1 point

    Up Next: The FIA ABB Formula E Series continues their virtual series next Saturday for Round No. 6 of 8.

  • Interview: Locked Down With Thad Moffitt

    Interview: Locked Down With Thad Moffitt

    In continuation of our series “Locked Down,” Speedway Media catches with DGR-Crosley ARCA driver, Thad Moffitt, to find out what he has been up to during the break from racing due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    SM: It has been a while since we’ve had racing on-track. How have you been holding up during this time off?

    TM: ” It has been tough, but I’ve been doing a lot of iRacing and working out keeping myself prepared for when we go back racing,” Moffitt said. “Also I’ve enjoyed a lot of quality family time that I usually don’t get being on the road so much.”

    SM: Virtual racing has taken off by storm. Have you been one of the few that have been participating in virtual races? If so, what kind of races have you been partaking in?

    TM: “I have been running the Saturday Night Thunder races,” he said. “I’ve also run a few of the short track series by NBCSN. I’ve also been running a lot of the fixed races.”

    SM: Drivers are always looking to learn more about specific tracks. With this time off, do you feel as though iRaces are preparing you to keep your mental focus when you revisit the tracks you race later this year?

    TM: “I believe that it is a great tool to help with throttle control and your hand-eye coordination but I don’t think you can simulate the actual feeling of going 200 mph,” Moffitt said. “But, iRacing is definitely the closest I’ve been to real racing without driving a car.”

    SM: You have a unique story/background, as you are Richard Petty’s grandson. How much has he meant to you in your early career? I’m sure he has given you some great advice.

    TM: “I have definitely been surrounded by many great people early in my career with my Grandpa and my uncle Kyle being two of my biggest mentors,” he said. “My grandfather is always the first person to give me constructive criticism because he knows I can run better at times, but also tells me when I do something right. He’s given me many pointers from day one. Things as small as to how to hold the steering wheel based on handling conditions of the car.”

    SM: Only two races have been completed this year but do you feel as though this year has started off better than last year? If so, how is this year better than last year?

    TM:  “I feel more confident going into this year,” Moffitt said. “We showed great speed in both of the races thus far with the exception of blowing a tire at Phoenix. I made multiple mistakes at Phoenix but I know I had a top-five car for sure. I believe you will see me and my DGR Crosley team in victory lane multiple times before it’s all said and done this year. They are a great group of guys and we all work very well together and show up to win every time we hit the track.”

    SM: Speaking of wins, whenever you get that first what will the celebration be like?

    TM: “Ha-ha. I guess we will have to wait and see later this year but I’m sure it will be special.”

    SM: Is there anything you have in mind in 2020 that you would like to improve on from last year?

    TM: “One of the biggest things I need to improve on is being more aggressive,” he said. “I’ve lacked aggression in certain situations and I realize that and know it’s something I need to work on.”

    SM: Once we get back racing, whenever that is, what tracks do you have your eye on that you think you can perform well at or maybe win at?

    TM: “With the schedule kind of up in the air, I have no idea where that race will be but I feel like Charlotte will be a really good race for us because I ran well there last year and so did the DGR-Crosley team,” Moffitt said. “I believe in their car we will have a shot to win. I’m also eyeing some of the short tracks that I’m returning to for a second time like Salem and Lucas Oil Raceway.”

    SM:  During this time off, have you been able to catch up on anything or find a new hobby that you might otherwise not have the time for?

    TM:  “I’ve more so been watching my old races and old Cup races just waiting to get the call to get back into the car,” Moffitt said. “My whole family lives and breathes NASCAR so it’s always been our main focus at any point in time.”

    SM: This time can also be discouraging to everyone. What have you done to keep positive and look at the big picture moving forward?

    TM:  “Luckily I’ve been surrounded by very positive people and we’ve all kept a great outlook on the situation,” he said. “But, most of all, I’ve been looking to the man upstairs because I believe everything happens for a reason and he has a greater plan for each of us that we just don’t know yet.”

    SM: What’s one thing you miss about being at the track?

    TM: “The biggest thing I miss is the feeling when you strap in and the green is about to drop and nothing else in the world matters,” Moffitt said. But another thing I miss is getting to meet all the new people every weekend and interact with the fans and letting them get to know me a little better.”

    SM: Wrapping it up, what’s one goal or objective that you hope to achieve before the 2020 season is over?

    TM: “One of the biggest goals coming into the season was to win and then win again and again, so I stand by that goal and hope to win multiple races in the 2020 season.”

    Fans of Thad can follow him on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

    So far in Moffitt’s young racing career, the North Carolina native has made 17 starts during a span of over four years dating back to his first ARCA start at the age of 16 at Nashville. Out of those 17 starts, the 19-year-old has one top-five and six top-10 finishes with a best finish of fifth occurring in the season opener at Daytona.

  • Interview: Locked Down with Sam Bird

    Interview: Locked Down with Sam Bird

    In a continuation of our new series titled “Locked Down,” we are interviewing international drivers who are currently sidelined due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In this edition, Speedway Media catches up with Envision Virgin Racing driver, Sam Bird.

    Bird, an English native, has competed in all six seasons of the FIA ABB Formula E dating back to 2014 for Envision Virgin Racing. During this interview, the English native talks about what he has been up to during his time off, his sim racing adventures, any new hobbies that may he have discovered, and what his goals might be should the Formula E season return to racing this season.

    SM: It has been a while since you were last on-track back in February. How have you been holding up during this time off?

    SB: “I’ve been keeping really active during the lockdown here in the UK (United Kingdom), Bird said. “I’ve really tried to work on my fitness again and have even completed a half-marathon in aid of the NHS (United Kingdom National Health Service) in conjunction with a number of other British racing drivers. It’s been great to spend some more time with the family, as we’re normally away from home so often. The team has also been in regular contact and we’ve been working as much as possible during the downtime.”

    SM: You have been participating in the Race At Home Series (hosted by Formula E) during the past few weeks. How is that going for you and did you learn about it when you received the invite from Formula E?

    SB: “I was unable to join the first few races due to a poor internet connection in my house here in the UK, but the team and Formula E were great in getting me to a place where I could start competing,” he said. “We’ve all been working really hard and it’s great to see my teammate Robin (Frijns) competing up at the top. Unfortunately, I’ve still got a fairly bad signal and this is affecting my competitiveness, but we’re still working on this and hopefully I’ll be up at the front soon.”

    SM: By competing in the Race At Home Series, do you feel as though you are learning or gaining a more competitive edge on tracks you are racing in real-life, despite these being virtual?

    SB: “The Race at Home Challenge has been very useful for us as a team, whilst we’ve not learnt anything from the tracks, it has allowed us to continue working together,” Bird said. “The team have continued to have engineering meetings and worked together so it’s been a great way to continue communicating whilst we can’t see each other or race.”

    SM: Before this halt for racing, you had a decent season going, especially since opening up season six with a win. Is there anything different about this season compared to previous seasons you’ve competed in? Anything you felt like has improved or is it too early to tell?

    SB: “Personally, I worked really hard over the summer period to get into a great place, both mentally and physically ahead of the upcoming season, and I think that really helped going into Riyadh,” Bird said. “I spent a lot of time on the team’s new state-of-the-art simulator and I’d worked on my diet so that I was only consuming a plant-based diet. I think the combination of these two things put me in a great place at the end of last year. That combined with the strength of our team and the learnings we had taken from season five as a newly competing independent team, all seemed to come together well.”

    SM: You won the season-opener at Riyadh. Did you at all expect to open the season with a win and if so, how great did that feel to kick the season off with the win?

    SB: “It felt incredible to start with a win. As a team, we knew how much work we’d put in over the summer and it was so good to see that materialize as a win in the first race,” he said. “Obviously, motorsport is a turbulent sport and you try not to dwell too much on the wins especially as it was a double-header weekend but you still take the moment to appreciate it.”

    SM: Knowing that we may only get a couple of more races to consider a complete season, has this break altered your expectations for the season of what you once had before the season started? 

    SB: “Our main goal is to get back racing, but obviously this needs to be when it’s safe for everyone involved to do so and that is the priority,” Bird said. “I think that Formula E is an incredibly difficult series; we’ve seen the likes of Jean-Eric Vergne fight their way back from the bottom of the standings and go on to win the championship so I’d say it’s open to anyone. I think the time off has allowed us to look at everything that’s happened so far and hopefully use this to come back fighting stronger when the season restarts.”

    SM: Once we get back racing, are there any tracks that you have your eye on that you think you can win or perform well at? If so, what comes to mind?

    SB: “I think with everything that’s happening at the moment it’s very difficult to know where we’ll be racing,” he said. “I know that Formula E is working on a plan for when we move out of the ‘red flag phase’, but I don’t currently know what that looks like. It’s obviously a shame that I won’t be able to compete at my home race in London. I was very much looking forward to that as I’ve won in London previously, but the aim at the moment is just to get back to racing when we feel it is safe to do so.”

    SM: As a driver, you are always on the go and don’t really have the time to slow down. However, how difficult was it to have kept going and going, and then eventually stop due to current situations?

    SB: “It’s been great to spend so much time with my family and I’ve really enjoyed being at home,” Bird said. “The Race at Home Challenge has added a new level of competition to my life too. I’m very new to it and trying to work it out still, but some of the other drivers have been competing for years.”

    SM: With the current situations, how have you been able to stay positive during a time where everyone can be discouraged?

    SB: “I think a lot of this comes down to keeping a routine and not expecting too much of yourself,” he said. “I’m really trying to maintain my fitness and keep my diet plant-based, and I think having these normals where everything else is out of your control really helps.”

    SM: An additional follow up to that. With the time-off, have you been able to discover any new hobbies that you might otherwise not have discovered when you are racing?

    SB: “I’ve not discovered any new hobbies, but I’ve been able to play football with my stepson a lot which has been great,” Bird said. “He’s a Youth player for Bournemouth FC and I was a keen footballer back in the day, so it’s been great to get my skill level back up a bit.”

    SM: What is one-thing that you miss being at the track? 

    SB: “I miss all the elements of racing really,” he said. “The adrenaline you get when you jump in the car to set your qualifying lap, watching those lights go out whilst you sit on the grid, even analyzing all the data. I’ve driven for Envision Virgin Racing for six seasons now, so it’s weird to not be around them all the time. We also spend a huge amount of time away from our families and often more time with the team so it’s weird to not see them.”

    SM: Wrapping it up, what is the first thing you are going to do when done quarantining?

    SB: “Honestly, I’m just so excited to get back to racing again,” Bird said. “It’s the only thing I’m not doing regularly in my life at the moment and I can’t wait to get back to the track.”  
    Bird has competed in all six seasons dating back to the inaugural FIA ABB Formula E season in 2014. Since that time, Bird has achieved at least one win every year and has a total of nine career wins, 18 podiums, and 5 career poles, along with 216 laps led. In addition, the English native scored a best finish of third in the championship points standing back in 2017.

    Fans of Sam Bird can follow him on Twitter and on Instagram. The team is also on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

  • POWRi Midgets Hope To Kick Season Off This Weekend At Valley Speedway

    POWRi Midgets Hope To Kick Season Off This Weekend At Valley Speedway

    Memorial Day weekend will be a special weekend for the POWRi Midgets League, as they hope to start their 2020 season at Valley Speedway located in Grain Valley, MO.

    On Saturday May 23 and Sunday May 24, Valley Speedway will play host to Mid-State Open Nationals. Series that will be racing this weekend include POWRi Lucas Oil National, the West Midget Leagues, and POWRi Lucas Oil WAR Sprint Leagues. Pits are scheduled to be open between 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. , as driver entry registration will take place during this time. Afterward, the driver’s meeting is slated for 5:15 p.m., while shortly after, hot laps will take place at 6:00 p.m.

    Fans are allowed to watch this event and can head over to http://www.valleyspeedway.com/ to buy tickets for the events. Though, social distancing measures will be in effect for fan safety and due to the CDC guidelines restrictions. However, fans unable to make it can watch the event on POWERi TV that will be live streaming Saturday and Sunday.

    Series officials will continue to work on the June schedule and release more news updates as they become available.

  • Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy Series To Cease Operations At End Of 2019-20 Season

    Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy Series To Cease Operations At End Of 2019-20 Season

    Jaguar Racing has announced that Formula E’s support series, the I-Pace eTrophy Series will not continue after this year, due to the on-going pandemic of COVID-19.

    However, despite the eTrophy Series ending, Jaguar Racing still plans to move forward with their Formula E team that fields drivers, Mitch Evans and James Calado.

    Team Director, James Barclay says, that while we enjoyed two great seasons, that have looked at other options and decided to not continue the league.

    “The series has realised many of the targets we set out to achieve,” Barclay said. “However, during these unprecedented times of the coronavirus pandemic, we have reviewed our strategy and made the decision to withdraw the Jaguar I-PACE eTROPHY series after two successful seasons. We remain fully committed to electric motorsport and our Jaguar Racing Formula E programme as an important part of our transition to electric mobility and Destination Zero. I’m looking forward to the Formula E and eTROPHY seasons resuming if and when it is safe for our team, partners and fans to do so.”

    Nonetheless, the series was able to make some history by during its short-lived time, as they were the first battery electric race cars to compete, which was based on a production vehicle. Even so, the series learned that the eTrophy owners can earn up to 20km on a full charge. According to the update that came out in December of last-year, the eTrophy cars can have battery management, all-wheel drive that is supposed to increase range, and thermal systems.

    “Jaguar are fantastic partners on and off the track,” said Amie Reigle, the Chief Executive Officer of Formula E. “The success of the eTROPHY in taking the pioneering technology Jaguar developed through Formula E and applying it to high performance production cars is a testament to their branding and engineering capabilities. At Formula E, we’re delighted to have supported this project which showcases how we enable our partners to leverage our platform to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles. We look forward to continuing to work with Jaguar Racing on their Formula E programme.”

    The series has made some history of its own over the last couple of years.

    Some of those notes include giving the opportunities to drivers to compete such as, Reema Juffali, Celia Martin. This also includes the first-disabled driver Takuma Aoki.

    Katherine Legge also made her name known in the series by becoming the first woman to win by winning at Mexico City in 2019.

  • Interview: Locked Down with FIA Formula E driver Jerome D’Ambrosio

    Interview: Locked Down with FIA Formula E driver Jerome D’Ambrosio

    In this new series, Speedway Media catches up with international drivers who are currently sidelined at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During these interviews, drivers will be talking about what they have been doing with no racing taking place, sim-racing, some topics about the 2020 season and other topics regarding their stay at home.

    For the first column, Speedway Media caught up with FIA Formula E, Mahindra Racing driver, Jerome D’Ambrosio.

    SM: It has been a while since you have been on track. How have you been holding up during this time off? What have you done to keep yourself busy?

    JD: “First of all, it’s not really time off, “d’Ambrosio said. “I haven’t been driving a race car but we’ve been in communications with engineers. I’ve been working out and using the time constructively as much as possible to train and do things that perhaps I struggle with in a normal year as we’re always on the go. Definitely one of those things is physical training and now, we have also been doing sim racing with the Race At Home Challenge. So no real racing, but definitely we’ve been keeping busy.”

    SM: During the last few weeks, you have been participating in the “Stay At Home Series” hosted by Formula E. How has that been going for you? Are you on the sim often to practice?

    JD: “It’s a really cool initiative from Formula E and it’s for a good cause, raising funds for UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund), “he said. “It hasn’t been going great for me as it’s more gaming than a simulator and that means one really needs to get used to something very different. I haven’t done gaming in probably 15 years. So, in terms of results, it hasn’t been the best but I’ve been practicing during the week, trying to improve. The last race on the Hong Kong track, I had my best qualifying position so far in eighth, but unfortunately, the race was over at Turn 1. It’s all for a good cause, it’s good fun and I’m happy we’re doing something.”

    SM: On a scale of 1-10, how good of a sim racer do you think are compared to the rest of the field and do you feel like it is helping you keep yourself prepared on tracks that you race at in real-life?

    JD: “On a scale of 1-10, I’m probably a 3,” D’Ambrosio said. “There’s a few guys struggling more than I am, but I’m definitely not a gamer. We call it sim racing, but it’s really a game and you can’t compare it to the real car. To a certain extent, even a professional sim is not exactly like reality, but this one is a step further away. So, I don’t think it particularly helps in terms of keeping me prepared for the real thing, but it’s good that it’s creating content and it’s good to produce a show for the fans.”

    SM: Shifting to real racing, you have been a series regular since the first season in 2014. What is it that you like about Formula E so much and how did you get connected with Mahindra Racing to keep your success going?

    JD: “I love Formula E,” he said. “I’ve loved the concept since day one. I think trying to make racing relevant again and coming with a completely different concept to racing while keeping the core values in terms of putting on a good show and having wheel-to-wheel action but with different technology and in cities was an amazing concept. And I’ve had loads of fun, especially in the races. It’s a series where you can start P20 and still finish in the top five. There’s not many racing series with cars at a similar performance that can offer that, so that’s something that has been amazing. Being part of something that is upwardly mobile and connected to today’s world, in general, is something that I really enjoy. I’ve known Dilbagh [Gill, Team Principal of Mahindra Racing] since season one and then I got the opportunity to join the team two years ago. It’s been a really good time. We had a really strong start to our collaboration which was amazing; we had a win and were leading the championship until halfway through last season. We’ve had some challenges, but we’re working hard and I think this year we’ve brought back qualifying performance. Unfortunately, we’ve had some bad luck and reliability issues in the races, but we’re getting there and the field is getting more and more competitive. But, we’re working hard and we want to be where we were last year; fighting for wins and podiums and the championship.”

    SM: Going into the sixth season of Formula E, there were obviously some expectations you had in mind. However, your best finish so far is ninth in the season opener. What more do you think you need to help improve your overall results?

    JD: “As I mentioned it’s a frustrating one, as I’ve done my best qualifying so far this season; two Super Poles in the season opener in Saudi and last time out in Marrakesh was pretty good as well,” D’Ambrosio said. “So, it’s been a pity that we haven’t been able to convert those strong starting positions into stronger points. But, what we need is basically to improve our race pace and consistency. I think we made a step forward after Mexico.”

    SM: Before the season halted and now that a long break is ongoing, how has this break shifted or altered your expectations? Would it be disappointing to you if the season never got restarted?

    JD: “Obviously, if the season didn’t restart it would be very disappointing,” he said. “But, my expectations haven’t shifted at all. The only thing is that this time gives us the opportunity to work on a few things to hopefully, when the season starts again, we continue on the streak of good qualifying results and convert them into strong points in the race.”

    SM: As drivers, we know you are always on the go and busy. Was it difficult for you knowing that you would not be racing for a while, despite being always on the go?

    JD: “Definitely, although I think it’s not about always being on the go,” D’Ambrosio said. What is difficult is that a race car driver wants to be in a race car. Unfortunately, I haven’t been in a race car for too long for my liking, so I’m looking forward to getting back to it.”

    SM: If the season resumes, what tracks do you have circled on the calendar that you think you can perform well or win at?

    JD: “I’m not a track specific guy,” he said. “Of course, there are places I love to go and race, like Rome, Berlin and New York, but I think what’s important for a race car driver is to feel confident that you can perform anywhere. So, there is not a particular track that I feel I can perform better than another.”

    SM: Knowing these current situations can be a little discouraging for everyone, how have you been able to stay positive and look at the bigger picture?

    JD: “I don’t think that the current situation is discouraging in itself,” D’Ambrosio said. “I think it’s something that people are facing. Unfortunately, it’s of course challenging and not easy. But, I am not a person that tends to get discouraged in particular situations. This is a reality that we need to face for now and I think making the most out of whatever situation you are in or whatever card you’ve been dealt is part of who I am, and who I want to be and so this is how I looked at it. I stayed positive by finding things to do, training, keeping in touch with the engineers, working to improve on the Race At Home Challenge and so on.”

    SM: Are you a driver that goes back and watches old races? If so, have you done that during this break? If so, which ones have you enjoyed watching?

    JD: “It’s funny you should mention that. I do watch some old races now and again,” he said. “But actually yesterday, I don’t know why, I watched a few Formula E season one races. I thought it would be nice to watch to see how much we’ve evolved as a championship over these five seasons. And I also watched the Silverstone 2003 Formula 1 race which was entertaining.”

    SM: Have you been able to discover any new hobbies during this downtime that you otherwise might not have if you had been while racing?

    JD: “I’ve not really discovered new hobbies,” D’Ambrosio said. “I’ve done something that I haven’t had time to do since I’ve been racing, which is educate myself and study a little bit so this has been interesting for me the last two months. During my normal season, I definitely don’t have the time to do such a thing, but it’s nice and not something I’d done since I graduated high school. In terms of training, I’ve really been able to get into swimming and I’ve been doing a few kilometers a week, which I’ve really enjoyed.”

    SM: What is one thing that you miss about being at the track?

    JD: “Being in the car and racing wheel-to-wheel.”

    SM: Wrapping it up, what are you going to do when you are done quarantining and what do you hope to accomplish in Formula E this season, if racing resumes?

    JD: “Get back to work and hopefully, we can get back on the real sim at the factory, improve on some points, and hopefully get back in the car. What I want to do is, convert good qualifying into good results on track and that’s my goal for the remainder of this season.”

    So far in his FIA Formula E career, D’Ambrosio has made all 62 starts dating back to the first-season in 2014, while also having three career wins, nine top-fives and two top-10 finishes. The Belgium native has a best points finish of fourth that occurred in 2014.

    Fans of Jérôme D’Ambrosio can follow him on Twitter and on Instagram.

  • Tough outing for BMW i Andretti drivers at virtual Formula E Hong Kong

    Tough outing for BMW i Andretti drivers at virtual Formula E Hong Kong

    After scoring respectable finishes in last week’s virtual Monaco Grand Prix race, Andretti drivers Maximilian Günther and Alexander Sims had a difficult race at the virtual Hong Kong event in Round 5 of the Race At Home Series.

    Günther came into the event as the championship points leader and was hoping to extend his points lead over Pascal Wehrlein. Though problems caught him on the first lap as he would jump the start. After jumping the start, he was then involved in the Lap 1 pile-up that occurred in the first corner of the track. Günther served the drive-thru penalty after jumping the start, however, more issues arose for the Andretti driver. Toward the end of the event, he missed the chicane and wrecked. This saw Günther fall all the way back to 19th-place and he was eventually eliminated from the race due to the Battle Royal format.

    “Of course, it’s a shame that I didn’t just miss out on the podium for the first time this season, but failed to score any points at all. Unfortunately, I made a mistake at the start and moved forward too early. Things then got chaotic in turn one, but I made it through somehow. My drive-through penalty put me so far back that I had to risk everything to try and score some points, but then I hit the wall and was forced to retire from the race.”

    Since Günther was the championship leader coming into this race, but was forced to retire early, he would lose the points lead to Wehrlein by five points. Günther now has 65 total points in the standings.

    Meanwhile, his teammate, Alexander Sims had a poor showing and never got a chance to shine.

    Like Günther, Sims was also involved in the Lap 1 incident in the first turn. After the incident, Sims could never rebound to show what he was capable of doing. The British racecar driver retired due to the accident and was relegated to a 22nd place finish, out of the race, and only earning one point.

    “To be honest, that was a dreadful race. I didn’t do well in the rain in qualifying, which meant I had to start way back. Then multiple cars suddenly appeared together right in front of me in turn one. I had no chance of avoiding them and my car was badly damaged. I headed to the pits for repairs, but I was then so far behind that I retired immediately.”

  • Gareth Paterson fights to salvage 18th-place finish at Virtual Hong Kong

    Gareth Paterson fights to salvage 18th-place finish at Virtual Hong Kong

    Before the virtual Hong Kong race took place, Gareth Paterson made his debut last week at virtual Monaco. Patterson, the Mission Motorsport driver, has a unique racing story.

    Paterson is a retired Sergeant, who served in the British Army after leaving school at the age of 16. He was a part of the Queen’s Dragoon Guards and Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. Paterson served the British Army for a total number of 24 years.

    Unfortunately, after serving his country, Paterson was diagnosed with a disease called “ankylosing spondylitis.” This disease is an autoimmune disease, which creates a fusion in the spine. During 2016 and 2017, he represented his home country, the United Kingdom, in the Invictus Games.

    Despite having this unfortunate disease, Paterson has a strong passion for the motorsports industry. Though, he notes that it has been quite difficult to find a team that will give him a chance. Fortunately, that is where Mission Motorsport became involved and gave Patterson the chance to compete in the virtual series races.

    “I have suffered from ankylosing spondylitis which is an autoimmune disease where my immune system attacks my own body and caused my spine to fuse together. Trying to find anybody who would allow me to get involved in motorsports with that condition is quite limiting. Mission Motorsport looks at the injuries and illnesses and then comes up with adaptations and changes that help us get involved in racing. Formula E is next level and the field is extremely strong. To do the practice sessions and then have the likes of Maximilian Guenther log in and say hello to and then Stoffel Vandoorne… I go all fanboy and have to rein myself in.”

    Paterson competed in Saturday’s virtual Hong Kong event for Mission Motorsport, where he came home with a respectable 18th-place finish.