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Featured Other Series

  • Rowland and Siggy Take Virtual Races At Berlin, Vandoorne collects virtual championship in Driver’s Grid

    Rowland and Siggy Take Virtual Races At Berlin, Vandoorne collects virtual championship in Driver’s Grid

    Just like in Round No. 5 in the Race At Home Challenge hosted by FIA Formula E, Tempelhof Airport (city of Berlin) hosted the grand finale of the virtual racing challenges. It featured the Challenge Series (that makes up some of the best sim racers in the world) and the Driver’s Grid (featuring real-life Formula E drivers) that made up the grid. 

    As the sim racers arrived for the grand finale, the Challenge Series sim racers had a unique prize waiting for them. That prize was to test drive a real Formula E car at an upcoming event.  

    Coming into the last round of the virtual series, Mahindra Racing’s Pascal Wehrlien and Lucas Mueller had swept the previous day races at virtual New York. 

    The last round was a double points championship event for both series. 

    Challenge Series 

    Mueller was coming in with a head of momentum and extra motivation after getting to compete in a couple of laps, with his favorite racing driver, Wehrlein. He needed to beat rival competitor Kevin Siggy (in the BMW i Andretti camp) to score the championship. 

    Knowing it would be difficult for Mueller, who has been successful throughout the virtual series, it all started with a decent qualifying position. The grid would be lined up based on points and that meant Siggy would start on the pole and Mueller would be slated alongside Siggy. 

    As the lights went out, Mueller was all over the back of Siggy, who was trying hard to take the race lead, while Siggy was doing everything in his power to keep Mueller at bay. Mueller got to the back bumper of Siggy a couple of times and even attempted a couple of shunts. Though, Siggy fended off every battle from Mueller. 

    When the laps started to click down on the short circuit in Berlin, Siggy slowly and surely started to pull away from Mueller. Eventually, Siggy started to stretch his lead and the race pace had settled for the time being. 

    Mueller kept his pace and a decent distance behind Siggy in hopes of catching him, should Siggy slip in the final moments. However, Siggy proved to be a tough match for Mueller, when the BMW i Andretti driver led all 15 laps from pole position and took the virtual victory over Mahindra’s Mueller. 

    In the running order, Jaguar’s Petar Brljak was third, the GEOX Dragon of Peyo Peev was fourth, and Joshua Rogers in the TAG Heuer Porsche rounded out the top five finishers. 

    With Siggy getting another virtual victory and the championship, he will get to test a real life Formula E at a track of his choosing. 

    When asked if he had a preference to test drive at any track, he said, “any that doesn’t have walls.” 

    It was a special moment for the sim racer Kevin Siggy, who also set the fastest time of the race with 1:08.943

    “I cannot believe it!” Siggy said. “I do not have any words right now. I am so proud of myself that I was able to hold the lead in turn one and on lap one. Lucas [Mueller] was giving me a tough time on the first lap, but I am really happy it ended the way it did. I cannot wait to drive the real car.”

    Driver’s Grid 

    In the driver’s grid, it was a competitive battle, between Mahindra’s Pascal Wehrlein and Mercedes-Benz EQ driver, Stoffel Vandoorne. After Saturday’s victory in virtual New York, Wehrlein had a 14 point gap over Vandoorne heading into the double points event. 

    In qualifying, it was actually Nissan e. dams driver, Oliver Rowland who set the pace of 1:09.139. Wehrlein was second 1:09.280, and Vandoorne third with a time of 1:09.283. 

    Also in qualifying, there was a special guest appearance by W Series and British racing driver, Alice Powell, who competed in the Envision Virgin Racing entry. Although, qualifying proved difficult for her, as she started last. 

    When it came time to go green, there was a hectic start in the first turn. The Venturi of Edoardo Mortara caused an accident, as he would make contact with Sebastien Buemi, who then got into Vandoorne going through the turns, which then caused Vandoorne to spin around the championship points leader Wehrlein in the going. Vandoorne escaped the melee and came out in second place, as Wehrlein dropped to 15th. 

    Despite the accident, series officials ruled no penalties for any of the drivers involved. 

    After the chaos, a calm race was seen just three laps into the event and really, no further shunts as we have seen in previous races. 

    Rowland in the Nissan e.dams machine continued to set the pace over Vandoorne. Though all Vandoorne had to do was, was have a perfect drive and bring the virtual car home in one piece. 

    In doing so, Vandoorne could never catch Rowland who went to take the virtual victory at Tempelhof. Vandoorne, who finished second, had just enough to claim the virtual series championship and give Mercedes-Benz EQ the constructors championship. 

    Wehrlein meanwhile, had came back from the lap 1 incident and originally finished ninth, but was given a 10 second penalty for contact. This saw Wehrlein finish 12th instead in the final running order. 

    “First of all, I am really happy to win this competition,” Vandoorne said. “It has been a tough day and the start was very chaotic. I had a good start alongside Pascal (Wehrlein) on the outside and then into turn two I got bumped from behind, which sent him into a spin. It would been nice to have had a proper fight on track. But I have been unlucky as well in a couple of races, so it is a well-deserved win for us.” 

    Official Driver’s Grid Results 

    1. Oliver Rowland
    2. Stoffel Vandoorne
    3. Maximilian Gunther
    4. Edoardo Mortara 
    5. Sebastien Buemi 
    6. James Calado 
    7. Nyck de Vries
    8. Felipe Massa
    9. Kelvin van der Linde
    10. Andre Lottrer
    11. Antonio Felix da Costa 
    12. Pascal Wehrlien
    13. Alexander Sims, OUT, Did Not Finish
    14. Jean-Eric Vergne, OUT, Did Not Finish
    15. Brendon Hartley, OUT, Did Not Finish
    16. Sam Bird, OUT, Did Not Finish
    17. Sam Dejonghe, OUT, Did Not Finish
    18. Ma Qing Hua, OUT, Did Not Finish
    19. Lucas di Grassi, OUT, Did Not Finish
    20. Alice Powell, OUT, Did Not Finish
    21. Oliver Turvey, OUT, Did Not Finish
    22. Joel Eriksson, OUT, Did Not Finish
    23. Neel Jani, OUT, Did Not Finish
    24. Mitch Evans, OUT, Did Not Finish 

    Official Driver’s Grid Standings

    1. Stoffel Vandoorne, 154 points
    2. Pascal Wehrlein, 130 points
    3. Oliver Rowland, 122 points
    4. Maximilian Gunther, 118 points
    5. Edoardo Mortara, 59 points
    6. Robin Frijns, 50 points
    7. James Calado, 41 points
    8. Neel Jani, 35 points
    9. Antonio Felix da Costa, 30 points
    10. Sebastien Buemi, 29 points
    11. Nico Mueller, 29 points
    12. Oliver Turvey, 23 points
    13. Kelvin van der Linde, 20 points
    14. Nick Cassidy, 19 points
    15. Felipe Massa, 18 points
    16. Nyck de Vries, 18 points
    17. Andre Lotterer, 13 points
    18. Mitch Evans, 10 points
    19. Jerome D’ Ambrosio, 2 points
    20. Ma Qing Hua, 2 points
    21. Alexander Sims, 1 points
    22. Jean-Eric Vergne, 0 points
    23. Lucas di Grassi, 0 points
    24. Brendon Hartley, 0 points
    25. Sam Bird, 0 points
    26. Sam Dejonghe, 0 points
    27. Alice Powell, 0 points
    28. Joel Eriksson, 0 points

    Official Constructors Championship Standings

    1. Mercedes-Benz EQ, 172 points 
    2. Nissan e.dams, 151 points
    3. Mahindra Racing, 132 points
    4. BMW i Andretti Motorsport, 119 points
    5. ROKiT Venturi Racing, 77 points
    6. Envision Virgin Racing, 69 points
    7. Panasonic Jaguar Racing, 51 points
    8. TAG Heuer Porsche, 50 points
    9. DS Techeetah, 30 points
    10. GEOX Dragon, 29 points
    11. NIO 333 FE Team, 25 points
    12. Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler, 22 points 

    Official Challenge Grid Results 

    1. Kevin Siggy
    2. Lucas Muller
    3. Petar Brljak 
    4. Peyo Peev
    5. Joshua Rogers
    6. Jacob Reid
    7. Kush Maini 
    8. Cem Bolukbasi
    9. Jan von der Heyde
    10. Marius Golombeck
    11. Markus Keller
    12. Ben Hitz
    13. Jim Parisis, OUT, Did Not Finish
    14. Niek Jacobs, OUT, Did Not Finish
    15. Noah Reuvers, OUT, Did Not Finish
    16. Arjan Veltens, OUT, Did Not Finish
    17. Alisdair Irvine, OUT, Did Not Finish
  • Scott Dixon captures dominating win at Texas

    Scott Dixon captures dominating win at Texas

    When IndyCar was last on site at a racetrack, it was at the originally planned season opener in St. Petersburg back in March. Everything was going as planned until a few hours before practice started. Once more news came out about COVID-19, everyone in the world began shutting down, including major sporting leagues. IndyCar was sticking with their schedule before series officials called the entire race weekend and eventually parts of the season were either canceled or races were postponed.

    Fast forward to three months later, the NTT IndyCar Series drivers were back on-track for the season opener at Texas Motor Speedway, in what was a hot and steamy Saturday with temperatures well into the 90s.

    Hoping to continue his momentum and recent IndyCar dominance, Josef Newgarden qualified the No. 1 XPEL Chevrolet on the pole with a speed of 215.740 mph, while Scott Dixon was on the outside pole with a speed of 215.638 mph, just narrowly missing out on the pole position.

    Right up until the green flag, there was some pre-race drama. The No. 30 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing of Takuma Sato, crashed in the only practice session earlier in the day. Unfortunately, the team could not repair Sato’s car before the green flag flew. Due to the incident, the Japanese driver was credited with a last-place finish and was unable to start the race. Sato’s teammate, Graham Rahal, also faced issues with his car and spent a couple of laps in the infield when the event was underway. Rahal, however, got back on track but was eventually penalized for unapproved adjustments and for re-entry. Rahal was given a drive-through penalty after he returned to the track.

    The drama also continued with the Andretti Autosport team. Alexander Rossi in the No. 27 machine and teammate, Ryan Hunter-Reay in the No. 28 had problems of their own before the start. Though, despite not being able to start right away, both cars were able to get on the track before the green flag. However, Rossi and Hunter-Reay were also penalized for unapproved adjustments. Rossi was penalized again for speeding while serving his earlier penatly.

    Early on, Newgarden was the fastest car of the race and was keeping Dixon at a sizable pace. At Lap 11, Dixon made the pass for the lead and took the top spot from Newgarden. It was from that point on, where the Dixon domination began, but it wasn’t all that easy.

    Throughout the race, there 35 lap tire stints. Therefore, on Lap 35, it was mandatory for the drivers to come to pit road for a pit stop. Just a few laps before his pit stop, Newgarden had reported a vibration. In doing so, Newgarden pitted early in hopes of coming out ahead of Dixon on the track. After Dixon made his pit stop, he maintained the lead, but the first caution came out. Two rookies, Alex Palou and Rinus VeeKay were collected in a wreck off Turn 2. VeeKay’s car was way up in the marbles and came down in the middle of the backstretch. That is where Palou got involved, as VeeKay’s car would clip the No. 55 Dale Coyne Honda. While it was a heartbreaker for both of the rookies, the good news is, they were both checked and released from the accident.

    As the early caution flew, that still didn’t stop Dixon as the leader. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver would continue to extend his lead. In fact, Dixon had increased his lead over Newgarden by 4.5 seconds on Lap 70. Seven laps later, another caution flew for debris on the track. The leaders all came down pit road to make a pit stop. During the pit stop sequence, Team Penske driver Will Power stalled but eventually, Power’s car was restarted and he got back going.

    From Lap 86 to near the end of the race, there was a long green flag run. Dixon’s car continued to be the class of the field but he did have some challenges. His Chip Ganassi Racing teammate, Felix Rosenqvist, provided a challenge to Dixon. At one point, Rosenqvist was on the back bumper of Dixon, where he decreased the lead to 1.8 seconds. Another challenge for Dixon was maneuvering lap traffic. The lap traffic caused havoc for him, as the New Zealander had a tough time lapping the field with around 30 to go.

    When the final round of green-flag pit stops pursued, Rosenqvist had pitted with 15 to go. While Rosenqvist pitted, Dixon continued to stay out and wait for the right time to pit. Dixon finally did so with around 12 to go. Hoping not to make a mistake that could cost him the race, the No. 9 driver made a clean pit stop and now he could set sail. Unfortunately, like earlier where Dixon had trouble getting around lap traffic, his teammate Rosenqvist, was sent crashing into the wall after racing with a couple of lap down cars. Despite the strong effort, Rosenqvist finished 20th.

    A late-race restart was set up with three to go. Unlike NASCAR, there was some lap traffic separating Dixon and the leaders. This created an advantage for Dixon and he pulled away from the field. The checkered flag flew on lap 200 and Scott Dixon took home his fourth checkered flag at Texas, the 109th victory for Chip Ganassi Racing in IndyCar.

    “I can’t thank the team enough, everybody at PNC,” Dixon said. “It’s such strange times right now, and I just can’t thank the team. It was such a team effort. We had a couple of mistakes at the start and throughout the race, but we recovered. It was awesome. Honda, they were huge with the power out there. It was just so fast. Any situation we were in we could just go for it. Huge thanks to everybody involved. Bummed that the fans aren’t here. We wish everybody was here to celebrate.”

    With the victory, the win ties him with IndyCar legend, A.J. Foyt and he is now five wins away from Mario Andretti.

    Team Penske drivers, Simon Pagenaud and Josef Newgarden rounded out the podium finishers.

    1. Scott Dixon
    2. Simon Pagenaud
    3. Josef Newgarden
    4. Zach Veach
    5. Ed Carpenter
    6. Conor Daly
    7. Colton Herta
    8. Ryan Hunter-Reay
    9. Oliver Askew
    10. Tony Kanaan
    11. Charlie Kimball, one lap down
    12. Pato O’Ward, one lap down
    13. Will Power, one lap down
    14. Marco Andretti, one lap down
    15. Alexander Rossi, one lap down
    16. Jack Harvey, one lap down
    17. Graham Rahal, two laps down
    18. James Hinchcliffe, two laps down
    19. Marcus Ericsson, four laps down
    20. Felix Rosenqvist, OUT, Crash
    21. Santino Ferrucci, OUT, Mechanical
    22. Rinus VeeKay, OUT, Crash
    23. Alex Palou, OUT, Crash
    24. Takuma Sato, OUT, Did Not Start

    Up Next: The NTT IndyCar Series will have a few weeks off again, before visiting the famed Indianapolis on Saturday July 4 for the Indianapolis Grand Prix, scheduled for 12:15 p.m./ET live on NBC.

  • NTT IndyCar Series Preview-Texas

    NTT IndyCar Series Preview-Texas

    After a three month delay due to COVID-19, the NTT IndyCar Series finally gets their turn to get back on track for their 2020 season opener this Saturday night at Texas Motor Speedway in what is expected to be a wild race.

    In last year’s race, defending champion Josef Newgarden led the last 46 laps en route to victory at the 1.5-mile speedway. It was Newgarden’s first victory at Texas in just eight starts. The 2019 race featured three cautions for 22 laps with 13 lead changes.

    While Newgarden was most certainly strong in the late parts of the event, there were other challengers such as Alexander Rossi, Graham Rahal and Scott Dixon, among a few others, who were front runners and traded the lead multiple times with Newgarden.

    As last year’s race was the ninth race on the schedule, this year’s race will certainly be different since it will now be the first race on the schedule. Considering this, there will likely be some anxious and in some cases, cautious, drivers when they dive into Turn 1 for the first time in 2020. However, unlike NASCAR where there is no practice or qualifying, IndyCar drivers will be granted at least one practice and qualifying session which should make things somewhat more manageable for the competition Saturday night. Despite that, we won’t know who will have the fastest car until the first practice session on Saturday. However, I’ll try to give you five drivers to keep an eye on during Saturday night’s Genesys 300.

    1. Simon Pagenaud – Pagenaud has been very close to victory lane at Texas over the last couple of races, ever since he began driving for Team Penske in 2016. Pagenaud has scored two podiums that occurred in two consecutive races in 2017 and 2018. He got his best finish of second in 2018 after leading 26 laps. In the 2019 race, the Penske driver started fifth and finished sixth. Overall, Pagenaud’s average finishing position is 6.1 and he has led a total of 85 laps. After his teammate Newgarden won last year’s race and Pagenaud being close multiple times in the last two years, don’t be surprised to see the No. 22 DXC Technology Chevrolet challenging for the win once again.
    2. Graham Rahal – Rahal’s statistics have definitely improved over the last few races ever since winning his first elusive victory in 2016, nearly four years ago. Since that victory, he has finished fourth, sixth, and placed on the podium in the ’19 race after finishing third. In 12 starts dating back to his first in 2008, Rahal has one win, 36 laps led, three podiums and he has averaged an 11.3 finishing position. He also was able to lead five laps in the ’19 race as well. Only twice has Rahal failed to finish a race. The last time was in 2011 when he had an issue with the fuel pump. Rahal and the No. 15 RLL team are expected to be strong once again Saturday night.
    3. Alexander Rossi – Fan favorite Alexander Rossi and the No. 27 NAPA team missed out on a victory in last year’s race by falling short to Newgarden and finishing second. His first few races weren’t all that great with an 11th place finishing position in 2016 and a 22nd place result after a crash took him out in the 2017 event. But since 2018, Rossi and the Andretti team have stepped up their game by getting back to back podiums. In total, he has a 9.5 average finishing position and a best starting position of third back in ’17. It has been well over a year since Rossi visited victory lane (which occurred at Elkhart Lake) and he’ll be hungry for a win.
    4. Will Power – Continuing on the Team Penske train, Newgarden’s teammate, Will Power has also had his fair share of success at Texas. Since 2008, the Aussie has made 12 starts at the superspeedway and has earned four podiums along with two wins (2011, 2017) and has led 432 laps. Besides having a decent track record, Power also qualified on the pole three consecutive times from 2013-2015. When he scored the ’17 victory, the Penske driver led all but 20 laps to score his second victory at Texas. It’s been a couple of years since Power has had a good race but it’s hard to count him out at a track where Penske has had so much success.
    5. James Hinchcliffe – This weekend will most likely be one of the most important weekends of James Hinchcliffe’s career when he takes the track Saturday night. After losing his ride at Arrow McLaren, Hinchcliffe is back with his old team Andretti Autosport where he will pilot the No. 29 machine. It’ll almost be a “home sweet home” feel for Hinchcliffe who made two starts with Andretti in 2012 and 2013. In those two races, Hinchcliffe finished fourth and ninth, respectively. His only podium of the race was in 2016 after Hinchcliffe came .008 seconds short of a thrilling finish with competitor Graham Rahal.

    Aside from these five drivers who might have a chance at the victory Saturday night, in total, there will be 24 drivers aiming to get the victory. In the field, there will be three rookies who have never raced at Texas Motor Speedway. Those rookies are Oliver Askew, Alex Palou and Rinus VeeKay. Askew and Palou are teammates at Arrow McLaren SP, while VeeKay competes with Ed Carpenter Racing.

    While there will be three rookies who have never made a start at Texas, there have been at least eight winners of the previous Texas races, who have gone on to win the series championship. Those notable names include Sam Hornish, Tony Kanaan, Scott Dixon, Dario Franchitti, and Josef Newgarden.

    Texas has hosted 31 IndyCar races with an impressive list of drivers who have visited victory lane. Those winners are Arie Luyendyk (the first to win in ’97), Billy Boat, John Paul. Jr., Scott Goodyear, Mark Dismore, Scott Sharp, Sam Hornish Jr., Jeff Ward, Al Unser. Jr., Gil de Ferran, Tony Kanaan, Helio Castroneves, Thomas Scheckter, Scott Dixon, Ryan Briscoe, Dario Franchitti, Will Power, Justin Wilson, Ed Carpenter, Graham Rahal, and Josef Newgarden.

    Dixon and Kanaan have made 20 starts. There has never been a driver who has consecutively made every start at Texas.

    Out of those winners, at least six have started from the pole including Hornish, de Ferran, Castroneves, Scheckter, Dixon, and Briscoe who all won from the first starting spot. The lowest a winner has ever started from to win was 17th, set by Wilson back in 2012.

    O the active drivers, 14 have all led laps in previous races. Dixon leads the way with 517 followed by Power (432), Kanaan, Hinchcliffe, Carpenter, Pagenaud, Andretti, Newgarden, Sato, Hunter-Reay, Rahal, Kimball, Rossi, and Marcus Ericsson.

    This weekend will also mark a new era for the NTT IndyCar Series. Once the green flag drops Saturday night, race fans will see the all-new Aeroscreen, which is supposed to increase safety to the driver’s cockpit. The screen is made up of a titanium framework and a windscreen, which is a canopy-like version. It is mandatory for all drivers and teams to use this piece in all IndyCar races moving forward.

    Saturday’s event will be a one day show to limit exposure for the teams.

    The first and only practice will take place from Noon-2:30 p.m. local time and will be shown live on NBC Sports Gold. Single-car Qualifying is slated for 4 p.m. local time and can be seen on NBC Sports Gold and NBCSN.

    The Genesys 300 is scheduled to take the green-flag at 7:05 p.m. local time, 8:05 p.m. ET live on NBC with 200 laps scheduled to take place.

  • ARCA adds more races to the 2020 schedule

    ARCA adds more races to the 2020 schedule

    After a few months of waiting, the ARCA Menards Series has added a few more races to their 2020 schedule.

    NASCAR announced today that three more events have been added to the current ARCA schedule. Those races include Pocono Raceway on Friday, June 26 at 6 p.m. ET, Wednesday, July 15 at Charlotte Motor Speedway at 4 p.m. ET, while the third and currently the latest race on the schedule will be held on Friday, July 24 at Kansas Speedway at 10 p.m. ET. All three of the races can be seen on Fox Sports 1.

    Originally, Chicagoland Speedway was supposed to host a race on July 24, but it has now been replaced with Kansas. As for Charlotte Motor Speedway, the ARCA Series will race before the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star race, scheduled for later that night. Also of note, Kansas Speedway normally serves as the season finale for the ARCA Championship and has done so the last couple of seasons. It is yet to be determined whether Kansas will serve as the championship race for ARCA later in October.

    The ARCA Menards Series will return next Saturday night on June 13 at Toledo Speedway with the ARCA East Series, with a green-flag time of 6 p.m. ET. The Toledo race will also serve as an all-day event.

  • Tony Stewart’s All Stars Circuit of Champions to visit Volunteer Speedway

    Tony Stewart’s All Stars Circuit of Champions to visit Volunteer Speedway

    Tony Stewart’s All Stars Circuit of Champions announced today that the series will head to Volunteer Speedway in Bulls Gap, Tennessee for two nights of racing on Saturday, June 27 and Sunday, June 28.

    The two-day doubleheader at Volunteer Speedway will see up to $5,000 in prizes along with drivers also being awarded championship points.

    This will be the first time in at least 10 years that the All Star Circuit of Champions will visit Volunteer Speedway, with Joey Saldana and Jason Meyer scoring wins on the March 19-20 weekend.

    A few of the driver entries have already been announced for this event. These include 2019 Rookie of the Year Cory Eliason, Brock Zearfoss, Sprint Car regular Paul McMahan, two-time champion Greg Wilson, Skylar Gee, Justin Peck, Danny Dietrich, Zeb Wise, Sam Hafertepe Jr. and Josh Baughman.

    In addition to the driver entry list, former NASCAR driver and series owner, Tony Stewart will also partake in the action in hopes of taking the checkered flag. Stewart was the recent race winner when the series visited 34 Raceway in West Burlington, Iowa. The Indiana native picked up $26,000 in addition to his race winning victory.

    Fans who are interested in more information regarding the All Star Circuit of Champions can visit the Volunteer Speedway website.

    Those unable to visit the race weekend can also watch on floracing.com and can watch all season long.

  • Mahindra Racing gets creative with World Environment Day

    Mahindra Racing gets creative with World Environment Day

    With World Environment Day taking place Friday, June 5, the FIA ABB Formula E Mahindra Racing team is getting creative.

    As the penultimate Race At Home Challenge Series hosted by Formula E is scheduled for Saturday, fans who tune into the series’ Twitch channel, will see a unique circumstance by Mahindra Racing.

    For every fan who tunes into the Twitch channel Saturday afternoon, Mahindra is going to plant a tree to count for those viewers. The team is committed in hopes of planting up to 500,000 trees. The reason for this action is, Mahindra hopes that it will create a more positive environment in the world. With every mature tree in its full length, it can provide a year long oxygen supply and also provides 48 pounds of CO2.

    Farhan Ahmed, the Strategic Partnerships Manager for Twitch says it’s a unique concept and they hope to see as many trees planted.

    “Our community notoriously loves gaming, community and charity. Here we see the perfect combination of all. We’re excited to see them embrace this initiative – let’s see how many trees we can plant!”

    CEO and Team Principle of Mahindra Racing, Dilbagh Gill, was very happy to work this concept into the Race At Home Series Challenge.

    “We have made very clear that sustainability is very important to us and is a key principle for Mahindra Racing. We were very pleased ahead of the season to be able to confirm our tree planting initiative and wanted to find a way to bring that to the Race At Home Challenge, and we’re happy to have found that way with Twitch. We head into this weekend second in both the team and driver’s battles and will be gunning for glory on the virtual streets.”

    Fans hoping to tune into the Race At Home Series Challenge can see it here on their Twitch channel.

  • W Series Racing announces 2020 plans, 2021 outlook also announced

    W Series Racing announces 2020 plans, 2021 outlook also announced

    The W Series organization announced Thursday afternoon that due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the league will not provide any races in the 2020 season.

    The season was originally scheduled to take place the last weekend of May at Russia, though that was previously postponed to a later date. Eventually, the season was slated to end October 31 at New Mexico. Despite the original 2020 schedule now not being able to take place, the series said it was not an easy decision to make. However, with the eight planned races not happening, the organization has also provided a 2021 outlook that sees stops in Austin, Texas and Mexico City.

    The Chief Executive Officer of the W Series, Catherine Bond Muir, said that the 2020 season not happening is a disappointment but exciting things are shaping up for next year.

    “After the resounding success of W Series’ debut season in 2019, our decision not to stage on-track races until 2021 is not one that has been taken lightly.

    “However, we are already working on an exciting new W Series race calendar for 2021, and we are delighted to be able to confirm that W Series races will feature on the support cards of a number of Formula 1 Grands Prix next year, including the 2021 United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas and the 2021 Mexican Grand Prix at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.

    “W Series is a global movement that exists to support the careers of female racing drivers everywhere, and to foster interest in and enthusiasm for motor racing among girls and women all over the world. The 18 women who had qualified to race in the 2020 W Series represent 12 different countries, and the eight circuits on which they were due to race this year are located in Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America and Central America. Delivering an international calendar of the kind that W Series requires, so as to take W Series’ diversity and inclusion message to girls and women globally, while prioritising during a global pandemic the health and safety of our drivers, our staff and the many other people who make W Series events such a success, requires resource at a level beyond the scope of a brave new start-up such as W Series.

    “However, now that we have taken the very difficult but ultimately unavoidable decision to end any uncertainty surrounding our 2020 plans, we will focus our energies clearly on 2021, when we will resume our on-track racing programme, bigger and better than ever before.

    “In the meantime, this year, we remain committed to developing our drivers and entertaining our loyal fans all over the world. To that end, we are progressing with our exciting and innovative new W Series Esports League, which will go live on June 11 2020. In addition, our brilliant management team – including 13-time F1 Grand Prix winner David Coulthard and our hugely experienced Racing Director Dave Ryan – will continue to provide our drivers with invaluable career advice and support.”   

  • Interview: Locked Down with Ma Qing Hua

    Interview: Locked Down with Ma Qing Hua

    In a continuation of the column titled “Locked-Down”, Speedway Media caught up with FIA ABB Formula E and NIO 333 Team driver, Ma Qinghua.

    During the interview, Qinghua talks about what he has been doing during the down period of no racing, how sim racing has treated him and if he has been able to discover any new hobbies.

    SM: There has been a long break during this down period of racing. What have you been doing during this off period and how have you kept busy? 

    MQH: “I’m doing some practice to maintain my status and also I’m running my own Go-Kart track business.”

    SM: Sim racing has pretty much taken off ever since the pandemic started. You, yourself, have been participating in the Race At Home Challenge hosted by Formula E. How has that been going for you? Were there any expectations for you going into the challenge? 

    MQH: “The sim racing is pretty fun for me,” Qinghua said. “Our team in Shanghai has been holding live shows during each race in a Go-kart playground with many fans watching the race with us on-site. For my performance in the race, I’ve done not bad and I’m adapting to the driving way of the simulator, but there are still more to be adjusted for sure.”

    SM: On a scale of 1-10, how good of a sim racer do you think you are compared to the rest of the field? Do you feel as though sim racing has helped keep you prepared for when the season returns? 

    MQH: “It’s hard to make a comparison,” he said. “Because it’s much difference between the simulation and the reality. Through the sim racing, the biggest help for me is that, I can keep the familiarity of the tracks so that I will be still ready when the season restarts.”

    SM: You have competed off and on in Formula E since 2015, before getting connected with NIO Racing. What is it about Formula E that you’ve enjoyed so much compared to the other series that you’ve been involved in? 

    MQH: “I was always being interested in Formula E before I was involved in,” Qinghua said. “Because the driving and controlling method of the car and the track location are all very challenging. It’s an awesome feeling that speeding along the street track in the city center.”

    SM: As mentioned, you were a part-time driver before season six. This season, you got connected with the NIO 333 FE Team. Can you talk about how great it has been driving for the team and how you got connected with them? 

    MQH: “NIO 333 was restructured and now is operated by a new team,” he said. “Now the team is in an initial stage, I’m happy to work with a Chinese team as a Chinese driver and we can put efforts into improving gradually together.”

    SM: In the present season, you have had some respectable finishes, including your best finish at Santiago by finishing 16th. You’ve yet to crack the top-10 finishing order and to get on the podium. What do you think needs to be done in order to finally get on the podium? 

    MQH: “Actually our whole team including the software were all developed just before this season, as a result that our system is still in an initial stage,”Qinghua said. “The most important for us is to accumulate track miles. But during the Formula E season, it’s not allowed to do testing with the race car, so there is still a lot of time needed for us.”

    SM: The season has been on hiatus since the pandemic started a few months ago. Has this downtime altered your expectations at all? Would it be disappointing for you, should this season never be restarted? How positive are you that the season will be restarted? 

    MQH: “I think it’s not a situation that we are able to solve for now,” he said. “It’s a natural problem that not depending on any individual willingness. Of course, I hope the season could restart, and I will do as best as I can by then.”

    SM: When the racing season is in full action with no breaks, it appears you are always on the go. Was it difficult for you knowing that you would not be racing for a while, despite always being on the go as a driver? 

    MQH: “As a driver, I will never want to see a season suspended, Qinghua said. “But it just happened, so I have to face it.”

    SM: If the season should possibly get restarted in the next couple of weeks, what do you hope to work on as a driver and what tracks do you have your eye on? 

    MQH: “I will be looking forward to racing on any of the street tracks if the season got restarted.”

    SM: Are you a driver that goes back and watches old races? If so, have you watched any during the break?

    MQH: “Yes, I’m used to watching my previous races to reanalyze the problems I got during the races to avoid for the future.”

    SM: Have you been able to discover any new hobbies that you otherwise might not have been during racing?

    MQH: “Play Mahjong, play eSport games.”

    SM: When you are done quarantining, what is the first thing you’re going to do and what do you hope to accomplish when the current season ends? 

    MQH: “In China, we are currently not in quarantine anymore, so I’m doing everything as normal.”

    Special thanks to Hayley Wang for making the interview happen and special thanks to Ma Qinghua for taking time out of his busy schedule to participate in this interview.

    Fans of Ma Qing Hua can follow him on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Additionally, fans can follow NIO 333 on Twitter and YouTube.

  • Interview: Catching Up With Howie DiSavino III

    Interview: Catching Up With Howie DiSavino III

    In this interview, Speedway Media catches up with ARCA driver, Howie DiSavino III.

    DiSavino III is currently 19-years old and from Chesterfield, Virginia, and has made select starts in the ARCA Menards Series. During the interview, DiSavino III talks about the first race he competed in, the driver he’s always idolized, and if he is superstitious about his race day routine.

    SM: What was the very first race you had partaken as a race car driver? Was it everything you expected?

    HD: “The first race that I partaken in was a late model race,” DiSavino III said. “We rented a late model from a local team. I was 14-years old and didn’t know how to drive a stick shift. I learned really quick that was needed. We started 21st and came in 13th place.

    SM: How calm are you during a race? Are you a driver that’s more fired up behind the wheel or take it easy until the halfway point

    HD: “I am more of the driver to be calm and collective until the halfway point.”

    SM: What’s the most exhilarating race you’ve ever been a part of? Any come to mind?

    HD: “The most exhilarating race I have been in was at Elko in my first ARCA start,” he said. “We came 10th and on the lead lap. That was my most cherished race.”

    SM: Which driver did you idolize and wanted to be like growing up as a racer?

    HD: “I have always idolized Dale Jr.”

    SM: You are walking around in the garage area. A fan is trying to reach you for an autograph, but for whatever reason, you can’t see them or maybe the garage area is packed. How does a fan grab your attention for an autograph or photo?

    HD: A simple wave as I look over the crowd is how a fan gets my attention,” DiSavino III said. “I love talking to fans and hearing what their thoughts are.”

    SM: Has there ever been a random or funny moment that has happened to you during a race?

    HD: “The funniest moment I have had was when, I put my water hose next to my leg during a race,” he said. It got pinned against the seat and when I went into the corner, it sprayed all over my leg and I was wondering to myself if I peed on myself… Water was all over me.”

    SM: Who is one racing icon that you have always wanted to meet?

    HD: I would love to meet Dale Jr,” DiSavino III said. “He seems like a great down to earth guy!”

    SM: Are you someone that is superstitious before a race starts?

    HD: “I am not superstitious,” he said. “However, my crew member Mike Garcia gave me a cross and I have it with me every time I race.”

    SM: What is the first thing you do after you come home from a race? Does it take a while for the adrenaline to wear off?

    HD: “After a race, I usually eat a lot and talk about the race with everyone.”

    SM: If you could visit any planet in the solar system. Which planet would you choose?

    HD: “I would want to go to Saturn, because it looks like it has a racetrack around it!”

    SM: You are required to go without one social media app for a year. What app would you choose to go without?

    HD: “I would go without Snapchat.”

    SM: Time travel is available and you can go back in time to pick a race to watch in person. What race do you pick if you had the chance to watch it in person?

    HD: I would want to go to the Daytona race Dale Jr. won in the 2001 Pepsi 400.”

    Fans of Howie can follow him on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Additionally, fans can check out his website.

    DiSavino III has made three ARCA Menards Series starts since 2019. His current best career finish is in his ARCA debut, which took place at Elko Speedway last summer.

  • Interview: Catching up with Nerea Marti

    Interview: Catching up with Nerea Marti

    In this interview, Speedway Media catches up with race car driver, Nerea Marti, who competes in the W Series and has done other forms of Motorsport, including Formula 4, throughout her career.

    Marti discusses a wide range of topics such as the W Series, what she is currently doing during this down period of racing, sim racing, and a language she would like to learn more about.

    SM: Due to this current pandemic, you haven’t been able to get any racing done this year. Are you growing tired of sitting at home and not being able to race?

    NM: “It’s a difficult situation for everyone,” Marti said. “Thanks to CETDM (CENTRO DE TECNIFICACIÓN DEL MOTOR) that sends me a training session, I can keep both physically and mentally 100 percent. Now, W Series provided us a simulator and we can keep with the preseason preparation.

    SM: Is it difficult for a driver like you knowing that you are almost always on the go, but then have to pause and wait not knowing when the next race might be?

    NM: “It’s an uncertainty moment, that we don’t know what happens or when we will go back,” she said. “But, we must be positive and prepared for when the time comes.”

    SM: W Series announced a couple of weeks ago, you (among the other drivers) will be participating in their new sim racing league. How much are you looking forward to that?

    NM: “It’s a great opportunity to be able to train and prepare (for) the tracks which I will compete, and thanks to W Series, this is possible,” Marti said. “I can’t wait for the first race.”

    SM: Do you think by doing sim racing on tracks you compete at in real-life that it will help give you some practice by doing them on the sim?

    NM: “The simulator helps a lot to learn the tracks and have references,” she said. “It helps a great deal.”

    SM: Has this break altered your normal routine than what it normally is? How have you been able to adjust to the different circumstances?

    NM: Normally, I live in Cheste, a village near Valencia, the CETDM program and there, I’m internal from Monday to Friday, combining the studies with training and other elite athletes,” Marti said. “This lockdown, I have continued my training at home, following the information received by my trainer daily.”

    SM: During this lockdown, have you been watching any Netflix or Hulu? If so, what is your favorite TV show right now?

    NM: “I have organized very well the time to take advantage of it to the maximum,” she said. “I have been studying and training a lot and in my free time, watching Netflix without binge-watching. I also speak to my friends via video conference, etc. My favorite TV show is a Spanish one called “La casa de papel.”

    SM: What been the most random or funniest thing that has happened to you during a race?

    NM: I don’t have any random situation,” Marti said. “But, I remember once when I was training with my kart, I felt one bee inside my helmet and I had to stop. I was scared, but it was also funny.”

    SM: Is there a language that you wish you can learn how to speak?

    NM: “I would like to talk as many languages as possible, in order to communicate with many people,” she said. “During this lockdown, I have been improving my English.”

    SM: If you could not be a race car driver anymore, what would your other career choice be and why?

    NM: “I like sport in general, but I have always been surrounded by motorsport,” Marti said. “It is my passion.”

    SM: If you could choose someone to play you in a movie about your life. Who would that person be?

    NM: “I don’t know, but if I have to choose I would say my mom,” she said. “Only because she knows me a lot, although she is not an actress. I think she can speak like me and act like me. I think it would be funny.”

    SM: Is there a song out there that best describes you?

    NM: “I think that I don’t have any song which describes my life, but in this moment, I’m listening to reggaeton, a lot of the times.”

    SM: If you could visit any planet in the solar system, which planet would it be?

    NM: “If I had to choose one planet, I would choose Mars,” Marti said. “I would like to know if there is life.”

    SM: Wrapping it up, what is one accomplishment that you are most proud of?

    NM: “One of my greatest accomplishments has been to drive a Formula (Car),” she said. “It has always been my dream and I am very proud of it.”

    Fans of Nerea can follow her on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and check out her website.

    Special thanks to Nerea Marti for taking the time out of her busy schedule to do the interview.