Category: Other Series Racing

Mexico City, Sunday October 27, 2024 – Carlos Sainz took a brilliant victory for Scuderia Ferrari at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in the Formula 1 Mexico City Grand Prix 2024 Presented by Heineken that carried on the controversy between the two drivers fighting for the World Championship. The race had an attendance of 154,142 fans this Sunday and 404,958 during the three-day event.

The 30-year-old Spaniard claimed his fourth F1 race win, recovering from a slow getaway from pole position to take the lead on lap nine of the 71. He finished in a time of 1 hour 40 minutes 55.880 seconds, 4.705 seconds ahead of title-chasing Lando Norris’s McLaren, with Charles Leclerc over half a minute behind in the second Ferrari. Leclerc set the fastest lap of 1:18.336 (197.794 km/h) on the final lap.

This is the first time Sainz has won more than one race in a single F1 season and a special moment as he prepares to leave Ferrari and join Williams Racing in 2025. “Gracias Mexico!” he said. “It’s incredible to see this crowd, I’ve been feeling their support all week. I’ve been saying for a while I wanted one more win before leaving Scuderia Ferrari and to do it here in front of this mega-crowd is incredible.”

Five-time Mexico winner Max Verstappen’s Oracle Red Bull Racing car led by the first corner after starting second. “I was a bit annoyed at the start, having lost position to him,” Sainz added. “I said, I need to surprise him one way or another because Max is super-difficult to pass. I was a bit far back, but I said, I have nothing to lose, I’m just gonna send one down the inside.”

Scuderia Ferrari’s first victory in Mexico since 1990 was overshadowed when Norris and Verstappen became involved in a major incident for the second race in a row. On lap 10 Verstappen twice forced Norris wide, first into Turn 4 and again at Turn 7, where Leclerc passed them both. Verstappen received two separate 10-second penalties, meaning he could finish no higher than sixth, allowing Norris to close the gap between them to 47 points with four races remaining.

“It was a very tough race,” Norris said. “I respect Max as a driver, but I was ready to expect something like this – not very clean driving in my opinion”. But I avoided it, and it was a good race.” As for his title chances, Norris was non-committal: “I just keep my head down. That’s all we can do for now, just focus on ourselves.” Eighth place for Oscar Piastri helped McLaren extend their lead in the Constructors’ Championship as Ferrari moved into second place ahead of Oracle Red Bull Racing.

To add fuel to the Red Bull flames, Sergio Pérez was handed a five-second penalty for a false start: the Mexican had placed his car too forward in its grid box at the start. Checo too was then involved in drama when he tried to force his way past Liam Lawson’s VCARB and was taken wide by the New Zealander.

“I don’t get it,” said Pérez after finishing 17th and last. “He just went for the incident, damaging both of our races. I picked up damage to my sidepod and floor. It was an incident that was totally avoidable. I had the corner, he went off completely and then just went straight – it was such a surprise to see him there!”

Despite a disastrous home weekend, Pérez remains upbeat about his return. “I will be back next year,” he said, “and I will try for the victory – that is my dream.”

Mercedes-AMG Petronas duo Lewis Hamilton and George Russell were fourth and fifth, while MoneyGram Team Haas enjoyed another superb weekend. Kevin Magnussen was seventh and Nico Hülkenberg ninth to consolidate the small American team’s sixth place in the Constructors’ Championship.

At the first corner of the race Alex Albon’s Williams, squeezed left by Pierre Gasly’s BWT Alpine, clipped Yuki Tsunoda’s VCARB and sent the Japanese driver into the wall, bringing out the Safety Car for six laps. Only one other driver retired: Fernando Alonso, in his 400th Grand Prix weekend, had to pull out after 16 laps with a brake issue.

Earlier in the weekend the 43-year-old Spaniard had called AHR’s GNP Seguros Stadium “one of the most iconic places where you can drive an F1 car”. The Mexico GP underlined the message on the new roof of the GNP Seguros Stadium itself: “Vivir es incréible!”

About FORMULA 1 GRAN PREMIO DE LA CIUDAD DE MÉXICO Presented by Heineken

Historically awarded “Best Event of the Year” for five races (2015 to 2019), FORMULA 1 GRAN PREMIO DE LA CIUDAD DE MEXICO Presented by Heineken has proven to be much more than a sporting event, it is an unparalleled promotional platform that shares with the world the cultural and touristic riches of Mexico City.

For more information about FORMULA 1 GRAN PREMIO DE LA CIUDAD DE MÉXICO Presented by Heineken visit: http://www.mexicogp.mx

About Formula 1®

The history of Formula 1® began in 1950 and is the world’s most prestigious motorsport competition and the world’s most popular annual sporting series. Formula One World Championship Limited is part of Formula 1 and holds the exclusive commercial rights to the FIA Formula One World Championship™.

Formula 1 is a subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation (NASDAQ: LSXMA, LSXMB, LSXMK, BATRA, BATRK, FWONA, FWONK) attributed to the Formula One Group shares.

The F1 FORMULA 1 logo, FORMULA 1, F1, FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, GRAND PRIX, PADDOCK CLUB and related marks are trademarks of Formula One Licensing BV, a Formula One company. All rights reserved.

For more information about Formula 1® visit: www.formula1.com

About CIE:

With its origins in 1990, Corporación Interamericana de Entretenimiento (“CIE”) (BMV: CIE) is a leading player in the Latin American out-of-home entertainment industry and has contributed in making Mexico a world-class destination in the field.

The company promotes and markets the FORMULA 1 GRAN PREMIO DE LA CIUDAD DE MEXICO, produces events for the public sector, and operates the El Salitre Mágico amusement park in Colombia.

Through its strategic partnership with Live Nation at OCESA, it produces and promotes concerts, music festivals, Broadway-type theatrical and urban content productions, sporting, family and corporate events. It represents artistic talent, markets advertising rights and sponsorships, operates entertainment properties, the Citibanamex exhibition, congress and convention center, sells tickets through its Ticketmaster and Eticket platforms, and offers digital marketing and advertising services.

Bonsignore also takes home first Martinsville Grandfather Clock as he moves into second on all-time wins list

MARTINSVILLE, Va. (Oct. 26, 2024) – Justin Bonsignore wasn’t going to be denied his fourth NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship, as he dominated the season finale Virginia is for Racing Lovers 300 at Martinsville Speedway to take home the Grandfather Clock and the year-end title.

The championship marks Bonsignore’s fourth title (2018, 2020, 2021, 2024), and the win – his first at Martinsville Speedway – gave him sole possession of second on the all-time Whelen Modified Tour wins list with 45.

A late-season surge in which he won the final three races of the season gave Bonsignore the edge over two-time Tour champion Ron Silk, as they carried their season-long contentious championship battle into the final race of season for the second year in a row.

“A year of hard work, a lot of ups and downs, the middle of September wasn’t looking good, all of a sudden we got hot,” Bonsignore said in Victory Lane. “Three in a row is something I’ve never done in my career, and to cap it off with a Grandfather Clock is just really awesome.”

A year ago, Silk led Bonsignore by 13 points heading into the Martinsville season finale and held on to win the championship, but the tables were turned this year.

The pair of wins in the last two races leading into Martinsville gained Bonsignore a 10-point advantage over his rival as the title race loomed. The No. 51 Ken Massa Motorsports team brought the same car – the one with which Bonsignore won those races at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park and North Wilkesboro Speedway — to Martinsville. They unloaded fast again, as he led practice and then won the pole for the championship race.

Silk, however, struggled in qualifying and started 13th in the race. And while Silk showed moments of speed, his championship hopes ultimately dissolved when mechanical issues took him out of the race with 60 laps remaining. He was relegated to a 17th-place finish.

The championship moment was especially meaningful for Bonsignore after he went home empty-handed following the season finale at Martinsville the last two seasons.

“We watched other people celebrate two years in a row here and we lost, and that’s tough to watch back,” said Bonsignore. “Just a lot of hard work by Ryan Stone and Ken Massa to keep things going in the direction we want to go.

“It’s really had to put into words just how special this stuff is.”

Matt Hirschman finished second, while Jacob Lutz was third. Austin Beers and Ryan Newman rounded out the top five.

Bonsignore finished the season with 673 points, while Silk finished second in the standings with 641. Patrick Emerling also put together a solid second half of the season with three wins and was third in the standings with 635 points.

Trevor Catalano was crowned the Sunoco Rookie of the Year after finishing eighth in points this season. He captured a win at Monadnock Speedway in July and recorded three top-five and four top-10 finishes this season.

The day which ended with the crowning of the 2024 champion opened with exciting news about 2025 and beyond for the Tour. NASCAR officials announced an extension of the entitlement partnership of the Tour, as Whelen Engineering, Inc. returns to the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour through 2029 in a partnership that guarantees increased team payouts starting with the 2025 season. The extension of the entitlement of the Whelen Modified Tour brings the partnership to 25 years in 2029, making them one of the longest-running sponsors in NASCAR.

While the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour concluded their season at Martinsville Speedway, the half-mile track in Virginia still has one more race weekend remaining on the calendar for 2024.

Next weekend, the NASCAR Playoff races at Martinsville will set the Championship 4 for all three NASCAR national series. The weekend opens featuring the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Zip Buy Now, Pay Later 200 on Friday, Nov. 1.

On Saturday, Nov. 2, fans can witness the action of the NASCAR Xfinity Series National Debt Relief 250 as drivers take to the track for an intense battle. Then, on Sunday, Nov. 3, drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series will compete for those final spots in the Championship 4 in the Xfinity 500, the penultimate race of the season.  

Limited tickets remain for Sunday’s showdown, and fans can purchase tickets to the 2024 NASCAR Playoffs Race Weekend via phone at 877-RACE-TIX or online at martinsvillespeedway.com.

About NASCAR

Celebrating its 75th Anniversary in 2023, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 16 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR sanctions races in three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR Xfinity Series™, and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series™), four international series (NASCAR Brasil Sprint Race, NASCAR Mexico Series, NASCAR Pinty’s Series (Canada), NASCAR Whelen Euro Series), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour) and a local grassroots series (NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series). The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races annually in 12 countries and more than 30 U.S. states. For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat (‘NASCAR’).  

MARTINSVILLE, Va. (Oct. 26, 2024) – With lap after lap of side-by-side racing for the lead, a late race green-white-checkered shootout for victory, and a close margin of victory, the first-ever Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin race on an oval lived up to the hype at Martinsville Speedway. Jared Thomas (No. 96 JTR Motorsports Engineering) took home $25,000 and a Martinsville clock at the end of the 105-lap exhibition race.

Thomas was nearly perfect in the single-day event at ‘The Short Track.’ He turned the fastest practice lap, set the pole time and led 82 laps, but coming to the final restart, he was behind Westin Workman (No. 13 BSI Racing).

Workman, who qualified second, was Thomas’ biggest opponent the entire race. The two were able to gap the rest of the field in the first half of the race, but Workman was on the attack with 20 laps to go and took over the lead after the duo dazzled the receptive Martinsville crowd as they ran side-by-side fighting for the lead without making contact before Thomas reclaimed the point.

“We were, I would say pacing is a good word,” Thomas said. “We were trying not to use our stuff up, because we knew it was going to be the last 25 when it was going to get hot and heavy. I could tell some of the guys around me were pushing really hard, so I was trying to play the game where I pushed a little bit and then would ride a little bit and kind of balance it out and make them use their stuff up to catch me. The second half was a different story.”

The Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup used a lot of traditional oval racing rules, including the ‘Choose Rule.’ When preparing for a restart from yellow, cars get to choose which lane they restart in, left or right. Drivers can gain positions by choosing a lane with less cars, but will be in the ‘slower’ lane for the restart. For the final restart, Workman chose the left lane and Thomas opted to stay behind Workman on the left side.

The pair sped into Turn One nose-to-tail, Workman appeared to get loose, and Thomas took rapid advantage.

“The outside here from practicing it and going back and watching a lot of video from all the other NASCAR series that run here, you know you’re never gonna get around the guy on the top unless something extreme happens,” Thomas said of his choice. “So, I figured my best bet was on the bottom, run with him and then see if we can make a move on him.

“I was trying not to get bumped and run myself,” Thomas said. “Because the 31 [Landen Lewis] was coming down. He was right on my bumper, and we all went in there and Weston got in a little hot.”

Workman nearly fell off the podium all together, but was able to collect himself and reclaim second. There was not enough time to catch Thomas though, who won by 0.374-second.

Along with a $25,000 check, Thomas also picked up a famed Martinsville clock for his history-making win.

“[The clock] is gonna go in the shop for a while, and it’s going to stay there for a couple weeks, so all these guys that made this happen-all my crew guys-so they can enjoy it too.”

Unlike Thomas, who came into the event with a solid background in oval racing, Workman was racing on an oval for the first time ever. The 2024 Rookie of the Year didn’t even test at Martinsville. Workman was a quick learner, which probably helped him secure the 2023 Mazda MX-5 Cup Shootout Scholarship. He didn’t get the clock or the big check, but Workman did earn an impressive $10,000 for finishing second.

“I thought we ran pretty well,” Workman said. “I thought we did pretty much everything right tonight. I felt like I wasn’t given a chance there in Turn One on the restart to really hold the position. There was literally nothing I could do, but happy with second place 10 grand in my pocket.”

The highest finishing driver without Mazda MX-5 Cup experience was Landen Lewis (No. 31 McCumbee McAleer Racing). Lewis qualified fourth but struggled to stay in the top five for the first half of the race. He excelled at restarts however, and nearly bested Workman for second on the final restart but went on to finish third in his first MX-5 Cup race and collected $7,000.

“I was kind of riding around, trying to bide my time, watching the laps go down, and then all of a sudden, I was getting shipped and moved and beat and banged,” Lewis said. “I come on the radio and I’m like ‘I need to man up. This is no joke. These guys are racing hard every single lap.’ I just manned up and tried to get in there as much as I could. It was really fun.

“I felt like we had a top-three car right there at the end for sure. Before that caution come out, the leader and second, they were in a different zip code, so we just had what we had, but I learned a lot and would love to do this again.”

Veteran Mazda pilot Tom Long (No. 8 McCumbee McAleer Racing), who is usually working in race control during MX-5 Cup races, couldn’t resist the chance to race at Martinsville and ended the day one spot shy of the podium, but $5,000 richer.

Another MX-5 Cup newcomer, but Spec Miata ace, Capers Zentmeyer (No. 99 Spark Performance) completed the top five. It was a fairytale ending for Zentmeyer, who is a Martinsville native and qualified 14th, but played his hand wisely and ended up with a fifth-place finish and $4,000.

The Mazda MX-5 Cup offseason has officially begun. Teams will regroup and prepare for the start of the 2025 season, January 24 – 26, at Daytona International Speedway. All races from the 2024 season are available to rewatch on IMSA’s YouTube channel.

About: The Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin is the signature spec series for Mazda Motorsports. The series has been operated by Andersen Promotions since 2017 and is currently sanctioned by IMSA. Mazda-powered grassroots champions can earn Mazda scholarships for this pro-level series. The Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup awards more than $1 million in prizes and scholarships.

Find out more at http://www.mx-5cup.com.

Mexico City. Saturday October 26, 2024 – During the Formula 1 Mexico City Grand Prix 2024 Presented by Heineken, which had an attendance of 142,951, Carlos Sainz produced a stunning 204.018 km/h lap to give Scuderia Ferrari their fourth pole position in the modern era at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodriguez ahead of Sunday’s race.

In a thrilling hour of Qualifying action the 30-year-old Spaniard, in his last season with the Italian team, set the 4.303-km circuit alight as he claimed his first pole position since Singapore in 2023 and the sixth of his F1 career with a time of 1 minute 15.946 seconds.

“Great couple of laps!”, said Sainz. “Often around Mexico you really feel that you cannot put a lap together and it’s extremely difficult with how much sliding there is, but today my two laps in Q3 were pretty much identical and almost perfect. Our number one priority now is to bring both cars home but if you win the race, those seven or eight points that you get is important for the team in the Constructors’ Championship. I’ll be looking forward to keeping that P1 into Turn 1 and from there hopefully our race pace should be good enough to win it.”

Championship leader and five-time Mexico winner Max Verstappen’s Red Bull will start from the front row, the World Champion recovering from a tricky Friday to push title rival Lando Norris’s McLaren back on to the second row. Scuderia Ferrari is the only team in the hunt for the Constructors’ title to have both cars in the top 10, with Charles Leclerc alongside the British driver.

“Yesterday I barely did any laps, so we’re playing a lot of catch-up,” said 27-year-old Dutchman Verstappen, who had an engine change overnight. “FP3 was not very good, so I was already under a lot of pressure to have a good Qualifying. Then my lap time got taken away, so that added a little bit more pressure! But I’m very happy to be on the front row, I didn’t expect that to be possible.”

Verstappen shared Sainz’s feelings about the circuit. “It’s probably one of the hardest tracks to get right,” he added. “Street circuits are difficult, and this one as well: low downforce, it’s very easy to have a lock-up or a slide, the tires overheat immediately, it’s one of the trickier ones on the calendar.”

While Norris was “pretty happy” with third, it was another disastrous day at home for Mexican star Sergio Pérez, eliminated in the first segment of Qualifying for the fifth time in his challenging 2024 season. “I just couldn’t get on top of it, I couldn’t stop the car soon enough,” the 34-year-old explained. Checo, who crashed out on the first corner here last year, knows he has another tough Sunday ahead. “It’s very important to try and maximize the day,” he said. “If we are able to score some good points it will be a tremendous effort, but it’s going to be very difficult from the position we are in.”

The other big name eliminated in the first 18-minute segment was Norris’s teammate Oscar Piastri, who had one lap time deleted, then made what he called “a very poor mistake” that cost him a full second. “Painful,” said the 23-year-old Australian after compromising McLaren’s bid to keep their lead in the Constructors’ Championship.

The third row of the grid belongs to Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team, with George Russell marginally quicker than two-time Mexico winner Lewis Hamilton, but with big names missing from the final segment, some unaccustomed faces took advantage to complete the top 10.

Danish veteran Kevin Magnussen, in his final year with MoneyGram Haas F1 Team, starts seventh alongside BWT Alpine F1 Team driver Pierre Gasly, with Alex Albon recovering from his own difficult Friday to put his Williams ninth alongside the second Haas of Nico Hülkenberg.

About FORMULA 1 GRAN PREMIO DE LA CIUDAD DE MÉXICO Presented by Heineken

Historically awarded “Best Event of the Year” for five races (2015 to 2019), FORMULA 1 GRAN PREMIO DE LA CIUDAD DE MEXICO Presented by Heineken has proven to be much more than a sporting event, it is an unparalleled promotional platform that shares with the world the cultural and touristic riches of Mexico City.

For more information about FORMULA 1 GRAN PREMIO DE LA CIUDAD DE MÉXICO Presented by Heineken visit: http://www.mexicogp.mx

About Formula 1®

The history of Formula 1® began in 1950 and is the world’s most prestigious motorsport competition and the world’s most popular annual sporting series. Formula One World Championship Limited is part of Formula 1 and holds the exclusive commercial rights to the FIA Formula One World Championship™.

Formula 1 is a subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation (NASDAQ: LSXMA, LSXMB, LSXMK, BATRA, BATRK, FWONA, FWONK) attributed to the Formula One Group shares.

The F1 FORMULA 1 logo, FORMULA 1, F1, FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, GRAND PRIX, PADDOCK CLUB and related marks are trademarks of Formula One Licensing BV, a Formula One company. All rights reserved.

For more information about Formula 1® visit: www.formula1.com

About CIE:

With its origins in 1990, Corporación Interamericana de Entretenimiento (“CIE”) (BMV: CIE) is a leading player in the Latin American out-of-home entertainment industry and has contributed in making Mexico a world-class destination in the field.

The company promotes and markets the FORMULA 1 GRAN PREMIO DE LA CIUDAD DE MEXICO, produces events for the public sector, and operates the El Salitre Mágico amusement park in Colombia.

Through its strategic partnership with Live Nation at OCESA, it produces and promotes concerts, music festivals, Broadway-type theatrical and urban content productions, sporting, family and corporate events. It represents artistic talent, markets advertising rights and sponsorships, operates entertainment properties, the Citibanamex exhibition, congress and convention center, sells tickets through its Ticketmaster and Eticket platforms, and offers digital marketing and advertising services.

• The Ferrari driver topped FP2, setting the best time of the day.
• Pato O’Ward completed 21 laps for McLaren during Practice 1, and Checo Pérez finished 9th in FP2.
• 107,865 fans filled the stands during the first day of the F1ESTA.

Mexico City, 25 October 2024 – Spaniard Carlos Sainz was the fastest driver on day one of the Formula 1 Mexico City Grand Prix 2024 Presented by Heineken at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, setting a time of 1:17.699 during Practice 2.

Before a crowd of 107,865 fans, the Ferrari team driver was very consistent in his 34 laps around the 4.304-km track and became the man to beat in a session marked by a red flag and tyre tests as part of Pirelli’s development for the 2025 season.

With just 13 minutes left in the session, George Russell caught the kerb in the “esses” section, lost control of his Mercedes, and crashed into the barrier to bring out a red flag. The British driver was able to get out of the car on his own and was taken to the track’s medical centre for a routine check-up.

After a 23-minute pause while the barriers were being repaired, the drivers got back the track to continue looking for the optimum setup.

The next best time after Sainz was clocked by McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, 0.178 seconds behind, followed by VCARB’s Yuki Tsunoda, 0.179 seconds back (one thousandth of a second behind Piastri). Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) and Lando Norris (McLaren) set the fourth and fifth fastest times, respectively.

Rounding out the top 10 were Kevin Magnussen (Haas), Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes), Valtteri Bottas (Stake), Mexico’s Sergio Perez (Red Bull Racing), and Liam Lawson (VCARB).

The second free practice session lasted 90 minutes, 30 minutes longer than usual, with the last half hour devoted to Pirelli tyre testing as the manufacturer continues developing the compounds that will be used next season.

Max Verstappen was forced to stop his RB20 halfway through the session due to problems with the power unit, so he was not able to set a competitive time. The Argentinean Franco Colapinto, driving for Williams, set the 15th fastest time.

The first practice session was led by George Russell and saw four Latin drivers taking to the track: Sergio Perez, Franco Colapinto, Pato O’Ward (McLaren), and Felipe Drugovich (Aston Martin). The session featured a significant number of reserve/test drivers, including Oliver Bearman (Ferrari), Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), and Robert Shwartzman (Stake).

The session gave Pato an opportunity to support McLaren in his role as reserve and development driver. The British team currently leads the constructors’ championship. Pato did a total of 21 laps and made a favourable impression on the Woking team.

“I was only able to push hard for four or five laps. It was not enough, I was king of left wanting more,” said the Monterrey-born driver.

In FP1, Russell led from Carlos Sainz (Ferrari), Yuki Tsunoda (RB) and Max Verstappen (Red Bull); Nico Hülkenberg (Haas) rounded out the top five. Checo finished 10th. Meanwhile, the fastest time among the reserve drivers was set by Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who finished 12th.

Support Races

In the morning, the on-track action was supplemented by practice and qualifying sessions for the GTM Super Cup, Masters Historic Racing, and Formula 4 NACAM Championship support categories.

Mexican Grand Prix ambassador Ivanna Richards put in an outstanding performance. The 16-year-old driver qualified 8th and 11th for the two races of the GTM Super Copa touring car category.

On Saturday, Practice 3 is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. local time, and qualifying will be held at 3:00 p.m.

Follow us at:

Facebook – Mexico GP
Twitter – @mexicogp
Instagram – @mexicogp
LinkedIn – Mexico Grand Prix
YouTube – youtube.com/@MexicoGP

About FORMULA 1 GRAN PREMIO DE LA CIUDAD DE MÉXICO Presented by Heineken

Historically awarded “Best Event of the Year” for five races (2015 to 2019), FORMULA 1 GRAN PREMIO DE LA CIUDAD DE MEXICO Presented by Heineken has proven to be much more than a sporting event, it is an unparalleled promotional platform that shares with the world the cultural and touristic riches of Mexico City.

For more information about FORMULA 1 GRAN PREMIO DE LA CIUDAD DE MÉXICO Presented by Heineken visit: http://www.mexicogp.mx

About Formula 1®

The history of Formula 1® began in 1950 and is the world’s most prestigious motorsport competition and the world’s most popular annual sporting series. Formula One World Championship Limited is part of Formula 1 and holds the exclusive commercial rights to the FIA Formula One World Championship™.

Formula 1 is a subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation (NASDAQ: LSXMA, LSXMB, LSXMK, BATRA, BATRK, FWONA, FWONK) attributed to the Formula One Group shares.

The F1 FORMULA 1 logo, FORMULA 1, F1, FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, GRAND PRIX, PADDOCK CLUB and related marks are trademarks of Formula One Licensing BV, a Formula One company. All rights reserved.

For more information about Formula 1® visit: www.formula1.com

About CIE:

With its origins in 1990, Corporación Interamericana de Entretenimiento (“CIE”) (BMV: CIE) is a leading player in the Latin American out-of-home entertainment industry and has contributed in making Mexico a world-class destination in the field.

The company promotes and markets the FORMULA 1 GRAN PREMIO DE LA CIUDAD DE MEXICO, produces events for the public sector, and operates the El Salitre Mágico amusement park in Colombia.

Through its strategic partnership with Live Nation at OCESA, it produces and promotes concerts, music festivals, Broadway-type theatrical and urban content productions, sporting, family and corporate events. It represents artistic talent, markets advertising rights and sponsorships, operates entertainment properties, the Citibanamex exhibition, congress and convention center, sells tickets through its Ticketmaster and Eticket platforms, and offers digital marketing and advertising services.

North Wilkesboro, N.C.: While Canadian standout Treyten Lapcevich and his Chad Bryant Racing team did not end their 2024 zMAX CARS Tour Late Model Stock Car Tour season the way that they had hoped this past Saturday night, the duo is still reflecting on many positives from the season.

The anticipation to return to the historic North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway for Lapcevich and his team were high considering the team was the most recent winner at the famed North Carolina short track earlier this year.

Their fall trip to sweep the season, though, hit a major roadblock when Lapcevich retired from the ECMD 125 due to engine failure.

Before the expiration, Lapcevich and his Chad Bryant-led team were in contention for a strong finish in this year’s zMAX CARS Tour Late Model season finale.

“North Wilkesboro was certainly disappointing for our team with an engine failure ending our race early,” said Lapcevich.

“We had good speed all weekend long, started a little deeper in the pack than we would’ve liked to after being the first one out in qualifying, but when it came race time – we had a lot of speed and were making positions up very quickly.

“I felt as if we had speed capable of riding up the elevator for a second time this year, but unfortunately didn’t get the chance to find out.”

With back-to-back hardship finishes, Lapcevich still reflected on 2024, when the team showcased their ability to overcome bad luck early in the season with positivity and consistency.

“I am still very proud of our team for the amazing year that we had,” expressed Lapcevich. “We’ve encountered a lot of bad luck these last two weeks, but I still don’t think that hinders what we were able to accomplish this year as a team.

“We came a long way since the beginning but turned into a consistent threat at the front of the field.”

Unofficially, finishing sixth in the zMAX CARS Tour Late Model Stock Car Tour championship point standings, Lapcevich expressed extreme gratitude for his partners who assisted in making the 2024 racing season possible.

“I really want to send a huge thanks to my sponsors for providing me with this opportunity,” added Lapcevich.

“Evirum, Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship and Allrem Racing have put a lot of belief in me, which I’m extremely grateful for. Thank you to the Chad Bryant Racing team for all of their hard work all season long.”

“Overall, being surrounded by great people, I learned so much and grew as a driver that I think will make us an even bigger threat heading into next year.”

After 17 races, Chad Bryant Racing unofficially finished seventh in the championship owner standings with one win, six top-five and 12 top-10 finishes with an average finish of 8.2 with Lapcevich at the helm.

Lapcevich’s plans for the 2025 season will be announced in due course.

For more on Treyten Lapcevich, like him on Facebook (treyten.lapcevich) and follow him on Instagram (@treytenlapcevich) and X | Twitter (@TreytenL).

About Allrem Sports and Entertainment:

Allrem Sports & Entertainment, a company of Allrem group of companies, is the powerhouse behind all sports and entertainment endeavors within the Allrem group of companies, with a strategic focus on ensuring optimal business development, brand awareness, and marketing opportunities for the entire Allrem group of companies and its partners.

Through the collective power of its diverse subsidiaries (Allrem Racing, BKFC, Les Pétroliers de Laval), Allrem Sports & Entertainment delivers unparalleled value to its sponsors and the Allrem group of companies. We provide our partners with business development opportunities, corporate hospitality programs, targeted brand awareness initiatives and innovative sponsorship activations. We ensure that all our partners receive maximum exposure and tangible returns on their investment to meet their objectives.

Learn more at allremsae.com

About Evirum:

Evirum, part of the Allrem group of companies, is a Canadian residual materials management brokerage offering eco-responsible solutions across North America to minimize environmental impact and promote recycling and other innovative practices. Evirum is committed to providing companies, events and industries with the best sustainable practices and services.

Learn more at evirum.com

About BKFC:

Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC), the World’s Fastest Growing Combat Sports Promotion, in which Allrem is a shareholder, is the first entity sanctioned to hold regulated bare-knuckle events in the United States since 1889. BKFC is based in Philadelphia (PA) and headed by President and Founder David Feldman.

Learn more at bkfc.com

LAS VEGAS — The BITNILE.com Open Wheel Showdown Las Vegas is fast-approaching with the most lucrative pavement open wheel event in motorsports, November 14-16 at the Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Winged Sprint Cars will compete for $50,000 to win for the second annual event, along with $5,000 to win Super Modifieds and $5,000 to win Modifieds. Over 125 teams are registered for the $200,000+ event that will be broadcast live on Speed Sport TV.

Aaron Willison won the inaugural Winged Sprint Car 100-lap feature in 2023 ahead of Bobby Santos III in second and event promoter Davey Hamilton, Jr. in third for a talent-laden podium. They will square off against a 70-car entry list – the largest ever assembled on pavement. JoJo Helberg makes his anticipated return to pavement open wheel racing while 2023 Little 500 winner Jake Trainor makes one of his first career winged starts.

Modifieds were added to the Open Wheel Showdown in 2024 and they have responded in force with nearly 40 entries spanning the western states. West Coast champions such as Scott Winters, Eddie Secord, and Ian Elliott will battle with the champion drivers from both The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and the Rocky Mountains in a 75-lap feature for $5,000 to win.

Super Modifieds are headlined by the returns of Kenny and Davey Hamilton in search of the $5,000 prize after 40-laps of feature racing. 2024 SpeedTour champion Randy Anderson of Tacoma, Washington, multi-time race winners Jim Birges and Nathan Byrd, and many others make up the entry list of two dozen teams.

Action kicks off Thursday with optional practice. On Friday, the Winged Sprint Cars and Modifieds will qualify and compete in heat races. Following heat race action will be the Winged Sprint Car C-Main and pole shuffle.
All three divisions will compete in main events on Saturday evening as well.

For more information, visit www.openwheelshowdown.com Tickets and RV reservations are available via the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Pit Passes will be sold at the gate and include grandstand access.

ABB FIA Formula E World Championship

Atlanta, Oct. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Atlanta. Porsche has presented its Formula E car for the next two seasons: the new Porsche 99X Electric. The all-electric open-wheel racer complies with the regulations for the updated third generation of Formula E cars, called GEN3 Evo, and features all-round improved Porsche in-house developments. The new Porsche 99X Electric made its debut online on 24 October, in a film with Bruno Correia, the Formula E safety car driver and GEN3 Evo development driver. The key technical innovations are the ability to power the front wheels in certain scenarios, tires with increased grip, and a modified front wing. World Champion Pascal Wehrlein and António Félix da Costa, last season’s driver with the most wins, retain their positions as the drivers for the works TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team. The two Andretti Formula E customer cars will have former World Champion Jake Dennis, and the new Porsche works driver Nico Müller at the wheel.

Refined Porsche in-house developments
The evolution model inherits Porsche’s most successful formula sports car to date: In its GEN3 version, the Porsche 99X Electric won the drivers’ world championship two years in a row – with Dennis in 2022/2023, and with Wehrlein in 2023/2024. The concept remains the same: available energy is restricted according to series regulations. This forces the teams and their drivers to optimize the efficiency of the cars across all areas. Components developed by the manufacturer were allowed to be changed for the GEN3 Evo. The Porsche development department in Weissach took the opportunity to make optimizations identified over the past two seasons – particularly regarding the powertrain. The homologation of the manufacturer components is valid for two seasons. The fourth car generation, GEN4, is set to be introduced for Season 13 (2026/2027).

New features – GEN3 Evo
The key technical innovations of the GEN3 Evo relate to the standardized hardware of all teams and manufacturers taking part.

From now on, front-wheel drive may be engaged during qualifying duels, race starts, and Attack Mode. This gives the cars temporary all-wheel drive, enabling the Porsche 99X Electric to accelerate to 62 mph in about two seconds. Making the engagement of front-wheel drive as efficient as possible represents another technical challenge, with the lessons learned also benefitting Porsche road cars.

Higher performance tires from exclusive supplier Hankook will help the Formula E cars reach even higher speeds in the new season. To reduce the footprint, each car will still only have two sets of tires available per race weekend (three sets for double headers). The tire profile makes the tires suitable for both dry and wet conditions.

The evolution model is primarily recognizable by its modified front wing. The new form should make it more stable, enabling it to withstand contact better. Further modifications to the cladding were made behind the roll bar and in front of the rear wheels.

Colorways based on Taycan Turbo GT
Purple Sky Metallic and Shade Green Metallic – these are the new colors on the cladding of the Porsche 99X Electric. These were the colors that Porsche used to present the new Taycan Turbo GT, the most powerful production car the brand has ever built. The shades of purple and green replace the traditional combination of black, white and red. They symbolize the technology transfer from motorsport to production.

Next up
The TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team and Andretti Formula E will take part in Formula E’s official pre-season testing in Valencia, Spain (November 4 to 7). In addition to Wehrlein and da Costa, the two female drivers Gabriela Jílková and Marta García from Czechia and Spain will be taking the wheel of the two works Porsches in Valencia.

Quotes from the world premiere
Thomas Laudenbach, Vice President Porsche Motorsport: “We build future sports cars, so we also want our appearance to be progressive. The young and innovative Formula E is an excellent platform for promoting our electric production sports cars. The preparation for the season thus far fills me with confidence that not only do we look good, but we can also build on the successes of last season. The bar has been set high: With Pascal as the World Champion, we are at the pinnacle of Porsche’s formula racing history to date.”

Florian Modlinger, Director Factory Motorsport Formula E: “The biggest development task was and is the implementation of the temporary all-wheel drive. Since the hardware was already available for GEN3, a huge amount of work has gone into aligning the software. On the one hand we want to maximize acceleration and cornering speeds with the all-wheel drive. On the other hand, the goal is to not consume too much energy and to keep the car balance to the liking of the drivers. A task that is also relevant for our sports cars for the road.”

Pascal Wehrlein, Porsche works driver (#1): “The new Porsche 99X Electric is a very cool car. I love the colors so much that I designed my helmet the same way. It also goes without saying that I am proud to now have number 1 on the nose of my car. I want to defend my title and the preparations for the new season are going according to plan.”

António Félix da Costa, Porsche works driver (#13): “We are excited to see where we are at. The all-wheel drive, the new tires, and the comprehensive overhaul of our own components may shake things up a bit, even though there aren’t any major changes to the regulations. I’m optimistic and am pleased that we will be lining up in São Paulo again at the beginning of December. Hopefully the fans will love our new colors.”

Technical data – Porsche 99X Electric (GEN3 Evo)
Drive power
• Normal operation: 300 kW (402 hp)
• Attack Mode, qualifying duels: 350 kW (469 hp)

Power transmission
• Normal operation: rear
• Attack Mode, qualifying duels, race starts: all-wheel drive

Acceleration
• 0–62 mph: approx. 2.0 seconds

Energy recovery
• Up to 600 kW recuperation power (brake energy recovery)
• Approx. 50 percent of the drive energy per race comes from brake energy recovery

Brakes
• Regenerative braking system: up to 250 kW electric braking power on the front axle, up to 350 kW on the rear axle
• Additional deceleration through friction brakes on the front axle (“Brake by Wire” system)
• Front brake disc outer diameter: 258 mm
• Friction brakes on the rear axle only active in an emergency (if recuperation fails)

Tires
• Profiled Hankook iON Race for dry and wet conditions
• 2 sets per race weekend and per vehicle (3 for double headers)

Lithium-ion battery
• Supplied standard component
• Usable storage capacity: 38.5 kWh
• Weight: 285 kg

CCS charging system (Combined Charging System)
• Designed for extremely fast charging with up to 600 kW charging power

Weight and dimensions
• Weight: 862 kg including driver
• Length: 5016 mm, width: 1700 mm, height: 1023 mm
• Wheelbase: 2970 mm
• Ground clearance: up to 65 mm
• Front track: 1440 mm
• Rear track: 1380 mm

Key in-house developments
Pulse inverter, electric motor, gearbox, differential, drive shafts and other drive components on the rear axle as well as cooling, support and suspension components on the rear axle, operating software

Key standard components
Chassis and body, wheels and tires, drive, cooling and suspension components on the front axle, accumulator

Porsche in Formula E
Porsche contests its sixth Formula E season in 2024/2025. In addition to the works-run TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team, the American customer outfit Andretti Formula E competes with the Porsche 99X Electric. The concept of the innovative electric racing car was developed at the company’s Weissach facility, which operates on a net carbon-neutral basis. With its commitment to the world championship, Porsche underlines its commitment to take a leading role among traditional automobile manufacturers in the areas of electrification, sustainability and technology. In Formula E, the brand gains valuable insights for its electric series-production sports cars.