The Morning Warmup: Red Bull Calls for Silverstone Shunt Review
The Morning Warmup
July 28, 2021
(Photo: Red Bull Racing)
Red Bull Racing has called for an FIA review of the opening lap crash at the British Grand Prix.
By Aaron Bearden
The Podium: Today's Top-Three Stories
P1: Red Bull lodges request for British GP shunt review (F1)
Red Bull Racing isn’t giving up on its grievance with Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton just yet.
Red Bull officially lodged a request on Tuesday for the FIA to review the crash between Hamilton and points leader Max Verstappen on the opening lap of the British Grand Prix. This comes in accordance with the International Sporting Code and will result in a video conference on Thursday at 4 p.m. CEST to look into the matter.
The FIA will permit Red Bull to send three attendees to the meeting, including its team manager. Mercedes will also be permitted to send up to three members and is required to have at least one team representative attend.
In making this move, Red Bull is pleading its case one final time over what proved to be a controversial incident in Silverstone. Hamilton and Verstappen collided in a battle for the lead in the Grand Prix, with Hamilton attempting to make an overtake to the inside in the track’s signature Copse corner. Verstappen was sent careening into the outside tire barrier after contact, suffering a sizable shunt that ultimately resulted in him being sent to a nearby hospital for checks.
Hamilton was deemed to be at fault by the local stewards, but was only penalized 10 seconds and went on to win the event - to the delight of his local British fans and chagrin of a vocal contingent of F1 supporters on social media.
Red Bull’s case isn’t an actual appeal just yet, but is permitted under Article 14 of the ISC, which states:
"If, in Competitions forming part of an FIA Championship, cup, trophy, challenge or series, or of an international series, a significant and relevant new element is discovered which was unavailable to the parties seeking the review at the time of the decision concerned, the stewards who have given a ruling or, failing this, those designated by the FIA, may decide to re-examine their decision following a petition for review.
In order for the process to go further, Red Bull will be tasked with providing proof that a significant, relevant new element has been discovered since the time of the initial ruling. Save for a witness statement from Verstappen, who couldn’t provide one initially due to his trip to a medical center, the odds of anything gaining traction are small.
But that isn’t stopping Red Bull from giving it a go, so we’ll all find out if they’ve discovered anything on Thursday.
(Source(s): F1.com)
P2: Sage Karam set for Xfinity Series debut at Indy (NASCAR Xfinity)
Longtime attendees of the Indianapolis 500 will see a familiar face among the NASCAR Xfinity Series competitors when NASCAR heads to Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) in August.
Jordan Anderson Racing (JAR) announced Monday that Indy 500 regular Sage Karam will make his NASCAR debut in the Pennzoil 150 on the IMS road course, piloting the team’s No. 31 Chevrolet in his first stock car start. The entry will be backed by Pennsylvania-based resort Montage Mountain.
“It has always been a dream of mine to be able to compete at this level with some of the world’s best stock car drivers,” Karam said in a release. “My goal is to learn as much as possible and soak in this experience. It’s a welcomed challenge for me, and I’m looking forward to building strong relationships with the talented people of Jordan Anderson Racing.”
Karam spent one year as a full-time NTT IndyCar Series driver for Chip Ganassi Racing, but he’s most recognizable as an annual participant in the Month of May, where he competes with the one-off Dreyer & Reinbold Racing team each year. Eight of his 24 career IndyCar starts have come in the Greatest Spectacle in Racing, including a seventh-place rally after starting 31st in May’s 105th edition.
In joining JAR, Karam will become the latest in a unique mixture of drivers that have competed for the new Xfinity Series entrant. Along with team namesake Jordan Anderson, the No. 31 entry has seen Cup Series regular Tyler Reddick, part-timer Kaz Grala and JR Motorsports star Josh Berry compete in prior races.
“Our entire team is incredibly proud to add Sage Karam to our list of talented drivers that have driven the 31 Chevrolet this year,” Anderson said. “With Sage’s extensive experience in road racing and open-wheel racing, along with finishing seventh in this year’s Indianapolis 500, we knew that the road course at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway would be a special place for him to make his NASCAR debut with support from Montage Mountain Resorts and so many other great partners. To bridge the gap between two different fields of racing is a challenge that I’m confident Sage will be able to master.”
(Source(s): NASCAR.com)
P3: Logan Seavey scores second-straight ISW win (USAC)
USAC’s Indiana Sprint Week continued on Monday evening as the series ran it back at Gas City I-69 Speedway - and Logan Seavey ran it back to victory lane.
One day removed from a triumph at Lawrenceburg Speedway, Seavey fended off a late challenge from Brady Bacon to win again in Monday’s rain-postponed round of Indiana Sprint Week.
The race had initially been scheduled for Friday night, but was shifted to a rare Monday slot after rain descended upon Indiana to open the weekend. Pole sitter Jason McDougal and Jake Swanson finally led the field to green as darkness descended upon the track, but they quickly lost the lead to Seavey on the second lap.
From there the race was Seavey’s to control to the finish, but it didn’t come without a challenge. Bacon started eighth, but rose to third in the opening laps and took second from Swanson on Lap 11. A caution shortly afterward allowed Bacon to close in on Seavey, but it was lapped traffic in the final 10 laps that gave him a few distant shots at the lead in the race’s closing moments.
But Seavey wouldn’t be denied. He took the checkered flag .788s clear of Bacon to score his second-straight Indiana Sprint Week win and fourth USAC National Sprint Car win overall.
“I knew the slightest mistake could cause me to lose a second in a hurry,” Seavey admitted. “I was driving really hard the whole race, and at the end, I was really getting nervous because I wasn’t gaining on the lapped cars as much as I thought I would.”
Kyle Cummins rose up from 12th to complete the podium in third, with Swanson and McDougal wrapping up the top-five. Completing the top-10 were Tanner Thorson, Chris Windom, Justin Grant, Kevin Thomas Jr. and Tye Mihocko.
Bacon holds the current Indiana Sprint Week championship lead with 239 points. Seaver sits second with 223, while Thorson and Thomas have 212 and 207, respectively. Next up for the mini-series is a trip to the Terre Haute Action Track this evening.
(Source(s): Richie Murray / USAC Media)
Other News and Notes
NASCAR
Congratulations are in order for Joey and Brittany Logano, who have revealed that Brittany is pregnant with the pair’s third child - a daughter. (Joey Logano / Twitter)
Also sharing good news as William Byron, who gave a promising update about his mother, Dana. (Dustin Long / NBC Sports)
Get out your pitch forks - NBC Sports took a crack at ranking the top-10 Cup drivers of all time. (Dustin Long / NBC Sports)
Erik Jones arrived with an uncertain future this year at Richard Petty Motorsports. He hopes he’ll get a chance to remain with the squad moving forward. (Matt Weaver / Autoweek)
IndyCar
Jimmie Johnson’s IndyCar plans have stayed primarily tied to road and street courses. But recent signs show he may be closer to giving ovals a go. (Paul Kelly / IndyCar.com)
Johnson also still willingly admits that he’s struggling in the open-wheel series, which is part of why he’s willing to give ovals a go. (David Malsher-Lopez / Motorsport)
Could Christian Lundgaard make his way to IndyCar? The Formula 2 winner tested for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing at Barber Motorsports Park ahead of a potential switch. (Chris Medland / RACER)
That’s one of many silly season storylines. Here’s a mid-summer update. (Marshall Pruett / RACER)
Josef Newgarden was this week’s guest on the “Dale Jr. Download,” talking about Newgarden’s racing beginnings (scooters?) and more. (Dirty Mo Media)
F1
After a strong initial run, there’s a chance that Sprint Qualifying could become the new normal in F1 race weekends. (Autoweek)
In an effort to help him get back to racing form, Max Verstappen took his racing endeavors virtual for a 24-hour esports race. (F1.com)
Lewis Hamilton has launched a new charitable foundation to support young people form underrepresented groups in the UK, pledging £20 million to fund it. (Scott Mitchell / The Race ($))
The next era of F1 could begin in the Middle East, with Bahrain and Saudi Arabia looking to be likely hosts for the opening rounds of the 2022 season. (Philip Horton / Autoweek)
This comes as the traditional season opener in Australia appears due for a shift to April. (Mat Coch / Speedcafe)
Formula 2 and Formula 3 are also working on changes, both to the calendar and season format. (Tom Howard / Motorsport)
With the 2021 season slowly drawing closer to the end, Alpine has confirmed that it’s shifting all of its developmental focus to the all-new 2022 car. (F1.com)
Williams Racing has a real possibility of losing its star driver, George Russell, next season. What are the team’s options if that happens? (Jonathan Noble / Motorsport)
Given his form in the year to date, McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl believes Lando Norris is truly capable of claiming third in the drivers’ championship. (Chris Medland / RACER)
Supercars
Nothing’s been confirmed yet — at least not as I type this — but a postponement of the Bathurst 1000 appears to be imminent. (Simon Chapman / Speedcafe)
The news follows an extension of the Sydney lockdown by another four weeks amid a poor COVID-19 situation in Australia. (Daniel Herrero / Speedcafe)
On the bright side, the series has confirmed talks with a new manufacturer - though discussions aren’t focused on 2022. (Andrew van Leeuwen / Motorsport)
But the series’ ladder system is preparing for an exit. The Project Blueprint cars are unlikely to be part of the Super2 and Super3 fields when the Gen2 cars drop into the second tier in 2023. (Daniel Herrero / Speedcafe)
Sports Cars
Chip Ganassi Racing is reportedly expanding its Cadillac DPi program for the 2022 IMSA season. (Marshall Pruett / RACER)
Amid talks of extending race distances next year, Super GT drivers have voiced belief that it would reduce strategy options for the events. (Jamie Klein / Motorsport)
Audi’s Mike Rockenfeller has called for DTM to equalize pit stop speeds after seeing a perceived advantage for the Red Bull Ferrari team as things stand. (Rachit Thukral / Motorsport)
Dirt
Chase Elliott, Chase Briscoe and Conor Daly are among the entrants for this year’s Driven2SaveLives BC39 at the Dirt Track at IMS. (Rob Peeters / Indianapolis Star ($))
Shane Stewart is returning to action with sponsorship from Justin Marks’ Trackhouse Entertainment for the Knoxville Nationals. (WorldofOutlaws.com)
Tyler Courtney claimed the first All Star Circuit of Champions race at Humboldt Speedway. (Tyler Altmeyer / AllStarSprint.com)
Short Tracks
The Hoosier tire shortage’s effects are being felt in a big way already, as seen last weekend at Five Flags Speedway. (Matt Weaver / Short Track Scene)
Moto
Chaz Davies admitted to seeing that he made a “big turnaround” during the final race of the World Superbike round at Assen. (Jamie Klein / Motorsport)
Sam Lowes is sticking with the factory Kawasaki World Superbike team
After this week’s fatal accident, it’s time for a debate about the minimum age limits to compete in motorcycle racing. (Mat Oxley / Motor Sport Magazine)
Esports
Sami-Joe extended their winning streak in the eSports WRC Championship at virtual Finland. (Thomas Harrison-Lord / Traxion)
The third race of the 2021 edition of The Real Race from Lamborghini Esports took place over the weekend at virtual Suzuka, with a few unique winners. (Justin Melillo / Traxion)
Other
Crowds are showing up en masse for unique motorsports events. Here’s why it matters. (Ken Ungar / RACER)
Alexis DeJoria is in her second act - and the NHRA star is enjoying the peace of it. (Kelly Crandall / RACER)
Kevin Hansen is going to contest the 2021 Nitro Rallycross season in a Peugeot 208 WRX, with Timmy Hansen joining him for at least one round. (Dominik Wilde / DirtFish)
Ten-time US Rally Champion David Higgins is making a return to the American Rally Association for the upcoming New England Forest Rally. (David Evans / DirtFish)
Speaking of that rally, it’s returning after a 2020 cancelation. Here’s what you need to know ahead of it. (Mason Runkel / DirtFish)
On Track Soon (All Times ET)
Millbridge Speedway plays host to another night of racing this evening. (6:30 p.m., DirtVision)
The DIRTcar Summer Nationals roll on to Orange County Fair Speedway (Thursday @ 6 p.m., DirtVision)
USAC Indiana Sprint Week continues at the Terre Haute Action Track (Wednesday @ 6:30 p.m., FloRacing) and Lincoln Park Speedway (Thursday @ 6 p.m., FloRacing)
The All Star Circuit of Champions also compete at Missouri State Fair Speedway. (Thursday @ 7 p.m., FloRacing)
Fast Fact:
Sage Karam hasn’t had a ton off front-running success in his limited IndyCar starts, but he does have one podium to his name - a third-place effort in a 2015 race at Iowa Speedway. In all, Karam’s top-four finishes all come on ovals, with his best road-and-street-circuit result being a 12th-place effort at Belle Isle Park. We'll see if he can improve on that in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
The Morning Warmup is fueled by associate sponsors David Colyer, Cat Hicks, Bob and Sally Wichert, Jory Fleischauer, Spencer Pullins, Nathan K. Thomas, Karen L. Springer. Ethan Davies, Tyler Sorenson, Mary Dzuro and Michelle Cison.
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