TMW: NASCAR Takes Over Bowman Gray
NASCAR's assumed management of 'The Madhouse' while the FIA continues to be a madhouse and overshadow the F1 season.
The Morning Warmup
March 22, 2024
Today’s Top Stories
1) NASCAR takes over management of Bowman Gray Stadium (NASCAR)
‘The Madhouse’ is now officially under the NASCAR umbrella.
NASCAR confirmed Thursday an acquisition of Winston-Salem Speedway Inc. With it, NASCAR will take over management of historic Bowman Gray Stadium’s racing operations on a lease with the City of Winston-Salem that runs through December 2050.
Track Enterprises’ Austin Shuford will take over as general manager of stadium racing operations.
The North Carolina short track has a rich history in both NASCAR and the greater short-track racing world. NASCAR first competed at the facility in 1949 and held 29 Cup races overall from 1958 through 1971.
Bowman Gray also played host to a Next Gen test in October 2021, months before the car officially began competition. It continues to hold NASCAR-sanctioned weekly racing to this day.
“This is a really kind of special moment for us,” Ben Kennedy, former track winner and NASCAR senior vice president of racing development and strategy, told The Athletic. “I know it is especially meaningful for Jim seeing that he grew up around Bowman Gray Stadium. It’s a very special place to us personally, but it’s a special place in the sport as you think back to the ’40s and ’50s and NASCAR really beginning to grow through that first decade and a half or so. And Bowman Gray was a pretty big part of that.”
It’s uncertain if this change will have any effect on NASCAR’s future at Bowman Gray. But Kennedy admitted national series race at the track have at least been considered.
“We’ve talked about … almost any racetrack under the sun,” Kennedy said. “And I’d be lying to say that Bowman Gray wasn’t somewhere on that list. So we’ve considered it, certainly, and we’ve had some conversations around kind of what that could look like.
“I’d say, in the grand scheme of things, anything’s possible, but obviously, nothing to report today.”
(Source(s): Jordan Bianchi / The Athletic)
2) FIA committee clears president Ben Sulayem of wrongdoing (F1)
The FIA Ethics Committee publicly cleared president Mohammed Ben Sulayem of any wrongdoing Wednesday, following an independent investigation into a pair of whistleblower claims against him.
Ben Sulayem was accused of both interfering with a race result and potentially trying to keep another event from going on altogether.
The accused race result tampering was tied to the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, when a penalty against Fernando Alonso was rescinded, allowing the Spaniard to secure his 100th Formula 1 podium. Ben Sulayem was also accused of trying to ensure the Las Vegas Grand Prix circuit wasn’t certified before its inaugural race in 2023.
The FIA completed what it says was a “robust and wide-ranging independent review” over the course of 30 days, led by the FIA Compliance Officer and working with external advisors and 11 witnesses. It was then reviewed by the six-person Ethics Committee.
An FIA statement read:
“After reviewing the results of the inquiries, the Ethics Committee were unanimous in their determination that there was no evidence to substantiate allegations of interference of any kind involving the FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem
“Allegations against the FIA president were unsubstantiated and strong evidence beyond any reasonable doubt was presented to support the determination of the FIA Ethics Committee.”
“The president’s complete co-operation, transparency, and compliance throughout the process during this investigation was greatly appreciated.”
It’s unclear if anything else will come of the report or investigation. The FIA Senate will have the option to take any further action.
(Source(s): Chris Medland / RACER)
3) Susie Wolff confirms legal case against the FIA (F1)
With the potential end of one FIA mess comes another. Susie Wolff announced Thursday that she launched legal proceedings against the FIA in France on March 4 tied to a controversial conflict of interest inquiry into her last year.
Wolff is the director of the F1 Academy series and married to Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff. Last December the FIA launched an inquiry into an article in Business F1 magazine making claims that rivals found their relationship to be a conflict of interest in the sport, insinuating that confidential information could be passed between them.
This inquiry quickly blew up. All 10 F1 teams came out in support of Wolff in a coordinating campaign with similar statements, leading the FIA to backtrack and call off its investigation the following day. The body said “appropriate protective measures are in place to mitigate any potential conflicts.”
Wolff released the following statement:
“I can confirm that I personally filed a criminal complaint in the French courts on the 4th of March in relation to the statements made about me by the FIA last December,” Wolff said.
“There has still not been any transparency or accountability in relation to the conduct of the FIA and its personnel in this matter.
“I feel more than ever it is important to stand up, call our improper behavior and make sure people are held to account.
“While some might think silence absolves them from responsibility – it does not.”
The announcement came just hour after Ben Sulayem’s clearance of wrongdoing from the FIA Compliance Department. It comes amid continuing controversy tied to Christian Horner at Red Bull Racing - a case the FIA has refused to acknowledge it’s looking into.
Current Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton stood up for the F1 Academy director after her announcement.
““Firstly, I’m incredibly proud of Susie,” Hamilton said. “I think she is so brave, and she stands for such great values. She’s such a leader, and in a world where often people are silenced, for her to be standing up sends such a great message.
“I love that she’s taken it out of this world, fighting it from the outside, because there is a real lack of accountability here, within this sport, within the FIA — things that are happening behind closed doors, there is no transparency, there is really no accountability, and we need that. I think the fans need that. How can you trust the sport and what is happening here if you don’t have that?”
“Hopefully this stand that (Wolff’s) taking now will create change, will have a positive impact, and especially for women. It is still a male-dominated sport, and we’re living in a time where the message is if you file a complaint, you will be fired, and that is a terrible narrative to be projecting to the world, especially when we’re talking about inclusivity here in the sport. We need to make sure we stay true to the core values.”
(Source(s): Andrew Benson / BBC, Chris Medland / RACER)
News and Notes
NASCAR
Dale Earnhardt Jr. will return to the cockpit for the summer Xfinity Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway. (John Newby / NBC Sports)
Early in 2024, is NASCAR feeling the ‘Netflix Effect’? (Jeff Gluck / The Athletic)
After a disappointing 2023, Alex Bowman admits that the pressure on him is “up to 10 at every moment” right now. (Kelly Crandall / RACER)
Kamui Kobayashi is back in the field for his second Cup start this weekend at Circuit of the Americas. He’s feeling more prepared this time around. (Kelly Crandall / RACER)
Here are the drivers to watch this weekend in Austin. (Dustin Long / NBC Sports)
IndyCar
With May slowly approaching, RC Enerson is working toward another Indy 500 run with Abel Motorsports. (Marshall Pruett / RACER)
Teams are preparing for a wealth of track time during this weekend’s pre-race open test at The Thermal Club. (Marshall Pruett / RACER)A good run at the California facility could be key for Callum Ilott’s IndyCar future. (Marshall Pruett / RACER)
F1
Lewis Hamilton has come to the defense of Mercedes’ 2024 challenger, saying it’s an “amazing car.” (Matt Kew / Motorsport)
His old teammate Valtteri Bottas has found his personality off-track, with confidence he lacked during his time with Mercedes. (Matt Kew / Motorsport)
McLaren has a weakness it can’t properly address until next year. What’s the team’s plan for it? (Edd Straw / The Race)
With talks of his future rising again, Fernando Alonso says he won’t let others dictate his destiny. (Adam Cooper / Motorsport)
Supercars
Brad Jones Racing has been fined for an incorrectly-located set of tires at the Australian Grand Prix. (Daniel Herrero / Speedcafe)
Sports Cars
The early release of IMSA’s 2025 schedule is a bonus for fans, teams and partners. (Richard S. James / RACER)
Wright Motorsports is bringing Adam Adelson and Elliott Skeer back for another full GT World Challenge America season. (Daily Sportscar)
Supercars ace Will Brown will contest the GT World Challenge Australia season with Brad Schumacher. (Jamie Klein / Sportscar365)
Daniel Morad is going racing in GT World Challenge Europe—an opportunity he claims to have earned with his drive in the Rolex 24 at Daytona. (Davey Euwema / Sportscar365)
Honda junior driver Ayumu Iwasa is driving for Stanley Team Kunimitsu this weekend in Super GT preseason testing due to illness for Tadasuka Makino. (Daily Sportscar)
There are 37 cars on the entry list for the Hankook 12H Mugello. (Daily Sportscar)
Dirt
The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series is postponing its Atomic Speedway date from today to Sunday and shifting the start time for Saturday at Brownstown Speedway due to weather. (LucasDirt.com)
Short Tracks
The SMART Modified Tour is coming to South Boston Speedway with a killer entry list. (Matt Weaver / Short Track Scene)
The CARS Tour isn’t coming to New River All American Speedway—at least not until April. Blame Mother Nature for a preemptive washout. (Matt Weaver / Short Track Scene)
Moto
Portimao has undergone safety changes ahead of the MotoGP Portuguese Grand Prix. (Oriol Puigdemont / Motorsport)
Pecco Bagnaia believes Ducati signing Fermin Aldeguer will be “one of the fastest riders of the new era.” (Lewis Duncan / Motorsport)
Electric Racing
Andretti Global is fielding Jak Crawford and Zane Maloney in upcoming Formula E rookie tests. (Dominik Wilde / RACER)
Other
Don Hawk is joining Skip Barber Racing School as a chief strategy officer. (RACER)
On Track This Weekend
All Times ET
Friday, March 22
NASCAR
All at Circuit of the Americas
Craftsman Truck Series Practice: 3:30 p.m., FS1
Craftsman Truck Series Qualifying: 4:00 p.m., FS1
Xfinity Series Practice: 5:30 p.m., FS1
Xfinity Series Qualifying: 6:00 p.m., FS1
IndyCar
All at The Thermal Club
Testing: 12:00 p.m., Peacock
Testing: 5:00 p.m., Peacock
F1
All at Albert Park
Free Practice: 9:25 p.m., ESPNews/ESPN+/F1 TV
Dirt
World of Outlaws Sprint Cars (Big O Speedway): 7:15 p.m., DirtVision
World of Outlaws Late Models (Thunderhill Raceway): 7:15 p.m., DirtVision
IMCA Spring Nationals (Beatrice Speedway): 6:00 p.m., FloRacing
Weekly Racing (Attica Raceway Park): 6:30 p.m., DirtVision
Weekly Racing (Williams Grove Speedway): 6:45 p.m., DirtVision
Moto
MotoGP Practice (Portimao): 6:45 a.m., Max
MotoGP Practice (Portimao): 11:00 a.m., Max
Drag Racing
NHRA Winternationals (Pomona): 11:30 a.m., NHRA.TV
Other
ERX Snocross National (Elk River): 3:15 p.m., FloRacing
Saturday, March 23
NASCAR
All but ARCA at Circuit of the Americas
Cup Series Practice: 10:00 a.m., FS1/PRN
Cup Series Qualifying: 11:30 a.m., FS1/PRN
Craftsman Truck Series XPEL 225: 1:30 p.m., FS1/MRN
Xfinity Series Focused Health 250: 5:00 p.m., FS1
ARCA Menards Series East (Five Flags Speedway): 8:20 p.m., FloRacing
IndyCar
All at The Thermal Club
Testing: 12:00 p.m., Peacock
Testing: 4:00 p.m., Peacock
Qualifying: 8:00 p.m., Peacock
F1
All at Albert Park
Qualifying: 2:00 a.m., ESPN2/F1 TV
Australian Grand Prix: 11:55 p.m., ESPN2/F1 TV
Dirt
World of Outlaws Sprint Cars (Kennedale Speedway Park): 7:15 p.m., DirtVision
World of Outlaws Late Models (Thunderhill Raceway): 7:15 p.m., DirtVision
Lucas Oil Late Models (Brownstown Speedway): 4:45 p.m., FloRacing
Weekly Racing (Port Royal Speedway): 3:00 p.m., FloRacing
IMCA Spring Nationals (Beatrice Speedway): 6:00 p.m., FloRacing
Weekly Racing (Volusia Speedway Park): 6:00 p.m., DirtVision
Short Tracks
NASCAR Weekly Racing (Hickory Motor Speedway): 7:00 p.m., FloRacing
Moto
MotoGP Practice (Portimao): 6:10 a.m., Max
MotoGP Qualifying: 6:50 a.m., Max
American Flat Track (Senoia Raceway): 4:00 p.m., FloRacing
Drag Racing
NHRA Winternationals (Pomona): 12:00 p.m., NHRA.TV
Other
ERX Snocross National (Elk River): 3:15 p.m., FloRacing
Sunday, March 24
NASCAR
All at Circuit of the Americas
Cup Series EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix: 3:30 p.m., FOX/PRN
IndyCar
All at The Thermal Club
The Thermal Club $1 Million Challenge: 12:30 p.m., NBC/Peacock
Dirt
Lucas Oil Late Models (Atomic Speedway): 4:45 p.m., FloRacing
Short Tracks
SMART Modified Tour (South Boston Speedway): 1:45 p.m., FloRacing
Moto
MotoGP Portuguese Grand Prix (Portimao): 10:00 a.m., Max
Drag Racing
NHRA Winternationals (Pomona): 6:00 p.m., NHRA.TV
Fast Fact
The key to winning at COTA in the Next Gen era? Lead often. The driver that’s led the most laps won in both 2022 and ’23, pacing exactly 50% (72/144) of all laps along the way.
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