NASCAR Suspends Chase Elliott for 1 Race After Intentional Crash into Denny Hamlin
May 30, 2023
Chase Elliott (9) and Denny Hamlin (11) collide during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Monday, May 29, 2023, in Concord, N.C. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley)
NASCAR has suspended Chase Elliott for one race after deeming that he intentionally crashed into Denny Hamlin during the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Monday.
"We take this very seriously," Elton Sawyer, NASCAR's senior vice president of competition, said on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (h/t NASCAR.com staff report).
"The incident that happened off Turn 4, after looking at all the available resources ... it was an intentional act by Chase, in our opinion, after reviewing all the available resources there.
"In the heat of the battle, things happen, but drivers needs to understand you have to handle that in a completely different way than hooking someone in the right rear and putting them in harm's way."
Hendrick Motorsports released a statement noting that Elliott will not appeal the decision, meaning that he will miss the Enjoy Illinois 300 presented by TicketSmarter at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Illinois, on Sunday. Corey LaJoie will drive the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in Elliott's place.
Both drivers spoke after the incident, with Hamlin calling for Elliott's suspension due to a right-rear hook and saying that there was "retaliation" on his end.
"It's a tantrum and [Chase Elliott] shouldn't be racing next week."- Denny Hamlin pic.twitter.com/y8xARpdU5O
Both drivers spoke after the incident, with Hamlin calling for Elliott's suspension due to a right-rear hook and saying that there was "retaliation" on his end.
"It's a tantrum and [Chase Elliott] shouldn't be racing next week."- Denny Hamlin pic.twitter.com/y8xARpdU5O
Ultimately, NASCAR sided with Hamlin's side of the story, and now the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series winner will sit next Sunday, compounding an already difficult season that has seen him land 29th in the standings after Charlotte.
IndyCar to Investigate Wheel That Flew over Fans at Indianapolis 500 After Crash
May 29, 2023
The car driven by Kyle Kirkwood, top, flips over after a crash in the second turn during the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 28, 2023. (AP Photo/John Maxwell)
IndyCar owner Roger Penske expects to see an investigation into what caused a tire from Kyle Kirkwood's car to sail over the catch fence during Sunday's Indianapolis 500.
"We have tethers on the wheels, and it was a rear wheel that came off," Penske said. "And I'm sure the guys at IndyCar will look at it, will determine what really happened."
On Lap 185, Felix Rosenqvist lost control after hitting the wall and clipped Kirkwood, which caused one of Kirkwood's tires to fly off the car and sail near one of the grandstands.
The Indy 500 was red-flagged after a crash involving Felix Rosenqvist and Kyle Kirkwood.
A tire flew over the stands and into the parking lot where it hit a parked car.
Both drivers were okay and there were no apparent fan injuries after the incident. pic.twitter.com/FOjadYJ9DR
Robin Matthews was the fan whose car was damaged, and she had the chance to walk onto the track after the race for her trouble.
This is Robin Matthews of Indy. Her white Chevy Cruze she calls “snowball” was the car hit by the wheel that flew over the fence in a crash at #Indy500. The car had to be towed. @IMS President @jdouglas4 brought her to the yard of bricks & getting her a ride home. #TrackTeam13pic.twitter.com/Ba4GN8w4bP
The incident was especially surprising because RACER's Marshall Pruett reported in December the IndyCar Series was planning to utilize "new and stronger rear wheel tethers" intended to provide more stability and security.
Based on Penske's comments, it may not be long before IndyCar officials are implementing changes to avoid what happened at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday.
Indy 500 2023: Results, Top Finishers and Analysis From 107th Edition of Race
May 28, 2023
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MAY 26: Josef Newgarden (#2 Team Penske) during practice on carb day prior to the INDYCAR Series 107th Indianapolis 500 on May 26, 2023 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, IN. (Photo by Jeffrey Brown/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Josef Newgarden is an Indy 500 champion for the first time in his career, and he couldn't have achieved the dream in more dramatic fashion.
There were three red-flag restarts in the final 10 laps, and Newgarden made a late move on the final two-lap sprint to the finish after the last one to prevail at the 107th running of the famed race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday.
He passed Marcus Ericsson near the end and outlasted the second-place finisher. Santino Ferrucci and Alex Palou rounded out the top four.
Newgarden went from third to first on the initial red-flag restart in the closing stretch, but the race had two more stoppages because of crashes. It seemed like Ericsson was going to win under the caution on the final one, but the officials decided to give one more red flag and the late restart sprint.
Newgarden took full advantage and prevailed against a loaded field.
Ellen J. Horrow of USA Today noted there were nine former winners who competed Sunday, including 2021 champion Helio Castroneves. Castroneves was attempting to become the first driver in the sport's history to win the Indy 500 five times.
Yet he and everyone else started the race behind pole winner Palou, who set the record for fastest pole speed in race history during qualifying.
On the opposite side of Palou at the start was Graham Rahal, who had a battery issue before the race began when his car didn't fire. He was forced off the track and didn't get into the race until he was two laps behind.
That wasn't the only early unfortunate news for one of the racers, as Katherine Legge temporarily lost control of her car and forced a member of the pit team to scramble over the wall. Her day also came to an end when she retired from the race.
Pit-road chaos quickly became the name of the game.
The first caution of the race came on Lap 92 when Sting Ray Robb crashed, but the more important development came on the restart when Rinus VeeKay spun into Palou coming off pit road and significantly damaged the chances for both contenders. Palou had led more laps than any other driver to that point, and the crash put him in comeback mode.
ALEX PALOU AND RINUS VEEKAY HAVE COME TOGETHER ON PIT LANE!
Throw in a pit-road speeding penalty that put Agustín Canapino to the rear, and the race took on a different feel following the dramatic stretch.
Andretti Autosport could have done without the pit-road issues, as Colton Herta received a drive-through penalty for colliding with teammate Romain Grosjean ahead of the stretch run. Grosjean then crashed into the wall when he returned to the track, capping off an ugly sequence for the team.
Ferrucci didn't have any trouble with the restarts, though, and made a move to take the lead heading into the final 40 laps.
While the underdog story was battling for the lead, Felix Rosenqvist hit the wall and drifted into the middle of the track. That is where Kyle Kirkwood hit his car, went upside down and had a tire fly near the grandstands in a scary incident that led to a red flag with 14 laps remaining.
According to the NBC Sports broadcast, there were no injuries.
That incident set the stage for the dramatic finish, and Newgarden came through on the final push.
Video: Felix Rosenqvist's Tire Hits Car in Parking Lot After Crash at 2023 Indy 500
May 28, 2023
Felix Rosenqvist, of Sweden, drives through the first turn during the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Sunday, May 28, 2023, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
A scary crash during the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday saw Kyle Kirkwood flip his car after he attempted to avoid but ultimately clipped Felix Rosenqvist, who had spun out following a brush against the wall.
Harrowing moment at the Indy 500 as a tire is flung from Felix Rosenqvist's car, narrowly missing fans, and Kyle Kirkwood is flipped in the collision. pic.twitter.com/38NLWvUFqX
Rosenqvist's tire, meanwhile, ended up flying just above spectators who were sitting in the stands and found its way into the parking lot, smashing into a car.
Both drivers were able to get out of their respective cars and appeared to be OK. Kirkwood was talking to safety workers before being taken off the track in an ambulance, heading to the infield care center for further evaluation.
Monaco F1 Grand Prix 2023 Results: Max Verstappen Beats Fernando Alonso to Win Race
May 28, 2023
Red Bull Racing's Dutch driver Max Verstappen competes during the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix at the Monaco street circuit in Monaco, on May 28, 2023. (Photo by Jeff PACHOUD / AFP) (Photo by JEFF PACHOUD/AFP via Getty Images)
Max Verstappen's blistering start to the 2023 Formula One season continued Sunday as he won the Monaco Grand Prix, notching his fourth win in six starts.
MAX VERSTAPPEN WINS IN MONACO!!! 🏁🏆🎉
The Dutchman wins a dramatic dry/wet race with Fernando Alonso finishing second and Esteban Ocon taking third with a stellar drive 👏👏👏#MonacoGP#F1pic.twitter.com/09wqvTFp6f
With his 39th career checkered flag, he moved ahead of Sebastian Vettel for the most ever by a Red Bull driver.
Verstappen claimed his first Monaco pole Saturday, edging out Fernando Alonso by just 0.084 seconds. He took full advantage of his starting position as he maintained a comfortable lead for nearly the entirety of the race.
Not even a brief flurry of rain could put much of a dent in his performance. If anything the weather allowed the 25-year-old to strengthen his hold on first place. Alonso's team had to call him back for a second tire change in rapid succession, eating up valuable time.
Alonso dives back in a lap later for inters, and Verstappen opens up his lead to around 20 seconds. The rain is absolutely hammering down now in Monaco!#F1#MonacoGP 🇲🇨
While he couldn't get within striking distance of Verstappen, Alonso nonetheless had a largely drama-free day. He cruised into second place ahead of Esteban Ocon.
Mercedes teammates Lewis Hamilton and George Russell rounded out the top five.
Sergio Pérez entered Sunday in second place in the driver standings, but Sunday concluded a tough weekend. He started the Monaco Grand Prix in 20th after crashing during the first qualifying session.
Pérez needed to make an unscheduled trip to the pit on the 35th lap after contact Kevin Magnussen damaged his front wing.
LAP 35/78
Perez says goodbye to a chunk of his front wing after contact with Magnussen at the chicane.
The tight quarters of the Monaco track make it difficult to work your way up the field, so the setback was one Pérez could ill afford as he attempted to close the gap on his Red Bull teammate in the overall standings. He could only muster a 17th-place finish.
The 2023 campaign hasn't even hit the halfway mark, so a lot of things can change. But it certainly looks like this year will end just as last year did with Verstappen standing tall. He has wasted little time in building a sizable margin between him and the rest of the field.
The Spanish Grand Prix is the next stop for Formula 1.
Verstappen is the defending champion in Barcelona after ending Hamilton's five-year winning streak in 2022. He could very well make it five wins in seven this time next week.
Indy 500 Lineup 2023: Full List of Drivers and Qualifying Times for Marquee Race
May 26, 2023
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MAY 22: Marcus Ericsson, driver of the #8 Huski Chocolate Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, drives during practice of the 107th Running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 22, 2023 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
The Indianapolis 500 has had nine different winners in the last 10 years.
Alex Palou, Rinus VeeKay and Felix Rosenqvist will try to add their names to the diverse list of recent winners from the front row of Sunday's race.
Palou begins the 2023 Indy 500 on pole after he produced a four-lap average of 234.197 miles per hour in qualifying.
VeeKay and Rosenqvist, who start second and third, were the only other drivers to average over 234 MPH. All of the qualifying times can be found here on the race's official website.
Being fast in qualifying may not translate to winning the 200-lap, 500-mile race around Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Simon Pagenaud in 2019 is the only driver to win from the pole in the last decade. The polesitter finished outside the top 10 in the last three Indy 500s.
Indy 500 Starting Lineup
Row 1: Álex Palou, Rinus VeeKay, Felix Rosenqvist
Row 2: Santino Ferrucci, Pato O'Ward, Scott Dixon
Row 3: Alexander Rossi, Takuma Sato, Tony Kanaan
Row 4: Marcus Ericsson, Benjamin Pedersen, Will Power
Row 5: Ed Carpenter, Scott McLaughlin, Kyle Kirkwood
Row 6: Conor Daly, Josef Newgarden, Ryan Hunter-Reay
Row 10: RC Enerson, Katherine Legge, Christian Lundgaard
Row 11: Sting Ray Robb, Jack Harvey, Graham Rahal
Race Preview
Palou is trying to become the first polesitter to win the Indy 500 since Pagenaud in 2019 and the sixth driver to achieve that feat since 2000. Four drivers won the pole and the race between 2000 and 2010.
The Spaniard may be viewed as the favorite to kiss the bricks and drink the milk after Sunday's race because of his success on the IndyCar Series circuit in 2023.
Palou recorded five top-10 finishes, four top-five finishes and he is the IndyCar Series points leader.
He is also coming off a victory on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. That race obviously required a different skill set than the IMS oval, but Palou's confidence entering Sunday has to be the highest across the grid.
The other drivers in the top five of the IndyCar points have some work to do to reach the front of the race. Pato O'Ward, who is second in the championship standings, starts in fifth, the closest position of that group of drivers to Palou.
Reigning Indy 500 winner Marcus Ericsson starts in 10th, Scott McLaughlin begins the race in 14th and Romain Grosjean is 19th on the grid.
Early-season form could be one indicator of Indy 500 success, but you also can't count out the previous winners of the race.
Tony Kanaan is in search of a win to cap off his Indy 500 career. The 2013 will say farewell to the historic race on Sunday.
Helio Castroneves will be after his record-setting fifth Indy 500 win. The 48-year-old captured his record-tying fourth victory in 2021, so he still has to be viewed as a threat even though some of the drivers are 20-plus years younger than him.
Takuma Sato is looking to become the 11th driver to win three or more Indy 500s. The 2017 and 2020 champion could make his way to the front early from Row 3.
Then you have previous champions, like Scott Dixon and Will Power, who have multiple IndyCar Series titles in their careers, but only one Indy 500 victory. A second win would add to their illustrious resumes.
You could also make a strong case for someone like Josef Newgarden, who has everything except an Indy 500 triumph on his resume. He and other veteran drivers without an Indy 500 win could be more aggressive on track and have different strategies to get to the front.
It would not be a surprise to see Palou win from the pole because of his consistency in 2023, but the Indy 500 always takes a few unexpected turns and that could lead to a previous winner in Victory Lane, or an unexpected winner, like Ericsson was in 2022.
NASCAR Investigating Bubba Wallace's Race Radio Being Hacked With Derogatory Message
May 25, 2023
NORTH WILKESBORO, NC - MAY 20: Bubba Wallace (#1 TRICON Garage Pristine Auction Toyota) looks on prior to the Saturday afternoon NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Tyson 250 race on May 20, 2023 at the North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. (Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
NASCAR is investigating how a person was able to hack into the radio signal of Bubba Wallace during the 2023 All-Star race last weekend.
An undisclosed person told Wallace to "go back to where you came from" and called him a derogatory name over the radio channel. Wallace was unable to hear the message, but it was heard by members of his team.
"We certainly take that seriously, no doubt about that," NASCAR spokesperson Mike Forde said Thursday. "But we can't have fans interfering with team radio and potential competition implications."
Wallace, NASCAR's only Black driver, previously spearheaded the charge for the sport to ban Confederate flags at events in 2020. That, along with Wallace's involvement in social justice causes, has made him a polarizing figure among NASCAR's fanbase.
Michael Jordan's 23XI Racing signed Wallace ahead of the 2021 season, and he's won a race in each of his first two years with the organization.
Indy 500 Lineup 2023: Starting Grid and Breakdown of Sunday's Thrilling Event
May 25, 2023
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MAY 20: Alex Palou (#10 Chip Ganassi Racing) turns laps during practice for the 107th Indianapolis 500, May 20, 2023, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis Indiana.(Photo by Jeffrey Brown/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The 2023 Indianapolis 500 field is loaded with previous winners and drivers who have had plenty of success on the IndyCar Series circuit.
Nine of the 33 qualifiers for Sunday's race previously won the race, but only one of them starts in the first two rows.
Álex Palou will lead the field to the green flag at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Spaniard is looking to become the seventh straight foreign winner of the event.
The last American Indy 500 winner was Alexander Rossi in 2016. Rossi and Santino Ferrucci are the two highest-starting Americans on the grid.
Chevrolet is also looking to end an Indy 500 drought. Honda powered the last three winners and won five of the last seven Indy 500s.
Indy 500 Starting Lineup
Row 1: Álex Palou, Rinus VeeKay, Felix Rosenqvist
Row 2: Santino Ferrucci, Pato O'Ward, Scott Dixon
Row 3: Alexander Rossi, Takuma Sato, Tony Kanaan
Row 4: Marcus Ericsson, Benjamin Pedersen, Will Power
Row 5: Ed Carpenter, Scott McLaughlin, Kyle Kirkwood
Row 6: Conor Daly, Josef Newgarden, Ryan Hunter-Reay
Row 10: RC Enerson, Katherine Legge, Christian Lundgaard
Row 11: Sting Ray Robb, Jack Harvey, Graham Rahal
Breakdown
Palou and Rinus VeeKay are starting on the front row for the second straight year.
A year ago, Palou went off second and VeeKay was third behind Scott Dixon. None of those drivers cashed in on their high starting position, so that is not the golden ticket to Victory Lane.
Marcus Ericsson won from fifth on the grid in 2022, and Hélio Castroneves captured the checkered flag from eighth in 2021.
In fact, a top-three starter has not finished inside the top five in the last two Indy 500s. Takuma Sato won the 2020 race from third on the grid.
The wealth of experience throughout the first three rows could make for some excellent racing from the start.
Dixon is the highest-starting former champion in sixth. The entire third row is made up of Indy 500 winners, as is two-thirds of the fourth row.
Palou could be poised to join that collection of Indy 500 champions. He is coming off a win at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, and he leads the IndyCar Series points standings after five races.
Palou finished inside the top five in four races this season. Pato O'Ward is the only other driver with a quartet of top-five finishes in 2023.
O'Ward recorded his best Indy 500 finish last season, finishing in second.
Felix Rosenqvist and Ferrucci also placed their cars in the top 10 last year. Those results suggest that the drivers at the front of the field could become first-time winners.
Ferrucci was the top American in qualifying. He and Rossi appear to have the best chances to become the first champion from the United States since Rossi won in his rookie race of 2016.
Ferrucci is one of four Chevrolet drivers that qualified on the first two rows. VeeKay, Rosenqvist and O'Ward are the other three. Chevrolet has not won the Indy 500 since 2019, when Simon Pagenaud took his Penske car to Victory Lane.
A non-Penske Chevrolet has not won since 2013, so Ferrucci and Rossi could break two droughts at one time if either of them cross the finish line in first place.
If the last three Indy 500s are any indicator of what's to come on Sunday, the early leaders may not be in the mix for the victory. The last three champions led less than 30 laps, and if that trend continues, we could be in for plenty of lead changes in the final 25-50 laps.
Lewis Hamilton Says New Mercedes F1 Contract Is 'Almost There,' Denies Ferrari Rumors
May 25, 2023
MIAMI GARDENS, FL - MAY 07: Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport driver Lewis Hamilton #44 looks on during the drivers parade lap prior to the running of the Formula 1 Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix at Miami International Autodrome in Miami Gardens, FL. (Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Formula 1 star Lewis Hamilton played down the likelihood of a rumored move to Ferrari and indicated an extension with Mercedes could be coming soon.
The seven-time champion told reporters his representatives are "almost there" on an agreement with his current team. He also denied having direct contact with Ferrari officials.
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur said as much as well.
BREAKING: 🚨 Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur has denied all rumours surrounding Lewis Hamilton to Ferrari. pic.twitter.com/eR5TqdWmSV
Hamilton is signed with Mercedes through the current season, and his impending free agency in 2024 has led to plenty of speculation about what he might decide next.
For Mercedes, it didn't help that a running theme throughout the 2022 season was how bad his car was out on the track.
"It's a car we continue to struggle with and I definitely won't miss it at the end of the year," Hamilton said last August. "For me it's just about focussing on how we build and design next year's car."
The 38-year-old sits fourth in the driver standings, which is an improvement over his sixth-place finish a season ago. Still, you wouldn't blame him for wondering whether an entirely new setup might be required for him to capture his record-setting eighth championship.
The Daily Mail's Jonathan McEvoy reported May 21 that Ferrari was prepared to offer Hamilton £40 million and that "company president John Elkann is already in close contact."
Vasseur acknowledged Thursday the idea of landing the legendary driver is intriguing, but he added no formal approach has been made.
"We didn't have discussions," he said. "I think every single team on the grid would like to have Hamilton at one stage, it would be bulls--t to not say something like this."
Based on his and Vasseur's comments, perhaps Hamilton will wind up with Ferrari after all.
Indy 500 Qualifying Results 2023: Alex Palou Sets Pole Record, Full Sunday Times
May 21, 2023
Alex Palou, of Spain, drives through the first turn during qualifications for the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Saturday, May 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Alex Palou will sit on the pole for next Sunday's Indianapolis 500.
He bested Felix Rosenqvist, five-time pole-winner Scott Dixon, Santino Ferrucci, Rinus VeeKay and Pato O'Ward in the Fast Six qualifying round.
"I think it's no secret it's been a struggle," Harvey said after qualifying. "I'd even say the first two runs in qualifying weren't awesome. The hope was that all three of our cars could make it. I hate that it was us who bumped Graham out, but I'm grateful to be in the race. It's such a privilege to be able to do this in the first place. The stress of bump day is absolutely real but it doesn't change my love of this place."
A disappointed and emotional Rahal acknowledged that he and his team "weren't good enough."
"This place, it doesn't come easy. It doesn't just happen. ... We were the slowest of our cars—just on pure pace—all week. Unfortunately that happens. But you've got to be positive, you've got to be humble and gracious in victory and defeat. There's next year."
Alex Palou earned the pole by .006 MPH over Rinus VeeKay. That's the same advantage Jack Harvey had over Graham Rahal to get into the Indy 500. #Indy500#INDYCAR
