All posts by Joey Barnes

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief Simon Pagenaud’s quest to win his first Verizon IndyCar Series title took a huge hit on Monday’s postponed edition of the ABC Supply 500 at Pocono Raceway. The 32-year-old Frenchman wrecked hard in Turn 1 on lap 158 after his No. 22 Menard’s Team Penske Chevrolet had bottomed out. “We just had a crash,” Pagenaud said. “The car bottomed and I went straight to the wall. Really weird because I had bottoming but not to that extent. I just lost control of the steering. It feltRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief Tony Stewart’s made a lasting memory in Bristol Motor Speedway racing lore in his final NASCAR Sprint Cup Series appearance. The three-time champion was running mid-pack when his No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet began to undergo a vibration. Stewart pitted on lap 230 for a new set of tires in hopes it would fix the problem, but the issue never subsided and he was forced to go behind the wall for repairs, falling several laps down. However, the 45-year-old Hoosier returned to finish 30th at theRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief Kurt Busch saw his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series record-setting run of finishes on the lead lap to start a season end at 22 following a crash on lap 373 in Sunday’s Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway. The No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing driver and 2003 Sprint Cup Series champion had taken the lead from Joey Logano when the back of the car stepped out and spun, ending Busch’s day with a 38th-place finish. The wreck caused a gaggle of drivers to beRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief Pippa Mann will make her second appearance of the season in this weekend’s ABC Supply 500 at Pocono Raceway with Dale Coyne Racing. The 33-year-old Brit will pilot the No. 19 Honda and continue the driver carousel that looks to continue for the second half of the year. Mann finished 13th at the 2.5-mile track known as ‘The Tricky Triangle’ last season, tying her career-best finish in the Verizon IndyCar Series, and finished 15th in her only other start there in 2013. With Pocono being theRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief Much has been made of Haas F1’s inaugural season in Formula 1. From scoring points in their debut in the Australian Grand Prix with Romain Grosjean to remaining within striking distance of Toro Rosso and McLaren-Honda in the Constructors’ championship battle, the US-based squad led by team principal Guenther Steiner has enjoyed a strong amount of success early. However, with the summer break nearly over the team must decide what to do about its driver lineup for next season. Grosjean has scored an astounding four timesRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief The Verizon IndyCar Series and Pocono Raceway have agreed on a two-year extension that will keep its relationship going through the 2018 season. The announcement comes in preparation for the fourth running of the ABC Supply 500 at Pocono Raceway, which is set for next weekend on Aug. 20-21. Although the 2.5-mile known as “The Tricky Triangle” has hosted events in both July and August throughout its return, future race dates for the extension are still to be determined. “We are thrilled to share this greatRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief Esteban Ocon is set to make his Formula 1 debut in the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Franchorchamps after being tabbed to replace Rio Haryanto at Manor for the remainder of the season. A winner of both the FIA European F3 championship (2014) and GP3 Series title (2015), Ocon has spent this year in a reserve role with Renault Sport F1 Team while also competing with Mercedes-AMG in DTM. “I’m thrilled that I’ll be making my Grand Prix debut with Manor Racing later this month, and atRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief Martin Truex Jr.’s hopes to return to Victory Lane at Pocono Raceway evaporated in the early stages of the Pennsylvania 400. The polesitter’s No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota hit the wall on lap 20, moments after a restart following the competition caution. After leading the opening 16 laps, Truex’s right front tire went flat due to a lug nut during the scheduled pit stop cutting off the valve stem for the inner liner. “Just blew a right front (tire),” said Truex. “A lug nut bouncedRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief NEWTON, Iowa – Ryan Hunter-Reay’s chances for a third consecutive win at Iowa Speedway came to an abrupt end after blown engine forced him to retire. The No. 28 DHL Honda driver came into the weekend with high expectations. Andretti Autosport had won seven of the previous nine races, including the last six-in-a-row. However, it became evident in practice sessions and qualifying on Saturday that a win would be a tall order for the 35-year-old American. After starting the Iowa Corn 300 from 20th, Hunter-Reay struggledRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief Ferrari has re-signed Kimi Raikkonen for the 2017 Formula 1 season, partnering him with Sebastian Vettel for a third consecutive year. The 36-year-old Finn’s future had been the pillar of speculation, but the Italian team announced Friday morning ahead of the British Grand Prix, the site of Raikkonen’s 100th race with Ferrari. The 2007 world champion has yet to win in his second stint with the Italian squad, but a rise in performance has him tied for third in the standings with Vettel. Ferrari was seenRead More