MotorSportsTalk’s predictions: Hungarian GP

By Jul 25, 2013, 4:30 PM EDT
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Since its debut in 1986, the Hungarian Grand Prix has been rain affected just once. That’s a 1/27 ‘rain-rate’, or, for the math geniuses out there, less than 4% of the races held at the Hungaroring. Therefore, you would be safe to bet on it being a dry race on Sunday especially with the weather forecast predicting temperatures of beyond 100ºF. If only predictions were so simple for the MST team…

Tony DiZinno (@tonydizinno)

Race winner: Sebastian Vettel. Vettel hasn’t won in Hungary before so he should this weekend. Why, you ask? He hadn’t won in Canada before (check), or in his home country of Germany before (check), or in the month of July before (checked with Germany). And chances are the Red Bull will be able to handle the projected record temps quite well.

Surprising finish: Nico Hulkenberg. The Sauber team claims to have made updates for the Silverstone test and Hulkenberg will be the driver to exploit them. I have a hunch he could better 10th place this weekend, perhaps threaten for seventh or eighth if he makes Q3 on Saturday.

Most to prove: Jean-Eric Vergne. After a two-race stretch where he thrived, including at Monaco, he’s been considerably outshone by teammate Daniel Ricciardo the last two races, and all but dismissed from Red Bull consideration. Time to put up a productive, Ricciardo-beating weekend.

Christopher Estrada (@estradawriting)

Race winner: Kimi Raikkonen. It’s going to take a perfect race to stop Sebastian Vettel, but hot conditions in Budapest could play well for teams that take care of their tires such as Lotus and Ferrari. Raikkonen was a threat all the way to the end in Germany, and I see him jumping to the top spot on the podium this weekend.

Surprising finish: Nico Hulkenberg. Sauber comes to Hungary with a bit of momentum after back-to-back points finishes from “The Hulk” at Silverstone and Nurburgring. With a upgrade package coming up here for his C32, the German driver could find an opportunity for a bigger points haul.

Most to prove: Mercedes. This weekend, the Merc duo has to play catch-up with the field in regards to the new Pirelli tires, which they couldn’t sample in the recent Young Driver’s Test. Rosberg’s had a great 2013 and Hamilton’s won at Hungaroring three times in his career, but this could be a hole they can’t dig out of right now.

Luke Smith (@LukeSmithF1)

Race winner: Fernando Alonso. Just over ten years since his first grand prix victory at the Hungaroring, I can see Alonso repeating this result as the heat plays against Red Bull and into Ferrari’s hands. If anyone can stop Vettel, it is the Spaniard.

Surprising finish: Romain Grosjean. RoGro has had a hard time of it in 2013 so far, but his podium in Germany was a superb result and performance that proved his worth to Lotus. Relying he keeps it on track, a repeat of his 3rd place finish here last season isn’t too far fetched.

Most to prove: Jean-Eric Vergne. Two open snubs from Red Bull, JEV now needs to prove to the F1 world just why he is in the sport. A good result ahead of the expected driver announcement is required to ensure he remains in the sport next season.

Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)

Race winner: Sebastian Vettel. Of the last three races he’s won two and was leading the other when his car let him down. He was able to keep the Lotus pair behind at the Nurburgring despite a Safety Car and a KERS failure, and I reckon he’ll do the same here.

Surprising finish: Nico Hulkenberg. Sauber seem to be getting a handle on their car, they’ve got some new parts this weekend and I suspect they’ll be happier on the revised tires.

Most to prove: Felipe Massa. I picked him in Germany and he spun out after three laps, so I can hardly choose anyone else!

With throaty roar, NASCAR Next Gen Camaro is taking Le Mans by storm on global stage

Associated PressJun 8, 2023, 4:00 PM EDT
Le Mans 24 Hour Race - Car Parade
Chris Graythen/Getty Images
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LE MANS, France — The V8 engine of the NASCAR Chevrolet Camaro has a distinct growl that cannot go unnoticed even among the most elite sports cars in the world at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

When the Hendrick Motorsports crew fired up the car inside Garage 56, NASCAR chairman Jim France broke into a huge grin and gave a thumbs up.

“The only guy who didn’t cover his ears,” laughed seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson.

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France has been waiting since 1962 – the year his father, NASCAR founder Bill France Sr., brought him to his first 24 Hours of Le Mans – to hear the roar of a stock car at the most prestigious endurance race in the world.

A path finally opened when NASCAR developed its Next Gen car, which debuted last year. France worked out a deal to enter a car in a specialized “Innovative Car” class designed to showcase technology and development. The effort would be part of NASCAR’s 75th celebration and it comes as Le Mans marks its 100th.

Once he had the approval, France persuaded Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet and Goodyear – NASCAR’s winningest team, manufacturer and tire supplier – to build a car capable of running the twice-around-the-clock race.

The race doesn’t start until Saturday, but NASCAR’s arrival has already been wildly embraced and France could not be more thrilled.

“Dad’s vision, to be able to follow it, it took awhile to follow it up, and my goal was to outdo what he accomplished,” France told The Associated Press. “I just hope we don’t fall on our ass.”

The car is in a class of its own and not racing anyone else in the 62-car field. But the lineup of 2010 Le Mans winner Mike Rockenfeller, 2009 Formula One champion Jenson Button and Johnson has been fast enough; Rockenfeller put down a qualifying lap that was faster than every car in the GTE AM class by a full three seconds.

The Hendrick Motorsports crew won its class in the pit stop competition and finished fifth overall as the only team using a manual jack against teams exclusively using air jacks. Rick Hendrick said he could not be prouder of the showing his organization has made even before race day.

“When we said we’re gonna do it, I said, ‘Look, we can’t do this half-assed. I want to be as sharp as anybody out there,” Hendrick told AP. “I don’t want to be any less than any other team here. And just to see the reaction from the crowd, people are so excited about this car. My granddaughter has been sending me all these TikTok things that fans are making about NASCAR being at Le Mans.”

This isn’t NASCAR’s first attempt to run Le Mans. The late France Sr. brokered a deal in 1976, as America celebrated its bicentennial, to bring two cars to compete in the Grand International class and NASCAR selected the teams. Herschel McGriff and his son, Doug, drove a Wedge-powered, Olympia Beer-sponsored Dodge Charger, and Junie Donlavey piloted a Ford Torino shared by Richard Brooks and Dick Hutcherson.

Neither car came close to finishing the race. McGriff, now 95 and inducted into NASCAR’s Hall of Fame in January, is in Le Mans as France’s guest, clad head-to-toe in the noticeable Garage 56 uniforms.

“I threw a lot of hints that I would like to come. And I’ve been treated as royalty,” McGriff said. “This is unbelievable to me. I recognize nothing but I’m anxious to see everything. I’ve been watching and seeing pictures and I can certainly see the fans love their NASCAR.”

The goal is to finish the full race Sunday and, just maybe, beat cars from other classes. Should they pull off the feat, the driver trio wants its own podium celebration.

“I think people will talk about this car for a long, long time,” said Rockenfeller, who along with sports car driver Jordan Taylor did much of the development alongside crew chief Chad Knaus and Greg Ives, a former crew chief who stepped into a projects role at Hendrick this year.

“When we started with the Cup car, we felt already there was so much potential,” Rockenfeller said. “And then we tweaked it. And we go faster, and faster, at Le Mans on the SIM. But you never know until you hit the real track, and to be actually faster than the SIM. Everybody in the paddock, all the drivers, they come up and they are, ‘Wow, this is so cool,’ and they were impressed by the pit stops. We’ve overachieved, almost, and now of course the goal is to run for 24 hours.”

The car completed a full 24-hour test at Sebring, Florida, earlier this year, Knaus said, and is capable of finishing the race. Button believes NASCAR will leave a lasting impression no matter what happens.

“If you haven’t seen this car live yet, it’s an absolute beast,” Button said. “When you see and hear it go by, it just puts a massive smile on your face.”

For Hendrick, the effort is the first in his newfound embrace of racing outside NASCAR, the stock car series founded long ago in the American South. Aside from the Le Mans project, he will own the Indy car that Kyle Larson drives for Arrow McLaren in next year’s Indianapolis 500 and it will be sponsored by his automotive company.

“If you’d have told me I’d be racing at Le Mans and Indianapolis within the same year, I’d never have believed you,” Hendrick told AP. “But we’re doing both and we’re going to do it right.”

Le Mans 24 Hour Race - Car Parade
Fans gather around the NASCAR Next Gen Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 that is the Garage 56 entry for the 100th 24 Hours of Le Mans at the Circuit de la Sarthe (Chris Graythen/Getty Images).

General Motors is celebrating the achievement with a 2024 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Garage 56 Edition and only 56 will be available to collectors later this year.

“Even though Chevrolet has been racing since its inception in 1911, we’ve never done anything quite like Garage 56,” said GM President Mark Reuss. “A NASCAR stock car running at Le Mans is something fans doubted they would see again.”

The race hasn’t even started yet, but Hendrick has enjoyed it so much that he doesn’t want the project to end.

“It’s like a shame to go through all this and do all this, and then Sunday it’s done,” Hendrick said. “It’s just really special to be here.”