Red Bull GRC: Speed makes it a three-peat, survives Atlantic City

By Aug 28, 2016, 4:41 PM EDT
Photo: Larry Chen/Red Bull Content Pool
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In a crazy, chaotic, Round 8 of Red Bull Global Rallycross season 2016, Scott Speed secured his third straight win in the Supercar final at Bader Field in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and has taken over the points lead for the first time this season. He also won Rounds 6 and 7 at MCAS New River and Washington, D.C., respectively.

There were a lot of “situations” that presented themselves both in the final and in the run up to the final, before Speed broke through to grab the win in the No. 41 Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross Beetle GRC.

Speed’s teammate Tanner Foust in the No. 34 Rockstar Energy Beetle had the lead after the first lap from Speed, Steve Arpin, Nelson Piquet Jr. in a repaired car and Patrik Sandell. Twelve cars were in the Supercar final with only Kevin Eriksson in the third Honda Red Bull Olsbergs MSE Honda Civic Coupe unable to advance.

The order was stable for the first four laps of the eight-lap final up front, while Joni Wiman (Honda), Red Bull GRC debutante Chris Atkinson in a third Subaru Rally Team USA entry and Atkinson’s teammate Bucky Lasek all pulled off.

Foust, who hadn’t won since Daytona round two in June, was poised to secure the win but sustained a right rear tire puncture in the final couple laps as the 1.102-mile circuit was littered with debris around the course.

He slipped back into Speed’s clutches and with just two to go, Speed made it by on the inside for the lead of the hairpin, the second-to-last corner on the track.

Foust hung on for dear life from there but lost two more spots, falling to fourth.

But the podium complexion changed when Arpin, in the No. 00 ENEOS USA Ford Fiesta ST for Chip Ganassi Rallycross, ran wide on the second-to-last straight and off course.

Sandell took his No. 18 Cuttwood Ford for Bryan Herta Rallysport past both Foust and Arpin, which promoted him to second, and Deegan took his No. 38 NOS Energy Drink Ford for Ganassi up to third. Foust and Arpin, Speed’s two primary protagonists in the title battle, limped home in fourth and fifth with Sebastian Eriksson best of the Hondas in sixth.

“This track was one of the most technical we’ve been on,” Speed told NBC’s Kristen Kenney in victory lane. “I got caught out the third lap with my rear. So I was conservative trying to make it.

“It was just one of those tracks where you have to navigate grooves and potholes. I was happy to come away with the win. Glad Tanner could come home fourth… but I hoped he would have been joining me on the podium.”

Unofficially Speed, who also won his Semifinal, now leads the championship by nine points over Foust (409-400). Arpin is third, 52 back, with Sandell fourth on 57 back and Deegan fifth on 64 back.

Next up for Red Bull GRC is a trip to Seattle on Sept. 17 for the penultimate race weekend of the season.

Ford Mustang GT3 test has Austin Cindric dreaming of Daytona: ‘I want to drive that car’

By Mar 22, 2023, 2:30 PM EDT
Cindric Ford GT3 test
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Austin Cindric wasn’t the “mystery” test driver behind the wheel of the new Ford Mustang GT3 at Sebring International Raceway, but the Team Penske driver desperately wanted to be.

Ford CEO Jim Farley, an amateur sports car driver himself, made the big reveal via a Tuesday tweet that provided the first video evidence of the GT3 Mustang on track.

“I’ve watched the video in question about a million times,” Cindric said Wednesday during a Ford Performance Zoom news conference to promote NASCAR’s first road course weekend of the season at Circuit of the Americas. “Definitely exciting times for sure. I want to drive that car. It suits my experience level and also the relationships that I have.”

Ford will enter the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship next season with its GT3 Mustang, entering a two-car factory effort (that will be managed by Multimatic) in GTD Pro and making customer cars available in the GT Daytona category.

That increases the likelihood of seeing more NASCAR drivers crossing over to IMSA. Cindric has been the only full-time Cup driver in the Rolex 24 at Daytona the past two years, but Ford Performance global director Mark Rushbrook has said the GT3 Mustang will provide more opportunities.

Ford has used its GT4 Mustang as a NASCAR driver development tool in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge with Harrison Burton and Zane Smith combining to win the season opener at Daytona International Speedway in January.

“We’re excited about the Next Gen car and the new architecture there and the similarities between that car and GT3 and even GT4 cars,” Rushbrook said at the announcement of the Ford GT3 program in January 2022 at Daytona. “We think it’s a great opportunity and to do be able to do that in a 24-hour race and get NASCAR drivers even more time is something we need to consider taking advantage of that opportunity.”

Given his sports car background, Cindric probably still would be in the Rolex 24 regardless. He has eight IMSA starts since the 2017 season opener at Daytona, racing a Lexus RCF GT3 and Mercedes-AMG GT3 in the GT category. The 2022 Daytona 500 winner made his second LMP2 start this year with Rick Ware Racing.

But Cindric’s preference naturally would be in a Ford, particularly with sports car racing enjoying convergence and crossovers in both GT and prototype racing.

“It’s an exciting time in GT racing, just as it is now for prototype racing with a lot of new regulations and manufacturers building new GT3 cars,” he said. “And also the opportunity with WEC (the World Endurance Championship) and Le Mans and how that all lines up for that category of car. It’s definitely an exciting time. I want to be as much of a part of that as possible.”

Though those odds seemingly will increase with multiple Ford entries in the Rolex 24 field next year, Cindric said NASCAR drivers still have to put in the networking to land rides as he has in recent years.

“Now how (the GT3 Mustang) relates to specifically NASCAR drivers and how often they want to be in the Rolex, could it be an influence? Absolutely, as far as the tie-in with the manufacturer,” Cindric said. “But the challenge and the drive and the logistics of getting an opportunity for a race like the Rolex 24 will be just as challenging as it always is to find your one-off ride for the race. At least from my experience, that’s what I still anticipate.”

It turned out the “mystery” test driver wasn’t from NASCAR (Farley revealed the driver to be 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Joey Hand after a fan asked whether it was Joey Logano).

But Cindric believes there could be more Cup drivers — and perhaps himself — behind the wheel of Mustang GT3s in the future.

“There’s definitely more of a pathway than I think there would be before as far as Ford drivers are concerned,” he said. “Hopefully, I’ll get the opportunity to drive that thing. It’s obviously a great looking car. That’s the first box you’ve got to check. And it’s cool (to have) a guy like Jim Farley, no doubt he’s a racer just as much as he is steering the ship for Ford. It’s cool to see he’s just as excited as the rest of us about it.”