Fifth Buxton Bash set for this week to benefit Komen Austin

By Oct 16, 2017, 2:36 PM EDT
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This week isn’t just the United States Grand Prix in Austin at Circuit of The Americas, but also the return of NBCSN pit reporter and insider Will Buxton’s “The Buxton Bash,” a fun pre-weekend event that also is a big fundraiser for charity.

This event took place in each of the first four U.S. Grands Prix from 2012 through 2015 but took a one-year hiatus last year as Buxton was tending to family matters and concerns, having lost his father earlier in the year.

But it’s back full bore this year, to be held the Thursday night, October 19, before the U.S. Grand Prix. The event takes place at Clearport, 516 E. 6th St. in Austin, with doors opening at 7 p.m. CT and local time. The show starts at 8 p.m.

A $10 donation at the door goes to Susan G. Komen Austin, which is an Austin-based nonprofit committed to saving lives locally and fighting breast cancer globally. There will be a lot of great giveaway items at the event, as well.

Buxton announced details for this on the Speed City Podcast a couple weeks ago.

“We set up the bash… which started as a karaoke night and was really fun, and it’s grown every year!” Buxton said. “Now we get drivers coming down, teams provide amazing giveaways, and it’s a chance to meet drivers. Alexander Rossi came down when he was racing in GP2… and he’s now an Indianapolis 500 champion. Gil de Ferran and Mario Andretti (below, in 2014) have come down.

Photo courtesy The Austin Grand Prix

“It’s all about raising money for local charities and I think we’ve raised nearly $100,000 for it. It comes back this year after a one-year hiatus. This year, all the money will go to Susan G. Komen. Everything at the track is going towards raising money for Susan G. Komen. Pink tires, pink liveries… and it’s going to be great fun!”

You can hear the full Speed City Podcast interview and details here.

A recap of the fourth and most recent bash is linked here. Further details about this year’s event are below, and via Speed City Podcast’s website.

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As The Buxton Bash is an excellent event for F1 fans, fun and charity, it isn’t the only event taking place at the weekend happening for a good cause.

Houston motorsport artist Kevin Paige specializes in oil,​ ​acrylic,​ ​and​ ​watercolor​ ​pieces,​ and his pieces ​are highly sought and hang in​ ​the​ ​homes​ ​of​ ​Nico Rosberg,​ ​Mark​ ​Webber,​ ​Valteri​ ​Bottas and other renowned Formula 1 champions and drivers. Page’s art has​ ​garnered​ ​a​ ​following​ ​of​ ​Formula​ ​1​ ​and MotoGP​ ​art​ ​collectors​ ​who​ ​commission​ ​him​ ​to​ ​capture​ ​the​ ​speed,​ ​colors,​ ​and​ ​majesty​ ​found​ ​in the​ ​spirit​ ​of​ ​motorsports.

However after Hurricane Harvey, Paige’s home​ ​—​ ​along​ ​with many unreleased pieces of​ ​his​ ​art​ ​—​ ​fell​ ​victim​ ​to the​ ​floodwaters.

Knowing the devastation that’s hit the Houston area, Paige wants to do his part to help the victims as well at the Austin weekend.

Some of his original artwork, having undergone partial restoration, will be offered up for auction as part of the “Kevin Paige Art: Helping Houston Heal”​ ​collection at the Ferrari Club of America Formula 1 Reception this October.

All proceeds from these and other original Kevin Paige Art paintings sold at this private event will go to the Houston Food Bank, a key relief organization providing meals during and after Hurricane Harvey. Every $1 donated provides a full day of meals for Gulf Coast neighbors in need. Further details on this project are linked here.

Hunter Lawrence defends Haiden Deegan after controversial block pass at Detroit

By Mar 20, 2023, 5:05 PM EDT
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Media and fan attention focused on a controversial run-in between Haiden Deegan and his Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing teammate Jordon Smith during Round 10 of the Monster Energy Supercross race at Detroit, after which the 250 East points’ Hunter Lawrence defends the young rider in the postrace news conference.

Deegan took the early lead in Heat 1 of the round, but the mood swiftly changed when he became embroiled in a spirited battle with teammate Smith.

On Lap 3, Smith caught Deegan with a fast pass through the whoops. Smith briefly held the lead heading into a bowl turn but Deegan had the inside line and threw a block pass. In the next few turns, the action heated up until Smith eventually ran into the back of Deegan’s Yamaha and crashed.

One of the highlights of the battle seemed to include a moment when Deegan waited on Smith in order to throw a second block pass, adding fuel to the controversy.

After his initial crash, Smith fell to seventh on the next lap. He would crash twice more during the event, ultimately finishing four laps off the pace in 20th.

The topic was inevitably part of the postrace news conference.

“It was good racing; it was fun,” Deegan said at about the 27-minute mark in the video above. “I just had some fun doing it.”

Smith had more trouble in the Last Chance Qualifier. He stalled his bike in heavy traffic, worked his way into a battle for fourth with the checkers in sight, but crashed a few yards shy of the finish line and was credited with seventh. Smith earned zero points and fell to sixth in the standings.

Lawrence defends Deegan
Jordon Smith failed to make the Detroit Supercross Main and fell to sixth in the points. – Feld Motor Sports

“I think he’s like fifth in points,” Deegan said. “He’s a little out of it. Beside that it was good, I don’t know. I wasn’t really paying attention.”

Deegan jokingly deflected an earlier question with the response that he wasn’t paying attention during the incident.

“He’s my teammate, but he’s a veteran, he’s been in this sport for a while,” Deegan said. “I was up there just battling. I want to win as much as everybody else. It doesn’t matter if it’s a heat race or a main; I just want to win. I was just trying to push that.”

As Deegan and Smith battled, Jeremy Martin took the lead. Deegan finished second in the heat and backed up his performance with a solid third-place showing in the main, which was his second podium finish in a short six-race career. Deegan’s first podium was earned at Daytona, just two rounds ago.

But as Deegan struggled to find something meaningful to say, unsurprisingly for a 17-year-old rider who was not scheduled to run the full 250 schedule this year, it was the championship leader Lawrence who came to his defense.

Lawrence defends Deegan
A block pass by Haiden Deegan led to a series of events that eventually led to Jordon Smith failing to make the Main. – Feld Motor Sports

“I just want to point something out, which kind of amazes me,” Lawrence said during the conference. “So many of the people on social media, where everyone puts their expertise in, are saying the racing back in the ’80s, the early 90s, when me were men. They’re always talking about how gnarly it was and then anytime a block pass or something happens now, everyone cries about it.

“That’s just a little bit interesting. Pick one. You want the gnarly block passes from 10 years ago and then you get it, everyone makes a big song and dance about it.”

Pressed further, Lawrence defended not only the pass but the decision-making process that gets employed lap after lap in a Supercross race.

“It’s easy to point the finger,” Lawrence said. “We’re out there making decisions in a split millisecond. People have all month to pay their phone bill and they still can’t do that on time.

“We’re making decisions at such a fast reaction [time with] adrenaline. … I’m not just saying it for me or Haiden. I speak for all the guys. No one is perfect and we’re under a microscope out there. The media is really quick to point a finger when someone makes a mistake.”

The media is required to hold athletes accountable for their actions. They are also required to tell the complete story.

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