IndyCar results, points after Barber

0 Comments

IndyCar results, points after Barber Motorsports Park: Scott McLaughlin scored the fourth victory of his career and first of the 2023 season, winning by 1.7854 seconds over Romain Grosjean at Barber Motorsports Park.

The 2023 IndyCar season has started with four winners in four races: McLaughlin, Marcus Ericsson (St. Petersburg), Josef Newgarden (Texas) and Kyle Kirkwood (Long Beach).

McLaughlin won by making three pit stops to Grosjean’s two, taking the lead from the pole-sitter for the final time on Lap 72 of 90.

“I call it a ‘happy driver strategy,’ ” McLaughlin told NBC Sports’ Marty Snider of the tactics. “I was a lot happier doing that. We went past Grosjean there on a little bit of strategy, and I feel really good about it.”

Will Power finished third for his first podium this season, giving Team Penske two of the top three. Pato O’ward and Alex Palou rounded out the top five.

It was the fifth runner-up finish for Grosjean, who led a race-high 57 laps but remained winless in 34 IndyCar starts.

“It hurts,” Grosjean told NBC Sports’ Dave Burns. “The three-stop never wins at Barber, but today the pits stayed open. That gave McLaughlin and Power the edge on the three-stop. We had an incredible car, drove really well, gave it 100 percent, but we just got unlucky with that yellow.”

Here are the IndyCar results and points standings Sunday after the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix:


RESULTS

Click here for the official box score from the 90-lap race on a 17-turn, 2.3-mile road course in Birmingham, Alabama.

Lap leader summary.

Full lap chart

Best section times

Full section data

Event summary

Pit stop summary

Here is the finishing order in the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix with starting position in parentheses, driver, engine, laps completed and reason out (if any):

1. (4) Scott McLaughlin, Chevrolet, 90, Running
2. (1) Romain Grosjean, Honda, 90, Running
3. (11) Will Power, Chevrolet, 90, Running
4. (3) Pato O’Ward, Chevrolet, 90, Running
5. (2) Alex Palou, Honda, 90, Running
6. (6) Christian Lundgaard, Honda, 90, Running
7. (5) Scott Dixon, Honda, 90, Running
8. (10) Alexander Rossi, Chevrolet, 90, Running
9. (8) Felix Rosenqvist, Chevrolet, 90, Running
10. (13) Marcus Ericsson, Honda, 90, Running
11. (26) Marcus Armstrong, Honda, 90, Running
12. (12) Kyle Kirkwood, Honda, 90, Running
13. (15) Callum Ilott, Chevrolet, 90, Running
14. (14) Colton Herta, Honda, 90, Running
15. (7) Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet, 90, Running
16. (9) Rinus VeeKay, Chevrolet, 90, Running
17. (19) Graham Rahal, Honda, 90, Running
18. (16) Simon Pagenaud, Honda, 90, Running
19. (17) David Malukas, Honda, 90, Running
20. (27) Santino Ferrucci, Chevrolet, 90, Running
21. (21) Helio Castroneves, Honda, 90, Running
22. (25) Benjamin Pedersen, Chevrolet, 90, Running
23. (18) Devlin DeFrancesco, Honda, 90, Running
24. (24) Jack Harvey, Honda, 90, Running
25. (20) Conor Daly, Chevrolet, 90, Running
26. (22) Agustin Canapino, Chevrolet, 90, Running
27. (23) Sting Ray Robb, Honda, 36, Mechanical

Winner’s average speed: 115.019 mph; Time of Race: 1 hour, 47 minutes, 58.9401 seconds; Margin of victory: 1.7854 seconds; Cautions: 1 for 3 laps; Lead changes: 7 among 4 drivers; Lap Leaders: Grosjean 1-30; Newgarden 31-36; McLaughlin 37-38; Grosjean 39-59; McLaughlin 60-62; Power 63-65; Grosjean 66-71; McLaughlin 72-90.


POINTS

Click here for the points tally in Sunday’s race.

Here are the points standings after Barber:

Drivers

Entrants

Engine manufacturers

Pit stop performance

Top 10 in points: Ericsson 130, O’Ward 127, Palou 121, McLaughlin 119, Grosjean 115, Newgarden 105, Power 104, Dixon 98, Kirkwood 92, Herta 85.

Rest of the standings: Ilott 80, Lundgaard 77, Malukas 74, Rossi 72, Rosenqvist 66, Rahal 65, Armstrong 62, Canapino 47, VeeKay 47, Pagenaud 45, Castroneves 45, Ferrucci 44, Harvey 43, Daly 38, Robb 37, Pedersen 34, DeFrancesco 33, Ed Carpenter 17, Takuma Sato 5.

Next race: May 13, Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course

Beta Motorcycles joins SuperMotocross in 2024, Benny Bloss named first factory rider

Beta Motorcycles 2024 Bloss
Beta Motorcycles
0 Comments

Benny Bloss will race for the factory Beta Motorcycles team in 2024 as that manufacturer joins SuperMotocross as the ninth brand to compete in the series. Beta Motorcycles will make their debut in the Monster Energy Supercross opener at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California in January.

Benny Bloss finished among the top 10 twice in Pro Motocross, in 2016 and 2018. – Beta Motorcycles

“The wait is over and we can finally share everything we have been working towards,” said Carlen Gardner, Race Team Manager in a press release. “It has been a great experience being a part of this development and seeing the progression. The only missing part was finding a rider that would mesh well with our Beta Family.

“After a one phone call with Benny, we knew it would be a good fit for him, and for us. We are happy to have him on board for the next two years and can’t wait to see everyone at Anaheim in January.”

Bloss debuted in the 450 class in 2015 with a 15th-place finish overall at Ironman Raceway in Crawfordsville, Indiana.

Bloss has a pair of top-10 rankings in the division with a sixth-place finish in the Pro Motocross Championship in 2016 and a seventh in 2018. His best Supercross season ended 15th in the standings in 2018.

“I’m extremely excited to join the Beta Factory Racing team,” Bloss said. “It’s cool to see a brand with such a rich history in off-road racing to come into the US Supercross and Motocross space. I know this team will be capable of great things as we build and go racing in 2024.”

Bloss is currently 22nd in the SuperMotocross rankings and has not raced in the first two rounds of the Motocross season.

Testing for Beta Motorcycles is scheduled to begin in August and the team expects to announce a second rider at that time.

The family-owned brand adds to the international flare of the sport. The company was founded in Florence, Italy in 1905 as Società Giuseppe Bianchi as they built handmade bicycles, The transition to motorcycle production in the late 1940s.

Beta Motorcycles competed and won in motocross competition in the late 1970s and early 1980s with Jim Pomeroy and other riders.

Beta will join Triumph Motorcycles as a second historic brand to join the sport in 2024. First established in 1902, Triumph has won in nearly every division they have competed in, dating back to their first victory in the 1908 Isle of Man TT. Triumph will debut in the 250 class in 2024 and plans to expand into 450s in 2025.