William Byron Wins NASCAR Cup at Vegas;
Verstappen Continues F1 Dominance for Red Bull;
Marcus Ericsson takes the IndyCar opener at St. Pete
By Dave Hascall
Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron secured the win in the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The race went into Overtime with a late caution, with Kyle Larson leading handily. Byron passed Larson through pit stops and the North Carolinian won the race over Larson. Hendrick teammate Alex Bowman led a Hendrick 1-2-3 sweep. Bubba Wallace and Christopher Bell completed the top five in Toyota’s with Ford’s Austin Cindric sixth. Polesitter Joey Logano fell back and finished last after contact. Austin Hill made a pass at the white flag to win Saturday’s Xfinity Series race, while last week’s Cup Winner Kyle Busch claimed the Craftsman Truck Series race Friday night. Busch wasn’t a factor on Sunday.
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The top two open-wheel, single-seat championships kicked off this weekend in different parts of the world. Red Bull ace Max Verstappen kicked the Formula One (F1) season off in Bahrain. He led at the start after beating Ferrari teammates Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz to turn one. Verstappen led all but three laps, only losing the point, on a different pit strategy. The two-time Driver’s Champ won over Red Bull teammate Sergio Pérez, favorite Fernando Alonzo, Sainz, and Sir Lewis Hamilton. Some pundits are bemoaning that Red Bull might win every race – which has never happened.
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2022 Indy 500 winner Marcus Ericsson won the IndyCar opener at the Grand Prix of St Petersburg. It was a wild event with airborne crashes and minor injuries. Pato O’Ward looked to be headed to victory but settled for second with engine issues. Five accidents marred the event, including last year’s winner Scott McLaughlin getting into polesitter Romain Grosjean, with both sliding into the tire barrier. McLaughlin earned a penalty as well. Behind Ericsson and O’Ward were trailed by Scott Dixon, Alexander Rossi, and Callum Ilott.
Four-time Indy 500 champ Helio Castroneves was seen limping after a shunt, while Jack Harvey went to a local hospital after the event to have his wrist examined. He’s been released.