NASCAR’s top category famously doesn’t race in the rain but the same doesn’t apply to its junior series. Saturday’s rain-hit race at Mid-Ohio was therefore a rare chance to see stock cars in action on a wet track, with predictably chaotic results.
Elsewhere the British Touring Car Championship headed to Knockhill and Moto GP races at the Red Bull Ring for the first time since 1997.
Guest series: NASCAR Xfinity
Race 21 of 33: Mid-Ohio
The track was dry when the green flag dropped at Mid-Ohio but within a few laps the rain appeared and a caution period was thrown while the drivers headed to the pits for wet weather tyres.
While a series of leaders spun off in the deteriorating conditions part-time driver Justin Marks rose to the front to claim his first victory in the championship ahead Sam Hornish Jnr. Ex-F1 driver Nelson Piquet Jnr retired early following a collision.
British Touring Car Championship
Round 7 (Races 19-21 of 30): Knockhill
The most successful driver in terms of wins in BTCC history, Jason Plato, fitting won in his 500th start from pole position at Knockhill. But he had to see off serious pressure from Jack Goff in the closing laps due following a Safety Car period to deliver his first win of 2016 ahead of Goff and Colin Turkington.
Race two was an absolute thriller as Matt Neal came through from eighth on the grid and took advantage of his soft tyres and the leading quartet squabbling to slice through and take a surprise victory. Plato looked set for a second successive win after 21 action-packed laps of impressive defensive driving from Sam Tordoff, Goff and Turkington, but as the latter two fought each other off-track at the hairpin, a quickly closing Neal seized his opportunity to move into third. Neal then used his superior tyre grip to breeze past both Tordoff and Plato – with the former following him through – to take his third win of the season.
The top six were reversed for the final race, with Mat Jackson being promoted to pole position. He started the race having to defend vigorously – a sight that would quickly become the normality – from Rob Collard and Turkington, but the two collided handing advantage to championship leader Tordoff. Try as he might however the BMW driver failed to make it past Jackson’s Ford, with the rest of the top seven also in stalemate all the way through until the flag.
Video highlights coming soon.
Guest series: United States Formula Four
The new United States Formula Four championship was in action for the second time last weekend at Mid-Ohio. The series kicked off at the same venue last month – highlights above.
Also last weekend
Moto GP returned to the Red Bull Ring after an 18-year absence – and with it Ducati returned to the top step of the podium for the first time since 2010 thanks to a maiden win from Andrea Iannone.
Andrea Dovizioso followed his team mate home in second while reigning champion Jorge Lorenzo took third. The final corner on the track was modified to make its limited run-off safer for the riders.
Over to you
Did you see any of the above racing this weekend, and if so what did you make of it? Or did you watch anything we haven’t covered? If so let us know in the comments below.
Up next week are IndyCar and Super Formula, with WRC, NASCAR and DTM also back in action.
Weekend Racing Wrap
- WRW: New leaders in F3 and Eurocup, DTM controversy and more
- Weekend Racing Wrap: IndyCar title-decider, Super GT Sugo and more
- Weekend Racing Wrap: Euro F3, DTM, Super Formula and more
- Weekend Racing Wrap: Formula E New York, IndyCar Toronto and more
- Weekend Racing Wrap: IndyCar Iowa, Super Formula Fuji and more
PorscheF1 (@xtwl)
15th August 2016, 12:14
The last corner in Austria really did get a lot less sharp. Do we have any info regarding this change staying for F1, as it will affect lap times. The track really is over a metre less wide at that point now.
Moto2/3 races were great but for once the MotoGP race was quite boring to behold. Ducati seemed to struggle in the beginning with Lorenzo even getting into second. Yamaha however never seemed to really be able to challenge them. Good on Iannone to get this win. I still can’t believe they chose Dovi above Iannone to pair with Lorenzo. Marquez on the other hand finished in the best possible place being fifth. With Rossi finishing fourth and Lorenzo third the impact on the championship is minimal. The Yamaha remains the best bike overall but if Marquez can stay on the bike for the remaining eight rounds he might have a very good shot at the title in a year his bike is all but the best.
Craig
15th August 2016, 12:41
I believe this was exclusive for the MotoGP. all they did was paint an extra bit of the track in front of the outside curbs
GT Racer (@gt-racer)
16th August 2016, 12:28
@xtwl The solution they used this past weekend was only a temporary solution, Something more permanent will be done before next year.
I gather that a lot of the MotoGp riders were less than satisfied with some of the kerbs, runoff & barriers around the circuit so changes will be made to all of those things for next year.
Dave
15th August 2016, 16:14
Keith, Jason Plato STARTED his 500th race………winning his 500th race would’ve been pretty impressive! :p
Dave
15th August 2016, 16:15
Just realised it does actually make sense………..it’s just the way I was reading it! Doh!
Ibrahim (@ibrahim)
16th August 2016, 12:09
That was the first boring Motogp (save the first few laps) race I have seen in awhile. It was still interesting to watch, to see all the different lines they can use in the corners and also to see the PACKED grandstands.
To stock car, btcc, and world superbikes, there is nothing I hate more than to see those fake headlight stickers on cars and bikes so they can give some “semblance of the actual thing you can buy” but just comes off as dumb and geared to people who just watch one race a year.
Arnold Triyudho Wardono (@ernietheracefan)
16th August 2016, 18:16
Fixed that because touring cars have the real headlights..
Mangy Black Sheep (@mangyblacksheep)
16th August 2016, 16:32
Racing on a road course with cars that aren’t really designed for road racing, in the rain. Now there’s a true test of driving skill.