Speed leads championship after win at the DirtFish ARX at COTA

Speed wins at the ARX COTA. Photo: Dave Wilson Copyright @ wiseracingworld.com
Speed wins at the ARX COTA. Photo: Dave Wilson Copyright @ wiseracingworld.com

Scott Speed reigns the ARX Championship after the 2nd round held at Circuit Of The Americas in Austin Texas. It was the first formal ARX weekend in Americ and the first official use of the new track in Austin for this kind of event in preparation for receiving the World RX in late September. Ken Block finished 2nd in his Ford Fiesta ahead of Tanner Foust in the second Beetle.

For most North-Americans, this kind of event is unknown, but it is pretty exciting as this powerful rally-like cars run in a asphalt/dirt track that usually includes jumps (as you can see in the picture above) and a lot of car bruising takes place since it’s so tight to pass. It’s not a single loop track, it has what is called a Joker, which consists of a separate loop, like a pit lane, except you go flat out and takes longer to complete than a normal lap. Driver’s must complete one Joker lap from the 6 lap race and that’s when strategy comes into play as the teams have a guy called a Spotter who basically makes real time calculations and according to position tells his driver when to take the Joker, for example, a bad start would probably be compensated by taking it on the first lap and a good start at the end… It all depends on the race circumstances and the Spotter will play a very important role as bad timing for a Joker lap would destroy the chances of any driver.

 

It’s pure excitement from start to finish, qualifying rounds are held and each driver must complete at least two and make a time good enough to be in the semi-finals where position takes the top finishers to the final. They start from a standstill position so the reaction must be good as well, not to mention the top of the line drivers that will really put on a show.

Block split the VW's in his Ford for 2nd at COTA. Photo: Dave Wilson Copyright @ wiseracingworld.com
Block split the VW’s in his Ford for 2nd at COTA. Photo: Dave Wilson Copyright @ wiseracingworld.com

In Europe the World RX is a big thing, with drivers like Mathias Ekstrom winner of the Touring Car Championship in Germany (DTM), 9-time World Rally Championship Sebastien Loeb, and the driver who established the parameters from the start of the Series, Petter Solberg, also World Rally Championship winner. In the US, ex-Formula 1 driver Scott Speed, Fast and Furious and TV showman/stuntman, drifter at heart, Tanner Foust, both competing for Andretti in a couple of VW Beetles.. ex-Subaru World Rally driver Chris Atkinson, the famous X-Gamer Travis Pastrana, Patrick Sandell all racing for Subaru.. Hoonigan’s representative in the likes of Ken Block..

This event is for fans to go watch and enjoy at the track, excellent drivers in a super competitive environment with truly beautiful super cars giving it all!

This first race at COTA also marked the first race for ARX2 competitors, young guns in equal machines! Conner Martell managed to recover from a clutch problem in one of the qualifying runs to win the extremely fought race behind him with Christian Brooks and Cole Keatts in second and third. Next round will take place August 4-5 in Canada.

ARX2 winner, Connor Martel, recover well at COTA. Photo: Dave Wilson Copyright @ wiseracingworld.com
ARX2 winner, Connor Martel, recover well at COTA. Photo: Dave Wilson Copyright @ wiseracingworld.com

THE most exciting MotoGP race ever?

Marquez, Rins and Viñales share the podium at the Dutch TT MotoGP race. Copyright @ MotoGP.com
Marquez, Rins and Viñales share the podium at the Dutch TT MotoGP race. Copyright @ MotoGP.com

Perhaps I can’t, couldn’t, shouldn’t say it was, but in recent MotoGP history it must have been… Marquez took pole at Assen, he seemed to have the pace to out run the competition but a super fast starting Lorenzo jumped from 8th to first by the first corner and managed to hold on for several laps, perhaps way more than what anyone could have predicted. That triggered a series of over taking maneuvers from everybody behind with riders going up and down the position standings lap after lap and with some of the wildest saves we could have imagined possible.

 

Lorenzo for one, lost the front while followed by Rossi at no less than 195km/h and not only the Yamaha hit the back of the Ducati pretty hard, somehow Loreny managed to stay on the Ducati and keep leading for more laps!!! That was surreal to watch.

Marquez stayed second most of the time but not without his good share of luck as well, a very focused Alex Rins put his Suzuki on the inside of the Honda and both riders touched with Marquez loosing it… Did I say he lost it? No, in the surreal MotoGP world he didn’t, he not only held on, he payed back the maneuver to Rins after a couple of laps and went on to win this fantastic fairy tale race. Rossi led the race for a moment, Viñales came from the back, joined the party and led the race for a brief moment as well, Doviziosso led the race as well so it was a race worth watching from the start to finish.

Battles developed everywhere, we could say all bike brands shined at one or another point of the track and race, some took advantage of the cornering speed, some gained momentum on the straights, some under braking and some under acceleration.

Next round is at the Sachsenring in Germany on July 15th. For the Dutch TT results click here.  For the current Championship standings here.

Lorenzo leads the Dutch TT MotoGP race. Copyright @ MotoGP.com
Lorenzo leads the Dutch TT MotoGP race. Copyright @ MotoGP.com