April 24, 2024
1) Erik Jones out for Dover with fractured vertebrae (NASCAR Cup)
Erik Jones is out indefinitely after suffering a compression fracture in a lower vertebrae during a crash in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway.
Legacy Motor Club (LMC) confirmed that Jones won’t compete this weekend at Dover Motor Speedway on Tuesday. He’ll be replaced by reserve driver Corey Heim.
Jones was in the midst of a Toyota group drafting together on Lap 157 of Sunday’s race when an errant push set off a crash that sent him careening into the Turn 3 wall. The Michigander was initially cleared from the infield care center, but later returned and was transported to nearby UAM University Hospital before being evaluated and released to travel home on Sunday night.
In a video shared on social media, Jones said that he would take this recovery “week-by-week.” NASCAR has already granted Jones, who currently sits 20th in the Cup Series standings, a playoff eligibility waiver.
“Erik’s long-term health is our number one priority,” team co-owner Jimmie Johnson said in a team statement. “It will be great to see him at the track Sunday, and we intend to give him the time it takes to recover properly.
“I know Corey will do a great job behind the wheel for the Club. In the meantime, our thoughts are with Erik and his wife Holly — they have our total support.”
Heim will be making his Cup debut at Dover. The Georgian is a full-time competitor in the Craftsman Truck Series, where he’s won six times in 48 stats and made the Championship 4 in 2023. He’s signed as an official reserve driver for both LMC and 23XI Racing.
(Source(s): Dustin Long / NBC Sports, Erik Jones / X)
2) NASCAR releases rules, format for All-Star Racing (NASCAR Cup)
With NASCAR’s All-Star Race less than a month away, series officials have unveiled the format for the event’s 2024 edition.
The race length itself will remain simple. NASCAR will set the starting lineup with a pair of heat races, hold a 100-lap All-Star Open and then contest a 200-lap main event paying $1 million to the winners.
It’s the events and details around the race that are set to change.
The biggest shift prepared for the race is the implementation of multiple tire compounds. Teams will be issued three different tires - a standard “prime” tire, wet weather tires (in case of rain) and a slick “option” tire made of the same rubber as the wets.
Teams will be given nine sets of tires for the weekend, with two sets of both the prime and option tires for the main race. They’ll start the main event on the option tire. All four tires on the car will need to be the same. Goodyear will use different colored lettering for the tires - yellow for the primes, red for options and white for wet weather.
Both the Open and main races will have mandatory cautions. The Open will throw an ‘All-Star’ caution on Lap 50, with teams required to perform a four-tire pit stop. A similar caution will take place on Lap 100 of the All-Star Race, with an extra caution planned for Lap 150.
A unique qualifying session will kick off the weekend. Drivers will run a lap at speed, pit on the second lap for a four-tire stop and then race back to the checkered flag on a third lap. The total elapsed time from the complete run will be used to set the heat race lineups, while the pit stop times will be used to determine pit picking order.
(Source(s): Jim Utter / Motorsport)
A couple All-Star notes:
You can see the full list of locked in drivers (to this point) here. (Kelly Crandall / RACER)
While we’re on the topic of the All-Star Race, check out this amazing campaign video for Justin Haley.
3) Theo Pourchaire continuing with McLaren at Barber (IndyCar)
After a stellar debut in the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, Arrow McLaren is set to bring Theo Pourchaire back for this weekend’s IndyCar trip to Barber Motorsports Park.
The reigning Formula 2 champion, Pourchaire impressed in his fill-in role for the injured David Malukas. He qualified a distant 22nd, but avoided incident and quietly marched forward to 11th on the tricky Long Beach street course.
Pourchaire spoke highly of the racing in IndyCar after making his debut, making him an easy choice for Arrow McLaren heading to the road course in Alabama.
He might not be in for an easy time, though. From RACER:
Speaking with RACER moments after finishing the 85-lap Long Beach race, Pourchaire was all smiles, but also did his best to hide the effects of all he endured in the co*ckpit during his IndyCar debut.
At Barber, which is one of the two most physically punishing circuits on the calendar, he’ll have an even harder time attacking the steering wheel with full force for the entire race.
“Looking at me now, my shoulders are hurting a lot, to be honest,” he told RACER. “I don’t want to move too much. You know, I feel okay. I’m quite surprised. It was really tough physically, but I was also prepared; I have a reserve role in Formula 1 as well, so I have to be ready at any time.
“IndyCar is a little bit more special because we don’t have any power steering and bumpy tracks like Long Beach makes it really difficult. But you know, I was prepared. I struggled a little bit, I have to be honest, but I will be more prepared for the future if I have another opportunity.”
(Source(s): Marshall Pruett / RACER)
Race Recaps
Sim Racing
eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series: Defending champion Steven Wilson has gone two-for-two in the past two series races. He triumphed Tuesday at virtual Dover Motor Speedway.
Here’s our breakdown of Sunday’s eventful Cup race at Talladega Superspeedway. (Aaron Bearden / Motorsports Beat)
…And here’s an updated look at the playoff picture, with Tyler Reddick now locked into the Field of 16. (Aaron Bearden / Motorsports Beat)
News and Notes
NASCAR
Sports Business Journal reporter Adam Stern noted Monday that Kroger could switch to a new team next year, causing a shakeup for JTG Daugherty Racing.
Some final notes from Talladega:
Sportsnaut’s Matt Weave took a look into the current state of superspeedway racing after a polarizing race in Alabama.
Fuel saving and Michael Jordan’s role as an owner and (essentially) ambassador for NASCAR were among this week’s “Top 5” topics. (Jeff Gluck / The Athletic)
Motorsport’s Nick DeGroot took a closer look at Corey LaJoie’s wild last-lap ride.
In its own way, 23XI Racing’s win proved to be a victory for the entire sport. (Kelly Crandall / RACER)
IndyCar
Some Long Beach takeaways:
Good news: Long Beach looks to have had a sizable crowd on-hand for its 2024 race weekend. (Marshall Pruett / RACER)
Bad news: This rating. Woof. (Adam Stern / Sports Business Journal)
With his latest ridiculous drive, veteran Scott Dixon continues to normalize what seems impossible in IndyCar. (Jack Benyon / The Race)
With his run, Honda found a retort to the recent run of Chevrolet dominance. (Marshall Pruett / RACER)
Brake issues hampered Felix Rosenqvist in his quest for victory. (Joey Barnes / Motorsport)
Could Pourchaire’s solid Long Beach run be the start of a fruitful IndyCar career? (Jack Benyon / The Race)
F1
Speaking of F1 on city streets… Check out this story on a Red Bull Showrun in Washington, D.C.
With nothing to lose, Mercedes’ Toto Wolff is willing to play the waiting game in search of the team’s next driver. (Luke Smith / The Athletic)
Does Formula 1’s current point system actually need an overhaul? (Chris Medland / RACER)
Ferrari is reportedly set to announce a new title sponsor - Hewlett-Packard. (Matthew Williams / Sports Business Journal)
Fernando Alonso feels it’s “better not to race” during Sprint races given the impacts it can have on a weekend. (Chris Medland / RACER)
We’re currently living in the era of the F1 streamer. The eventual champion this year will be a driver with a Twitch account. (Raphael Orlove / Road and Track)
Last stories from the Chinese Grand Prix:
Here’s a run through the various upgrades seen in China. (Matt Somerfield & Giorgio Piola / Motorsport)
Logan Sargeant was flummoxed by the FIA giving him no feedback that he’d illegally overtaken Nico Hulkenberg behind the safety car during Sunday’s race. (Jonathan Noble / Motorsport)
With Lewis Hamilton admitting to running a car with extreme set-up changes at the Chinese Grand Prix, Mercedes’ F1 experiments have begun to go too far. (Scott Mitchell-Malm / The Race)
A disappointed Carlos Sainz feels his early battle with Charles Leclerc cost the Ferrari pair a shot at the podium. (Chris Medland / RACER)
RB team principal Laurent Mekies has declared the incidents for its two drivers in China to be “unnecessary.” (Jonathan Noble / Motorsport)
Ferrari is making a slight livery shift for the Miami Grand Prix, adding some blue to its standard red livery. (Sam Hall / Motorsport)
Supercars
Why are modern drivers so bland? Supercars regular Scott Pye blames online vitriol from fans. (Daniel Herrero / Speedcafe)
The Northern Territory government has committed $3 million for upgrades to Darwin’s Hidden Valley circuit. (Andrew van Leeuwen / Speedcafe)
Sports Cars
The FIA World Endurance Championship is still planning to push ahead with its plans to mandate team running two-car Hypercar entries. (Stephen Kilbey / RACER)
A struggling weekend in Imola showed that Ferrari’s Hypercar program remains a work in progress. (Stephen Kilbey / RACER)
Manthey EMA is uncertain if Porsche will be “allowed” to defend its titles in the DTM this season. (Sven Haidinger / Motorsport)
Dirt
Here’s the list of full-time competitors for this year’s USAC National Midget season. (Richie Murray / USAC Media)
Short Tracks
Engine builder REDLINE Performance Engines has shared its side of a controversy tied to the Northeast Classic. (Jeff Brown / Short Track Scene)
Moto
Ken Roczen will miss the remainder of the Supercross season with a broken tibial plateau and foot. (Dan Beaver / NBC Sports)
Amid a hype-filled rookie campaign, could Pedro Acosta secure a Max Verstappen-like midseason ascent to KTM? (German Garcia Casanova & Rachi Thukral / Motorsport)
With Yamaha set to up its MotoGP testing time, Fabio Quartararo claims the “quality” of its upcoming updates matters more than quantity. (Lewis Duncan / Motorsport)
After shunning the bike that’s now dominating the MotoGP world, what’s giving Quartararo hope? (Simon Patterson / The Race)
Rally
Terrible news: A rallycross crash left seven dead and 20 injured in Sri Lanka. (Emmet White / Road and Track)
Despite the current tensions, FIA road sport director Andrew Wheatley claims the FIA isn’t at war with manufacturers over its 2025 World Rally Championship technical regulations. (Tom Howard / Motorsport)
Electric Racing
In the midst of an otherwise quiet second practice session in Misano was a crash that raised serious safety concerns for Formula E. (Sam Smith / The Race)
All Times ET
Wednesday, April 24
Dirt Racing
Weekly Racing (Millbridge Speedway): 6:15 p.m., DirtVision
Thursday, April 25
Drag Racing
Battle For the Thrones (Rockingham Dragway): 6:00 p.m., FloRacing
Fast Fact
This has been an interesting season for Erik Jones. The Michigander’s 21.0 average finish has actually been .6 positions worse than his disappointing 2023 campaign. But he sits seven places higher than the standings after 10 races. That’s the effect of an L1-level penalty issued to his No. 43 team last summer leaving World Wide Technology Raceway. Of course, now that he has an injury, there’s a good chance this year will be overshadowed, too.
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