Good morning! As the greatest weekend in motorsports comes to a close, letâs try to recap some of the action and controversy â and there was a lot of it!
Weather hindered most of the racing action this weekend but Roger Penske wasnât going to let mother nature rain on his parade as Newgarden won the Indy 500 and Ryan Blaney won the rain-delayed Coca-Cola 600 to complete the weekend sweep!
The showers also came down in Monaco but that didnât stop Verstappen from cruising to an easy victory in Monte Carlo marking Red Bullâs sixth win in the first six races of the season.
What is an F1 fans favorite fairy tale?
*Answer at the bottom
F1
Red Bull Rules in the Rain
Verstappen rallied for yet another win at the Monaco Grand Prix, nailing Red Bullâs third consecutive victory đ in the principality. Amid tricky weather, Max maintained his lead, while Fernando Alonso secured a solid second đ„ and Esteban Ocon, finished third đ„, marking Alpineâs first podium of the season.
Weather woes forced strategic calls, with drivers shuffling between tyre choices as rain slicked the track. Verstappenâs victory, Alonsoâs resilience and Oconâs maiden podium, made for a memorable Monaco Grand Prix that had F1 fans on the edge of their seats.
Monte Carlo Money
The biggest yacht at this yearâs Monaco Grand Prix (so far) is Octopus.
âą $285 million
âą 414-feet
âą Sleeps 26 guests & 63 crew
âą 2 helipads, basketball court, movie theater & poolIt can cruise 9,000 miles before needing to refuel & its weekly rental rate is $2.4 million. https://t.co/f01QNgrrh1
â Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano)
May 25, 2023
Red Bullâs Unplanned Reveal
Oops! đïžđ„ Red Bullâs RB19, driven by Sergio Perez, got an unexpected sky-high cameo in Monaco, revealing its closely-guarded underbody aerodynamics to competitors. With the shift to ground-effect rules, such underbody design now contributes an estimated 60% of car performance. Mercedesâ Andrew Shovlin said, âthe teams will be all over those kinds of photographs.â
Red Bullâs unexpected reveal is certainly raising eyebrows, and probably heart rates, of aerodynamicists across the pitlane. Aston Martinâs Tom McCullough stated, âThereâs a lot of very excited aerodynamicistsâŠlooking at all of that.â
Yet, copying the complex design from photos might be a tricky task, warns Williamsâ Dave Robson: âIt seems so complex⊠it doesnât half make it difficult to copy!â đ§©đ”ïžââïž
More F1
đïž Hamiltonâs Mercedes F1 future never in doubt amid Ferrari rumours â The seven-time world champion reveals why he never considered leaving Mercedes for Ferrari.
đ Why visceral trackside experience proves Monacoâs F1 worth â A first-hand account of the thrill and spectacle of watching the Monaco Grand Prix live.
đ§ïž Aston Martin: Alonso wouldnât have won Monaco F1 going straight to inters â The team explains why it was not possible to replicate Alonsoâs 2008 strategy of switching to intermediate tires early.
đ Weâre going to get there â Wolff convinced Mercedes are on now on the right track after Monaco struggles â The Mercedes boss is optimistic about the teamâs chances of bouncing back from a disappointing weekend in Monaco.
NASCAR
The Drought is Over for Blaney
Nothing sweeter than victory lane! https://t.co/wRTUmxfRmM
â Team Penske (@Team_Penske)
May 30, 2023
đ Ryan Blaney snapped a 59-race winless streak, sprinting to victory in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. đïž Claiming the top spot, he was followed by William Byron, Martin Truex Jr., Bubba Wallace, and Tyler Reddick in the leaderboard. đ
This victory marks a milestone for Team Penske, scoring both the Indy 500 and Coke 600 wins in the same year for the first time. đ„ł
âYou start to get to feel like you canât win any more when you donât win for a while,â confessed Blaney post-race, now enjoying the sweet taste of victory.
âïž Kyle Larsonâs race was not as smooth, crashing with just 26 laps to go.
Next stop: World Wide Technology Raceway on June 4. đïž
Tempers Flare for Hamlin, Elliott
Both @dennyhamlin and @chaseelliott share their explanations of what happened after being evaluated and released from the care center. https://t.co/LmXrIXNLtG
â NASCAR (@NASCAR)
May 29, 2023
A heated collision at the Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway between Denny Hamlin and Chase Elliott left their races cut short đđ„. Hamlin likened Elliottâs maneuver to a âtantrum,â demanding a suspension similar to Bubba Wallaceâs last year. âHe shouldnât be racing,â said Hamlin, still steaming.
Elliott denied intent, chalking it up to tough racing circumstances. NASCAR is still reviewing the incident.
Allgaier Aces Charlotte
Justin Allgaier nailed his 20th career win in a fuel-frantic NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Originally postponed, the race finally concluded late on Memorial Day đșđž. Despite othersâ last-minute pit stops âœ, Allgaier took a risk and sped 7.8 seconds clear of John-Hunter Nemechek.
He quipped, âPlaying the long game paid off.â This marked JR Motorsportsâ first 2023 win. Top 5: Allgaier, Nemechek, Cole Custer, Austin Hill, Ty Gibbs.đđ
Rhodesâ Night Ride
Tastes like $50k
#TheTrip | @benrhodes https://t.co/vSJc0SZ6vt
â NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Trucks (@NASCAR_Trucks)
May 27, 2023
Overcoming a lackluster start, Ben Rhodes turned things around at the NASCAR Truck race in Charlotte Motor Speedway, clinching his first 2023 win. The nighttime event saw Rhodes nab the lead by Lap 89, leaving Corey Heim eating dust with a 2.398-second lead. đšđ This win didnât just give Rhodes a hefty $50,000 bonus, it also punched his ticket to the series playoffs. đ«đ° Rhodesâ take on his stellar performance? âIt came to life at night. I had so much fun.â Others in the top-5 included Heim, Thompson, Hocevar, and Enfinger. đ
More NASCAR
đ Garage 56 entry one week away from Le Mans debut â NASCAR and Hendrick Motorsports will compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans with a Next Gen Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and a star-studded driver lineup.
đŠđș Van Gisbergen ready for NASCAR challenge â The Supercars champion is gearing up for his NASCAR debut in Chicago.
IndyCar
Newgarden Nabs First 500
Josef Newgarden took his first-ever Indy 500 crown đ in a dramatic finale, overtaking Marcus Ericsson in a last-lap shootout. Despite starting from the 17th spot, Newgarden used the âDragonâ move đ to clinch victory. âI just feel like it was an unfair and dangerous end to the race,â Ericsson lamented about the controversial last restart. đ©
Santino Ferrucci, Alex Palou, and Alexander Rossi rounded out the top five. A host of drivers didnât exactly hide their dissatisfaction, suggesting this yearâs spectacle may be remembered for more than just Newgardenâs win. đïžđ„
âIâll remember that one,â Pato OâWard said ominously after a late-race collision. đ
Peak Payday
.@JosefNewgarden won $3.666 million as part of a $17 million Indy 500 purse, both record amounts for the event on the back of ticket sales from more than 330,000 people. https://t.co/InRzeG1atj
â Adam Stern (@A_S12)
May 29, 2023
The 107th Indianapolis 500 was more than a spectacle đïž, it also shattered records in terms of payoutsđČ. Team Penskeâs Josef Newgarden raced to victory and bagged a cool $3.666 million from a record-breaking total purse of $17,021,500, the largest in the history of the race. đ
Mark Miles, CEO of Penske Entertainment, was ecstatic: âThis is the greatest race in the world⊠we have the best end card possible for the 107th Running of the Indianapolis 500: a record-breaking purse for the history books.â đ
As for the other drivers, average winnings sat at a hefty $500,600. Even second place was a million-dollar affair with Chip Ganassi Racingâs Marcus Ericsson taking home $1.043 million. đ„
This yearâs Indy 500 was as monumental for the fans, with the second-largest crowd in over two decades, as it was for the driversâ wallets. đ
More IndyCar
đ IndyCar confirms no injuries from fence-clearing wheel at Indy â A scary incident during the Indy 500 practice session left a wheel flying over the fence, but fortunately no one was hurt.
đ§Â Revised Indy aeroscreen progressing toward 2024 debut â IndyCar is working on a new version of the aeroscreen cockpit protection device, which will be lighter and more aerodynamic.
GLOBAL MOTORSPORT
Take a trip to far away motorsport lands
đ±Â Le Mans aims for hydrogen-only top class by 2030 â The iconic endurance race plans to phase out hybrid engines and go fully green with hydrogen-powered cars.
đ Vanwall drops F1 champion Villeneuve for Le Mans â The historic British team has replaced the 1997 F1 champion with a young driver for its Le Mans debut.
đ BTCC turns to Thruxton â The British Touring Car Championship heads to the fastest circuit in the UK for rounds 7, 8 and 9.
đ Mr Le Mans named as Grand Marshal for centenary Le Mans 24 Hours â Tom Kristensen, the nine-time winner of the legendary race, will lead the field for the 100th edition of the event.
đŠđș Supercars lands new Perth deal â The Australian touring car series has secured a five-year contract to race at the Wanneroo Raceway from 2024.
The Money Lap Podcast | Episode 4
Episode 4 is out NOW! In this episode, they share their personal stories and opinions on everything from Parkerâs failure to qualify at North Wilkesboro to Kyle Larsonâs dominance at the All-Star Race. They also talk about the latest happenings in F1, Indycar, NASCAR, and more, such as Mercedesâ corporate village, Hondaâs comeback to F1, and a revival of a motorsports series that mimics the World Cup. They also debate some controversial topics, such as the state of short track cup racing, the reality of NextGen car, and the short track fight between spotters and drivers at Hickory.
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Memes
đ https://t.co/JaiK2eqPpC
â NASCAR Memes (@NASCAR_Memes_)
May 30, 2023
56 laps on medium https://t.co/ASEuskrEhE
â F1 TROLL (@f1trollofficial)
May 28, 2023
WORLDS BEST BACKWARDS DRIVER https://t.co/pwctjMk1ws
â NASCAR Memes (@NASCAR_Memes_)
May 29, 2023
ONBOARD OF THE DAY
2023 First Lap Indy 500 Onboards
Join a few of the 33 drivers as they tackle the first four corners of the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the opening lap of the 107th Indianapolis 500. Watch the starting action from a compilation of onboards.
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Mansell and Gretel!
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