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Motorsports Recap: September 3, 2017


Controversial finish North of the Border and two championship leaders lost ground on their rivals to kickoff September.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series: Chevrolet Silverado 250

BOWMANVILLE – Playoff fever was crystal clear for pole-sitter Austin Cindric, who used his front bumper to take out Daytona winner Kaz Grala in turn five and captured his first Camping World Truck Series victory at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Ontario, Canada, leading 32 of 64 laps.

Cindric’s victory not only clinched him a playoff berth but also the performance he needed as his team, Brad Keselowski Racing, will be shut down after the 2017 season, leaving Cindric without a ride next season.

However, his win was overshadowed as fans and racing colleagues voiced their opinion of another controversial finish that’s defined the 2.459-mile road course since its first race in 2013.

Grala crossed the line in third and described the incident as a “dump and run.”

Cindric defended his move, saying contact was the norm of truck racing at Bowmanville and didn’t regret laying a bumper on Grala.

Points leader Christopher Bell’s quest for his fifth win went up in smoke on lap 45, finishing a season-worst 26th.

Bell’s regular season championship lead is now 30 points over defending champion Johnny Sauter.

Noah Gragson finished second, followed by Kaz Grala, Justin Haley, Ryan Truex, Sauter, Chase Briscoe, Parker Kligerman, Austin Wayne Self and Ben Rhodes.

The Truck Series drivers have an off week before traveling to Joliet, Illinois for the Chicagoland 225 at Chicagoland Speedway Sept. 15. Kyle Busch is the defending winner.

Formula One: Italian Grand Prix

MONZA – A storybook ending to a historic weekend for Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton who not only surpassed Michael Schumacher for most poles at 69 Saturday, he captured his fourth Italian Grand Prix win at the legendary Autodromo Nazionale Monza in Italy after leading 51 of 53 laps.

Hamilton’s victory also ended Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel’s championship lead that he’s held since the opening round at Melbourne, Australia. Vettel finished third and now trails his championship rival by three points.

Due to Red Bull Racing drivers Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo receiving 20 and 25-place gird penalties respectively, Williams’ Lance Stroll and Force India’s Esteban Ocon started second and third, both career bests in their maiden F1 season.

For Stroll, he became the youngest front-row starter at 18 years old, 23 days younger than Verstappen’s record last season at Spa-Francochamps.

Stroll finished seventh, one spot of Ocon who ended a week of scrutiny on a high note. Ocon and teammate Sergio Perez were involved in a late-race incident at Spa Sept. 27, resulting Perez to retire from the race and later heated comments between the two drivers.

The incident was the final straw for Force India, no longer allowing them to race each other as the team are trying to protect fifth in the Constructor’s title over Williams.

Hamilton’s teammate, Valtteri Bottas finished second for Mercedes’ third 1-2 finish of the season. Vettel finished third, followed by Ricciardo, Kimi Raikkonen, Ocon, Stroll, Felipe Massa, Perez and Verstappen.

The world championship goes under the lights Sept. 17 for the 10th Singapore Grand Prix at the Marina Bay Street Circuit. Hamilton finished third last season in a race won by Nico Rosberg.

Verizon IndyCar Series: IndyCar Grand Prix at the Glen

WATKINS GLEN – For the 12th consecutive season, the IndyCar Series title will come down to the finale after Josef Newgarden’s late season dominance came to end after his right front tire locked up at the exit of pit road, resulting his car to hit the wall and being hit from behind by the returning Sebastien Bourdais.

The incident gave Scott Dixon an opportunity to reduce Newgarden’s points lead from 31 points to three after finishing second to race winner Alexander Rossi at Watkins Glen International at Watkins Glen, New York.

Rossi won the race from the pole and led a race-high 32 of 60 laps and gave Andretti Autosport its second win of the season.

It's also Rossi’s second career IndyCar victory, his first since winning the 100th Indianapolis 500 May 29, 2016. Rossi improved from seventh to sixth in the standings, trailing Newgarden by 84 points and has a slim chance of winning the title as the final race rewards double points.

Rossi’s teammate Ryan Hunter-Reay finished third, followed by Helio Castroneves, Graham Rahal, Will Power, Charlie Kimball, Max Chilton, Simon Pagenaud and Carlos Munoz.

Newgarden’s misfortune relegated his finishing order down to 18th of 21 cars.

The top seven drivers are separated by 94 points as the finale takes place at Sonoma Raceway Sept. 17 in Sonoma, California.

Pagenaud wrapped up his championship run Sept. 18, 2016 by winning the race. Dixon is a three-time winner including winning his most recent title Aug. 30, 2015 via tiebreaker over Juan Pablo Montoya.

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