It’s Monday, August 7, 2023 and this is Race Recap, your summary of last weekend’s motorsports action. The NASCAR Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway was postponed to Monday by rain, but not before Chase Elliott crashed out. MotoGP’s British Grand Prix came down to a last-lap fight for the win, and IndyCar’s Music City Grand Prix wasn’t nearly as crash-filled as expected.
Rain Halts Michigan Cup Race Until Monday
The FireKeepers Casino 400 was postponed by rain after 74 laps of racing, but not before a crash with massive playoff implications. The 2020 Cup Series champion Chase Elliott suffered a tire failure on lap 35 while driving through Turn 1. His Chevy Camaro spun and went rear-first into the outside wall. After already missing seven races this season, Elliott can no longer make the playoffs on points alone. To qualify, the Hendrick driver must win one of the three remaining regular season races.
Race Standings After 74 Laps
1. Tyler Reddick (23XI)
2. Alex Bowman (Hendrick)
3. Kyle Larson (Hendrick)
4. Martin Truex Jr. (Gibbs)
5. Erik Jones (Legacy)
Kyle Kirkwood Stays Above Nashville Fray
After taking his maiden career victory in Long Beach, Andretti Autosport’s Kyle Kirkwood won on the streets of Nashville after leading most of the race’s second half and fending off Penske’s Scott McLaughlin during the final laps. Points leader Alex Palou hoped to steal a podium using an alternate fuel strategy but needed a caution to make it to the finish. He finally got his needed yellow flag with ten laps to go when debutant Linus Lundqvist crashed out. Palou held off hometown hero and title rival Josef Newgarden to extend his points lead.
Race Results
1. Kyle Kirkwood (Andretti)
2. Scott McLaughlin (Penske) – +0.763 seconds
3. Alex Palou (Ganassi) – +1.722 seconds
4. Josef Newgarden (Penske) – +3.141 seconds
5. Scott Dixon (Ganassi) – +4.165 seconds
Aleix Espargaro Snatches Silverstone Victory
Rain would also play a factor in MotoGP’s British Grand Prix. Sudden summer showers fell on Silverstone during the race. Several riders hit the tarmac as others used the opportunity to switch to wet-weather bikes. However, the front-runners braved the conditions. On the final lap, Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro made his move on the reigning world champion Pecco Bagnaia. He puts his Aprilia inside the Ducati into Maggots and makes the overtake stick.
Race Results
1. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia)
2. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) – +0.215 seconds
3. Brad Binder (KTM) – +0.680 seconds
4. Miguel Oliveira (RNF) – +0.750 seconds
5. Maverick Viñales (Aprilia) – +2.101 seconds
Porsche Wins From Pole At Road America
Strangely, the No. 7 Porsche 963 started on pole after the fastest-qualifying No. 31 Cadillac V-Series.R crashed out in the morning warm-up. Matt Campbell and Felipe Nasr led every single lap and took the Porsche to victory lane despite only inheriting the prime starting position.
Race Results
1. No. 7 Porsche Penske
2. No. 60 Meyer Shank Acura – +4.635 seconds
3. No. 10 Wayne Taylor Acura – +35.135 seconds
4. No. 01 Cadillac – +47.321 seconds
5. No. 5 JDC-Miller Porsche – +78.147 seconds