Hello, motorsports enthusiasts! Welcome to another edition of Seven Points with Kobe Lambeth and Kenneth Lee Jr. We will provide weekly commentary, discussing various topics in motorsports. The majority of our content will focus on NASCAR but other disciplines will be discussed as well.
Lambeth is a student at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, who is a Communications major (mass media concentration) and minor in Journalism. In addition, he contributes to motorsports coverage at The Podium Finish. Lee is a graduate of Tuskegee University with a bachelor's degree in Communications, an alumnus of the NASCAR Diversity Internship Program and an Associate Producer in Content Development for the Motor Racing Network. 1. Williams Racing decided to terminate its deal with title sponsor ROKiT as the longtime Formula 1 team evaluates the possibility of selling the team, in hopes of placing the organization in a good spot for the future. What are your thoughts on this recent development? Lambeth: Honestly, I think we will have to wait and see what happens with the future of Williams Racing. The iconic Formula 1 team has been around for many years. It would be a shame to see them disappear from the F1 grid. Hopefully, they make the best decision to secure their future as we enter a brand new era of F1. Lee: With the termination of ROKiT from Williams Racing, I’m not sure if this will be a good move for them or not right off the bat. I’m not sure if they have another set of money rolling in, but this could be bad for Williams if they don’t. 2. Following a successful meeting with Chad Wolf, the Acting Secretary of Homeland Security, NASCAR and IMSA executives were able to gain special approval for foreign drivers and team members to return to the United States. Why was it such an important deal for the executives to complete? Lambeth: With a good number of members in the American motorsports community living outside of the United States, it was crucial to get approval for these people to travel here. It would be nearly impossible to resume IMSA racing in July, given the number of international workers in the paddock. Recently, IndyCar rookie Alex Palou was able to return to the U.S. from Spain, ahead of his series debut next Saturday night at Texas Motor Speedway. Overall, this was a move that needed to happen to ensure that all essential folks can do their job. The show must go on whether it is IMSA or IndyCar. Lee: I think this was a huge deal to get cleared with a ton of the field composing of foreign drivers. You don’t want to leave people out once racing resumes. You always want to have a full field of drivers, without having their championship battles ruined by factors totally out of their control. 3. According to RACER.com, Arrow McLaren SP has decided to put the additional IndyCar entry on the shelves until 2021. While Fernando Alonso still plans to attempt the 2020 Indianapolis 500 with the team, a few other championship-winning drivers could have made guest appearances in the part-time entry. With Jimmie Johnson and Jenson Button rumored to make select starts with the McLaren IndyCar operation at some point, how impactful would it be for the American open-wheel racing series to add these champions to the grid? Lambeth: The addition of Jimmie Johnson and Jenson Button would be great for the NTT IndyCar Series. They are champions from their respective disciplines. I think watching Johnson transitioning to open-wheel racing, after years of being a top tier stock car competitor would be a fun story to follow. Button is the 2009 Formula 1 world champion and claimed the 2018 Super GT title. People are always interested in watching drivers try new disciplines, so I think this is something that would be very exciting, drawing in viewers from all over the world. Lee: I think the impact would be pretty huge to have Jimmie Johnson or Jenson Button join the field for an IndyCar road course race or even the Indianapolis 500. I think adding household names from other series will eventually expose fans of other disciplines to something new to their eyes. 4. Formula E driver Daniel Abt was dropped by Audi for hiring a professional eSports racer to compete for him in a virtual race. While many believed that Abt was racing online as himself, he deceived the audience as the gamer took his place. While Abt viewed the incident as playing a joke on everyone, why did he face real life consequences? Even in the virtual world, should drivers always be extra careful, especially after seeing what happened to NASCAR driver Kyle Larson? Lambeth: Although it was “just a game,” Daniel Abt faced a real life punishment, losing his prestigious Formula E seat with Audi. Drivers are always under a microscope. While I think getting fired for hiring a pro eSports racer might be a little extreme, you have to be smarter when sponsors are involved. If he truly wanted to try a stunt like this, he should have asked his employer about it. The worst they can do is turn it down. People have to remain professional at all times and be very careful. As Daniel Abt and Kyle Larson were turned into examples, hopefully other drivers learn from their mistakes so it does not happen to them. Lee: This has to be one of the strangest stories that I’ve read recently. For one thing, I want people to understand how serious this became when sponsors got involved. While many people try to fault “sim racing,” at what point do you hold accountability to the people? Is it ludacris that Abt was dropped for using a fake driver? Yes, but when sponsors are involved and expect you to do something for them, that’s the last thing you should do. I think all the people blaming sim racing for this or Larson’s incident should reconsider their stance. 5. On Monday night, Tommy Joe Martins was in position to score his first top-10 finish in NASCAR competition until a late race crash ruined those dreams. Martins had nowhere to go and got collected in someone else’s mess. With Martins Motorsports being one of the smaller teams in the garage, why is it so important for the underdogs to bring the car home in one piece each race? Lambeth: It was a heartbreaking end to the night for Tommy Joe Martins, being an innocent victim in a late race crash. Smaller teams work with tighter budgets and they do not have the same resources as the bigger teams. Therefore, they cannot afford to tear up equipment. If you wreck a Joe Gibbs Racing Xfinity car, it will still cost a lot of money, but they will have another car ready to go for the next week. Some of the smaller teams would be struggling to prepare for the following race. When something goes wrong, it explains why you see drivers and crew ready to fight, producing a wide range of emotions. This is a grind and none of it comes easy. Lee: It was a tough break for Tommy Joe Martins, who was on the cusp of a top-10 finish, but got collected in something that wasn’t his fault. I think if people spend time playing the NASCAR Thunder 2004 video game, you’ll get a glimpse of what it’s like to struggle as a small team. The budget is drastically different from a larger organization. It’s tough when you build all your resources to get a good car and that happens. 6. Chase Elliott played the role of “Bounty Hunter” and claimed his prize by defeating Kyle Busch in Tuesday night’s NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Were you surprised that Elliott beat Rowdy, in his first Truck start since 2017? Lambeth: It surprised me that Chase Elliott claimed “The Bounty” in the first attempt. I expected it to happen later on but not this soon. Given the incident between him and Busch at Darlington and losing the Coca-Cola 600, Elliott was hungry and fired up to win. Lee: After the week Chase Elliott had, falling short of a victory at Darlington, this was something that wasn’t surprising to me. I felt like he was just itching to get in the truck and let alone was ready to do whatever it took to win. 7. Following significant criticism for his call to bring Chase Elliott down pit road near the end of the Coca-Cola 600, crew chief Alan Gustafson rebounded on Thursday night as the No. 9 team made it to victory lane in the Alsco 500. Even when you make a mistake, why is it crucial to move on sooner rather than later? Lambeth: You must have a short memory and be prepared to move on to the next race. If not, then it will continue to dwell on you for quite some time. Did Gustafson make a questionable call that warranted criticism? Absolutely. However, he kept on going and rightfully earned redemption. It was the perfect way to respond to the critics. Win and let those actions speak louder than words. Lee: I think everyone was pretty confused about the No. 9 team making its way down pit lane during NASCAR Overtime. The criticism was deserved from fans across the board. However, as a team, making mistakes and bouncing back is always important. Gustafson’s team did just that in the Alsco 500 and that’s what separates the good from the great teams.
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Hello, motorsports enthusiasts! Welcome to another edition of Seven Points with Kobe Lambeth and Kenneth Lee Jr. We will provide a weekly discussion each Wednesday on various topics in motorsports. Most content will focus on NASCAR but other racing series will be discussed as well.
Lambeth is a student at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, who is a Communications major with a concentration in mass media and minor in journalism. He is a contributor for The Podium Finish. Lee is a graduate of Tuskegee University with a bachelor's degree in Communications, an alumnus of the NASCAR Diversity Internship Program, and an Associate Producer in Content Development for the Motor Racing Network. 1. Formula E recently completed the Valencia Test, in preparation of the 2019-20 season. Who impressed you the most during the test? Which rookie will showcase the best performance? Lambeth: With the Formula E test complete, I have to say that Maximilian Günther impressed me the most during testing. Getting an opportunity with the BMW Andretti squad should give him a solid chance to showcase his talents. If I had to choose a rookie, I would go with Nico Müller. But his teammate Brendon Hartley, an ex-Formula 1 driver, is also a good option. Lee: Formula E is ready to go into another season and I’d have to say Maximilian Günther displayed some very impressive lap times. It should be a pretty solid season for the young driver, who made his series debut last season. While Nico Müller had solid pace, his teammate Brendon Hartley should be due for a solid rookie campaign for 19/20. 2. American driver Logan Sargeant was fastest in both sessions on the final day of Formula 3 post-season testing at Valencia. Do you think he could be the next American F1 hopeful? Lambeth: It appears that Logan Sargeant is on the right path towards the #RoadToF1. People are always asking when we are going to see the next American Formula 1 driver. Honestly, I have no idea when that is going to happen. However, Sargeant is a very promising prospect, who continues to develop his skills behind the wheel. He is definitely a name to keep an eye on as he works his way through the European open-wheel ladder system. Lee: Logan Sargeant may be America’s next hope for a Formula 1 driver. He did a solid job at Valencia. He seems to be a solid driver and certainly will continue to develop in the upcoming Formula 3 season. 3. Last week, a large number of birds flew into the NASCAR Hall of Fame and died, while others were injured or stunned. Then, a Kaulig Racing hauler was involved in a frightening highway crash. Adding insult to injury, the No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing hauler caught fire. What are your thoughts on NASCAR's string of bad luck last week? Lambeth: First and foremost, I am glad that everyone involved survived the scary hauler incidents. Both situations had the potential to be a lot worse than it was. As for the birds flying into the Hall of Fame, that was one of the most bizarre news stories that I have seen in quite some time. Without a doubt, last week produced some unusual storylines. It felt like something straight out of a Halloween movie. Lee: It was a Full Moon week in NASCAR. One of the oddest weeks I’ve ever seen, if I’m being honest. Thankfully, with the hauler situations, all crew members survived. As far as the birds drilling the NASCAR Hall of Fame windows, it was one of the strangest things ever. Last week will go down as one of the weirdest weeks in NASCAR. 4. In the Xfinity race, Chase Briscoe and Christopher Bell were battling for the lead at Kansas when the two collided with the lapped car of Garrett Smithley. This incident effectively ruined their chances of scoring victory. Do you think Smithley made the right decision to take full responsibility for the incident? Lambeth: Unfortunately, this is the second time that Smithley has made the headlines for the wrong reasons. However, I still believe that he was not to blame for the incident with Kyle Busch at Las Vegas. In this case, at Kansas, Smithley made the right choice to hold himself accountable. Not being aware of the approaching leaders cost Briscoe and Bell potential victory. Everybody is human and we all make mistakes, so I am sure that Smithley will learn from this and keep pushing forward. However, at this level of professional auto racing, you need to be aware and alert at all times. Otherwise, the competitors will lose a lot of respect for you. Lee: I’ll be straight up on this one, there has got to be a better amount of awareness in situations like this. It’s fine that he’s been able to admit that it was completely his fault, but you still have to be more aware, especially with playoff drivers battling to get into Homestead. 5. In his 134th Xfinity start, Brandon Jones won his first career NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Kansas Speedway. This is Jones' fourth full season competing in Xfinity. How much do you think this moment meant to him, considering it has taken a lot longer to find victory lane? Lambeth: If you saw Brandon Jones' reaction after winning, then it is easy to tell how much his first Xfinity win meant to him. Sometimes, it just takes some longer than others to win. The longer you wait, then the win tastes a lot sweeter. Luckily, after 134 starts, Jones finally scored his breakthrough Xfinity victory. Lee: Besides the 19 team and his family, I’m not sure who could’ve called that one last Saturday afternoon. Brandon Jones was in the right place at the right time and capitalized to get his first win. That first win always helps drivers out. This will be big for his team moving into 2020. 6. Tyler Reddick and Cole Custer were involved in a post-race altercation on pit road, following some contact during the Xfinity race. Why do the playoffs always bring out emotions that you would likely never see during the regular season? Lambeth: The playoffs provide a high pressure environment and every spot on the track matters. As Reddick tweeted, both he and Cole Custer want to make it to Homestead. The two are putting it all on the line each week to race for a championship. Sometimes, you will see the gloves come off because it is a crucial time of the year. Drivers cannot afford to make mistakes or get caught up in other people's mistakes. Lee: I’m sure everything will continue to ramp up with just a few weeks left in the NASCAR season. The reigning champion Tyler Reddick and Cole Custer showed a ton of emotion last Saturday and I think it’s a good thing. The more passion the better for the sport. 7. Were you surprised that Chase Elliott made the Round of 8 over Brad Keselowski? Also, who are your Championship 4 picks? Lambeth: To be honest, I really expected Brad Keselowski to advance to the next round. To my surprise, the 2 team did not run well at Kansas. However, they fought until the end but it just did not work out. Chase Elliott performed well and earned a spot in the next round. Championship 4 picks: Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr., Kevin Harvick and Chase Elliott Lee: I’m not really surprised at Chase Elliott making it to the next round. He’s been pretty solid at Kansas since he made it to the Cup Series. As for Brad Keselowski, I think it’s more of a shock given this year he’s had three wins. It seemed like the No. 2 team just completely missed the setup at Kansas. Championship 4 picks: Denny Hamlin, Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson and Joey Logano Hello, motorsports enthusiasts! Welcome to another edition of Seven Points with Kobe Lambeth and Kenneth Lee Jr. We will provide a weekly discussion each Wednesday on various topics in motorsports. Most content will focus on NASCAR but other racing series will be discussed as well.
Lambeth is a student at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, who is a Communications major with a concentration in mass media and minor in journalism. He is a contributor to The Podium Finish and RockinghamNow. Lee is a graduate of Tuskegee University with a bachelor's degree in Communications, an alumnus of the NASCAR Diversity Internship Program, and an Associate Producer in Content Development for the Motor Racing Network. 1. Tyler Ankrum won the first NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series race of his career, which was also the first series victory for DGR-Crosley. What did you think of the wild, fuel mileage finish? Starting and parking with NEMCO Motorsports at Iowa and Gateway turned out to be a smart decision to keep Ankrum playoff eligible, right? Lambeth: Wow! What an exciting way to produce a first-time winner. Fuel mileage races never fail to disappoint. Ankrum is the defending K&N Series East champion, so he earned his way to this level of the sport. He had some good runs this season and put together a solid performance. Luckily, he had enough fuel to get him to the checkered flag. Starting and parking is not an ideal situation, but it kept Ankrum eligible for the Truck Series championship. If he missed Iowa and Gateway completely, I am pretty sure that it would have been a difficult one to swallow, after winning at Kentucky. Luckily, Joe Nemecheck was able to help him out at those two races. Hopefully, Ankrum will be able to find sponsorship, in order to support a potential title run. Lee: Tyler Ankrum notched the first win of his career at Kentucky last Thursday night for DGR-Crosley. I thought we had quite the unusual race at Kentucky and it made for a very interesting show under the lights. I think to finish out the season they have no choice but to start-and-park the ride so that they can afford to make the playoffs. 2. Michael Annett has improved significantly, obtaining five top-5s and 12 top-10 finishes, at this point of the NASCAR Xfinity Series season. In 2018, Annett only scored three top-10s and no top-5s. Is he doing a solid job proving his doubters wrong? Lambeth: Annett is definitely hushing everyone, who said that he needed to be replaced at JR Motorsports, due to a poor 2018 season. To be honest, I had my doubts as well, like many others. I am glad that he proved me and others wrong. Since winning the season opener at Daytona, Annett has produced a list of solid finishes. Although the current season is far from over, I believe that his form is at an all-time high. Him and crew chief Travis Mack are a solid duo. Lee: Annett has slowly but surely came around this season and has shown an excellent level of consistency, since getting a win at Daytona this season. Him and Travis Mack have made quite the duo on track and I would mark him as the “dark horse” of the playoffs. Don’t be surprised if he makes a deep playoff run. 3. Kurt Busch edged out his younger brother Kyle Busch, winning the Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway, in thrilling fashion. Thoughts on the finish? Lambeth: The Busch brothers put on one heck of a show for the fans. I liked how they raced each other hard, while showing respect on the track. It was nice of Kyle to let his older brother have a win (sarcasm). Lee: What a battle we had at the end of the race at Kentucky between the Busch brothers last Saturday night. I thought the finish was one you’d think we would have gotten more of through both of their Cup careers. 4. What in the world is happening between Rich Energy and Haas F1? Lambeth: In all of my years of watching motorsports, I have never seen such a bizarre situation between sponsor and team. Apparently, this is a form of an attempted coup d'état within Rich Energy to overthrow CEO William Storey. Ultimately, this has turned into a massive, embarrassing, public relations nightmare for both Rich Energy and Haas F1. Lee: Another mess of a sponsor has hit the racing world. Rich Energy doesn’t fall short of being a pure joke. From the odd tweet sent out on their page, to all of the mishaps throughout the season, it doesn’t surprise me at all. 5. Lewis Hamilton won a record sixth British Grand Prix, scoring another victory in his home country. However, the week for the British racing driver started with a little controversy. A journalist from the Guardian questioned Hamilton’s “Britishness.” Do you think this was a fair question? Should we even be concerned about others living differently than us? Lambeth: What does an individual’s lifestyle have anything to do with his nationalism? If I decide to move to Canada someday, it does not mean that I am no longer associated with the United States. I think it is ridiculous to question Lewis Hamilton’s way of life. He is entitled to live anywhere he wishes. Living outside of Great Britain does not make him any less of a British citizen. At the end of the day, we should only be concerned about our own interests, instead of worrying about the lives of others. Like Hamilton said, it is interesting how he is always singled out for his different lifestyle. You would never hear folks complain about someone such as Jenson Button. Lee: Six wins for British driver Lewis Hamilton at Silverstone is an absolutely amazing accomplishment for him. While there’s nothing wrong with having an opinion, I think this journalist needs to sit this one out. He’s living his best life (Shoutout Lil Duval) and he does it the way he wants to. It should never bother someone that much; just a poor question from the Guardian. 6. Jean-Eric Vergne survived the mayhem on the streets to Brooklyn, becoming the first back-to-back champion in Formula E history. Also, the Frenchman is the first driver to win multiple titles, in the electric racing series. During his Formula 1 career, Vergne saw the likes of Daniel Ricciardo and Daniil Kvyat graduate to the senior Red Bull F1 organization from Toro Rosso. Meanwhile, Vergne never advanced and found himself out of F1, at the end of 2014. Eventually, he settled in Formula E and earned two-consecutive championships. Motorsports journalist Joey Barnes proposed something interesting to consider. Who do you think got the best deal from Red Bull’s decision to promote Ricciardo instead of Vergne? Vergne is an eight-time Formula E race winner and two-time champion. Ricciardo has a total of seven F1 wins and zero championships. Plus, he is currently driving for midfield competitor Renault, who is not taking the fight to the front of the field. Lambeth: This is a tricky question. I guess a response depends on what an individual considers most important. While Formula 1 is considered the pinnacle of motorsport, only a select number of drivers have a realistic shot of contending for a driver’s championship. If you are not in a good seat, then the chances of becoming a world champion seems like a fantasy. Ricciardo proved worthy of the promotion to Red Bull, which eventually led him to seven victories. Unfortunately, some teams have too many drivers and not enough seats. As a result, Vergne departed the F1 paddock and started a new career in Formula E. If we are basing an answer on championships and a better opportunity to compete for wins, then I believe that Vergne got the better end of the deal. Would you rather drive for an F1 team, running in the midfield, or go to Formula E for a more realistic chance at winning races and titles? However, one could also argue that Ricciardo is the winner, since he remains active on the F1 grid. Formula E used to be viewed as a home for F1 outcasts. As the series evolved, it seems that more people have respect for Formula E. Also, drivers from other series are showing interest in the championship. Lee: This question can be debated all day long on who got the better end of the deal. However, I think it’s almost impossible to compare the two championships with Formula E being one thing and Formula 1 being another. If I’m in Ricciardo’s position and he happens to win a Formula 1 title someday, I think having Formula 1 World Championship is much better than having a Formula E title. Don’t get me wrong, Formula E is great and I couldn’t be happier for Vergne, but it just doesn’t hold as much weight to me, in terms of winning a title in that series compared to Formula 1. 7. How special of a moment was it for the motorsports community to witness Robert Wickens drive a car around the streets of Toronto, prior to the NTT IndyCar Series race? Lambeth: It was such an incredible sight to see. Wickens is such an inspiration as he continues to fight hard, recovering from his injuries suffered in the Pocono crash. Watching him drive on his home turf, thanks to Arrow Electronics, is something that we will remember for a long time. It has been remarkable to watch his progress, 11 months after the horrific crash. Lee: Seeing Wickens back at the track for one is always a great thing. The guy has made incredible strides in his recovery and is quite the inspiration! Unbelievable it’s almost been a year since his crash, certainly wishing him the best in his recovery moving forward! Special Note: Make sure to check out Kobe's remix of Old Town Road, titled Old Town Track, which is based on the desire of having a future Cup race at Fairgrounds Speedway in Nashville. Hello, motorsports enthusiasts! Welcome to another edition of Seven Points with Kobe Lambeth and Kenneth Lee Jr. We will provide a weekly discussion each Wednesday on various topics in motorsports. Most content will focus on NASCAR but other racing series will be discussed as well.
Lambeth is a student at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, who is a Communications major with a concentration in mass media and minor in journalism. He is a contributor to The Podium Finish and RockinghamNow. Lee is a graduate of Tuskegee University with a bachelor's degree in Communications, an alumnus of the NASCAR Diversity Internship Program, and an Associate Producer in Content Development for the Motor Racing Network. 1. NASCAR Xfinity Series regular Justin Haley and Spire Motorsports surprised the entire garage by winning the rain-shortened Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway, on Fourth of July weekend. Haley became a first-time Cup winner, in his third start, at the sport’s top level. However, the upset victory was overshadowed by controversy. Do people have a right to be angry? Lambeth: Hate the game, don't hate the player. In my opinion, if folks are truly angry over Justin Haley and Spire Motorsports for winning this race, they should direct their anger at NASCAR for allowing this agency to have a team. This type of practice would not be allowed in other professional sports. If you want to read more about this situation, I have provided a link from Yahoo.com's Nick Bromberg (above). As for Haley, I feel bad for him because his first Cup win is supposed to be a special moment for any driver. He was just driving the car and Spire Motorsports capitalized on Mother Nature. Simply, NASCAR has a broken system that needs to be fixed. How do you fix it? I have no idea. But I hope someone knows. Lee: Despite a ton of people that are pretty angry about what happened, it’s all within the rules of NASCAR. I get that none of this would be allowed in stick and ball sports, but it’s clearly not the case in NASCAR. It’s unfortunate that social media was pretty harsh on Justin Haley, who was just driving the car. He didn’t celebrate as if he passed 20 cars at the end of the race, but just simply hugged and high fived his team. Is the system an issue? Sure, but will they ban the charters anytime soon or a sports agency owning a team? I highly doubt it. Sadly, this win will be forgotten as it was called, due to weather. 2. Ross Chastain led the charge for Kaulig Racing, earning the organization’s first victory in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Chastain and Justin Haley earned a 1-2 finish. AJ Allmendinger would have finished third, but his car failed post-race inspection. Nevertheless, it was a wonderful night for team owner Matt Kaulig. What did you think of Chastain’s emotions post-race? Lambeth: Chastain's emotions on the frontstretch, following the race was quite a sight to see. Winning at home meant a lot to the Florida driver. The "Watermelon Man" let his emotions show and celebrated with the trademark watermelon smash at the start/finish line. Fans seem to appreciate drivers, who are passionate and show their emotions. If you did not know anything about Chastain, you would probably believe that he won his very first race. He celebrates every win like it is his first. The watermelon farmer introduced us to his unique personality, which is something that fans should enjoy. Lee: The story that just keeps getting better in 2019 is easily Ross Chastain. He’s been on a tear on the NASCAR circuit from being disqualified, bouncing back the following weekend with a win, to winning at Daytona. The Florida native mentioned the times he would go out to the races on Fourth of July weekend. I bet him winning at Daytona must’ve been an absolute joy. I love his celebrations and energy that he brings to NASCAR. It’s needed and welcomed by fans. 3. Mazda Team Joest scored back-to-back IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship overall victories in another 1-2 finish at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. However, it was the No. 77 Mazda RT24-P DPi of Oliver Jarvis and Tristan Nunez celebrating at the top of the podium. The previous week, the sister car (No. 55) claimed overall victory at Watkins Glen. It appears that Mazda is finally beginning to figure things out with their DPi program, right? Lambeth: Mazda Team Joest came out of nowhere to dominate the last two rounds. For a program that struggled for years, it is nice to see something positive happen for the entire Mazda brand. Let's see if they can keep the momentum rolling into the final stretch of the season at Road America, Laguna Seca and Road Atlanta. Lee: Mazda has somehow found a way to have both proper pace and reliability in the last two weeks. For a team that has shown pace over the last few years, but have always experienced some type of mechanical failure or misfortune, it’s great to see them win two race weekends in a row. It will be interesting to see if they can maintain the pace for the final stretch of the season. It could possibly make the DPi championship quite compelling. 4. Victor Franzoni suffered a frightening shunt, during Sunday afternoon’s IMSA race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. The No. 50 Juncos Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R experienced heavy damage. Luckily, Franzoni was able to walk away without suffering serious injuries, following a trip to the hospital. Is this a testament to Dallara for building a safe chassis? Lambeth: Franzoni is very lucky to have escaped major injury. His heavily damaged Cadillac DPi looked like something shoved in a drawer, if you saw the photos of it sandwiched in the tire barriers. Kudos to Dallara for building a safe, strong chassis, allowing drivers to walk away from massive shunts. Lee: Pretty big crash for him, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like that happen to a driver. Plenty of times, I’ve seen a driver get into the tire barrier but never seen the entire car put into the barrier. Thankfully, he was able to walk away from the incident. I’m glad that Dallara is able to provide a safe car for drivers. 5. DJR Team Penske announced an unchanged lineup for the 2020 Virgin Australian Supercars Championship season, with Fabian Coulthard and defending series champion Scott McLaughlin returning to the team. How important is it for a team to have continuity? What does this say about McLaughlin’s rumored move to NASCAR stateside? Lambeth: An unchanged driver lineup for DJR Team Penske means that team chemistry will remain intact for the foreseeable future. Coulthard and McLaughlin are a great pairing, so having them both continue with the team does not surprise me. As for McLaughlin, if his NASCAR aspirations remain strong, they will have to wait a little while longer as the Captain keeps the defending champion Down Under in 2020. In the future, I would love to see how McLaughlin performs in a stock car. Lee: There was a ton of speculation on what the lineup was going to look like in the 2020 season, especially with the likes of McLaughlin being linked to a potential NASCAR ride. With that out of the picture, for now, the team can continue to build upon the chemistry and dominance that they currently have 6. Sage Karam will return to the NTT IndyCar Series, on the streets of Toronto, driving the No. 31 Carlin Racing Chevrolet. SmartShop Self Storage will sponsor the 24-year-old American driver. Could a strong performance lead to future opportunities for Karam, who was once considered American open-wheel racing’s next superstar? Lambeth: Absolutely! This is a great opportunity for Karam to remind folks why people thought so highly of him, a few years ago. Karam has grown tremendously as a driver over time. He gained some maturity and appears to be ready to tackle Toronto. I am intrigued to watch him drive on a street course with the current aero kit, considering it has been a while since his last street course IndyCar race. Lee: I think this is a good opportunity for Karam to be back in the car again. At a point, people were pretty high on him as the next open-wheel racing star, but things don’t always pan out that way. I’m sure he’s going to make the most of his seat time at Toronto. 7. This weekend is a doubleheader and season finale of the 2018-19 ABB FIA Formula E Championship season with the New York ePrix, on the streets of Brooklyn. Defending series champion Jean-Eric Vergne leads Lucas di Grassi by 32 points heading into the title deciding weekend, in the Big Apple. Who wins the championship? Lambeth: I am predicting that Jean-Eric Vergne wins back-to-back Formula E championships. With his current lead, he would need something catastrophic to happen, in order to hand the title over to Audi driver Lucas di Grassi. A doubleheader weekend, with a championship on the line, places an enormous amount of pressure on the title contenders. Lee: Big time weekend for Formula E as they get prepared for their doubleheader season finale in Brooklyn. With the gap between Vergne and Lucas di Grassi, it should be a fun battle between the both of them. Given the pace and strength of Vergne, throughout the season, I think he takes home a second title. Hello, motorsports enthusiasts! Welcome to the another edition of Seven Points with Kobe Lambeth and Kenneth Lee Jr. We will provide a weekly discussion each Wednesday on various topics in motorsports. The main focus is NASCAR but other racing series will be discussed as well.
Lambeth is a student at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte studying mass media and journalism as a Communications major. He is a contributor to The Podium Finish and RockinghamNow. Lee is a graduate of Tuskegee University with a bachelor's degree in Communications, an alumnus of the NASCAR Diversity Internship Program, and an Associate Producer in Content Development for the Motor Racing Network. 1. There is a controversy concerning the finish of last weekend’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega. On the final lap of the race, there was a crash in turn 1. NASCAR decided to let the race finish under green, instead of bringing out the caution flag. However, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race ended under yellow, due to a wreck on the backstretch. Should NASCAR try to be more consistent with their calls or do too many variables in such a short amount of time play a factor? Lambeth: I think it is fair to say that both sides play a factor. In any given professional sport, consistent calls are a must. It is not a good thing when your viewers are questioning why you made this call versus not making a call in a similar situation. On the other side, NASCAR is tasked with quick decision making. Secondly, these are quick decisions because there are multiple variables that factor into deciding if a race should finish under green or not. Lee: There was a ton of conversation on Sunday about what the call should have been. I think with that happening, it just added to insult to the fans who were already upset about how the racing was this past weekend. I personally thought if the call was made during Saturday’s race, then the same should have followed along the next day. 2. Aric Almirola finally got a big break and won his first Cup race with Stewart-Haas Racing last weekend at Talladega Superspeedway. How huge is the victory for Almirola’s career? Lambeth: After losing the Daytona 500 and crashing a potentially race winning car at Dover, Aric Almirola scored a sweet victory to soften the wounds of a season with plenty of potential. Almirola is having a career season. All four Stewart-Haas Racing cars have won a race in 2018. The entire team destroyed the entire field in last weekend’s race at Talladega. Their cars were obviously faster than the rest. It reminded me of a restrictor plate race from the late 1990s. Nevertheless, we should keep an eye on Aric Almirola as he is locked into the Round of 8. Could Almirola’s win carry momentum into the next round for the 10 team? Lee: I think it was good for Almirola to earn his first win with Stewart-Haas Racing and notch his second career win. After having the Daytona 500 victory flash before his eyes, he finally made it back to victory lane. This should be a huge boost for him and his team moving to the next round of the playoffs. 3. The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series enter Kansas Speedway for this weekend’s elimination race in the Round of 12. Martin Truex Jr. is sitting on the bubble, while Brad Keselowski, Ryan Blaney, Kyle Larson, and Alex Bowman are on the outside looking in. Are any of the names listed surprising? Lambeth: I am very surprised to see the defending series champion Martin Truex Jr. as the last driver above the cutoff line. Earlier in the season, he was one of the “Big Three.” However, he has not won a race since Kentucky in July. Did Furniture Row Racing lose some of its magic? Heading into Kansas, Truex has an 18-point cushion between him and Brad Keselowski in ninth. It is crazy to think that any issue for the No. 78 Toyota Camry early in the race could prevent him from defending his title. Also, it is a bit surprising that Keselowski and Larson are in a likely must-win situation. Lee: I'm quite surprised that Kyle Larson is in danger of not advancing to the next round. Despite not winning a race so far in 2018, he’s been rather consistent by finishing in the Top-10 a total of 16 times (51.6%) this season. I feel like he’s had the speed all season during practice and qualifying, but it just hasn’t translated into a win yet. Coming into this Sunday, he will be in a must-win situation at a track where he finished fourth in the spring. 4. Last week, Williams Racing announced the signing of F2 star George Russell. He is the third British racing driver set to compete in F1 next season, joining Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris. How will Russell fare in 2019? Who will be his teammate? Lambeth: George Russell is a special talent, who has plenty of potential to be a successful F1 driver if the dominos fall according. He is doing a superb job in F2 competition. His performance was good enough to convince Toto Wolff and Mercedes that he is deserving of an F1 drive. Russell’s on-track performance in 2019 will depend on Williams’ ability to develop a car better than the 2018 model. If the team recovers from a disappointing 2018 campaign, then Russell should finish further up the grid. As for his future teammate, Sergey Sirotkin could always return to the team. However, how cool would it be for Robert Kubica to get a second chance? Or Esteban Ocon remaining on the grid with Williams? Lee: I think George Russell is going to be a great addition to Williams. Despite all the talent he has in his wheelhouse, it’s going to be a learning curve for the young driver as he makes the jump to Formula 1. However, as for his potential teammate, I would imagine Sirotkin returns in 2019. 5. Stoffel Vandoorne and Pascal Wehrlein recently joined the grid for the 2018-19 ABB FIA Formula E season. The list of drivers with F1 experience continues to grow. Why is the electric open-wheel racing championship so attractive? Lambeth: First and foremost, it is incredible how Formula E has grown in the past few years. I remember the very first race in Beijing. The series continues to innovate and educate us about this new discipline of electric racing. During their time in F1, Vandoorne and Wehrlein were considered talented drivers, who could get the job done with the right opportunities. Ultimately, they landed in Formula E to continue their careers in the FIA sanctioned championship. The field for the 2018-19 season is the most talented one yet. Being able to compete for a championship recognized internationally makes it very attractive. Plus, it gives drivers on the F1 career path a home if the original plan does not work out. Lee: Formula E has picked up quite a bit, in terms of driver talent to join the series. I think over time, for drivers, they want to try something that isn’t too common, Formula E is exactly that. I think the reason why it’s become attractive is because of the international nority and the manufacturer support that it continues to grow. 6. On the final lap of Petit Le Mans, Action Express Racing driver Filipe Albuquerque ran out of fuel before receiving the checkered flag. Ultimately, Renger van der Zande hustled Wayne Taylor Racing’s No. 10 Cadillac DPi across the finish line to score the victory. What are your thoughts on the thrilling finish? Lambeth: Wow! The finish of Petit Le Mans was certainly one of the most exciting endings to an IMSA race. I thought the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi of Filipe Albuquerque had secured the victory. This proves nothing in motorsports is final until the checkered flag. It was a heartbreaking defeat for Action Express Racing. Their misfortune turned into triumph for Wayne Taylor Racing drivers Renger van der Zande, Jordan Taylor, and IndyCar ace Ryan Hunter-Reay. Lee: As usual, Petit Le Mans finds a way to deliver and this year was up to par. The ending was one of the most frantic ones possible with Albuquerque running out of fuel that led up to Wayne Taylor Racing picking up a win. Racing can be quite an unforgiving sport sometimes. As always, it isn’t over till it’s over. 7. Corvette Racing dodged a bullet to secure the GTLM championship with Jan Magnussen and Antonio Garcia. In the closing hours of the race, Antonio Garcia crashed the No. 3 Corvette C7.R at the exit of pit lane. Remarkably, Corvette Racing repaired the car in record time, only losing a few laps to the GTLM class leader. How important is teamwork? Lambeth: A rare mistake by Antonio Garcia, “the King of Spain,” nearly cost Corvette Racing the GTLM championship. Luckily, the team worked hard to repair the car in a few minutes. Most importantly, they completed the repairs efficiently to keep the car in position to defeat the Ford Chip Ganassi Racing duo of Ryan Briscoe and Richard Westbrook. When one member of the team falls, there should always be someone to help them get up. For Corvette Racing, this championship was a total team effort. Lee: A mistake that almost cost them an entire championship is one that could have been stuck in a driver’s head for quite a long time. Fortunately, everything worked out for the team with getting the car back in good enough condition to continue racing. An absolute class effort from the Corvette Racing team to bounce back from what could have been doomsday. |