QUICK LAPS THE FASTEST NEWS ROUND-UP
A decisive strategy call set up a first Indycar win in over a year for James Hinchcliffe at Iowa last weekend. Late on, he passed long-time race leader Josef Newgarden and, as Ed Carpenter and Takuma Sato came to blows, Hinchcliffe chose not to pit when the fullcourse caution was called. Nearest rival Newgarden opted to stop, but the pace car took the field to the chequered flag before a restart could take place. That meant Newgarden threw away a podium, despite dominating the majority of the race… Erik Jones recorded his first ever NASCAR Cup series victory in a chaotic Daytona race in which over half the field was eliminated by various incidents. He edged out his former teammate and reigning champion Martin Truex Jr with a quiet run to the win… The Red Bull Holdens were unstoppable as Australian Supercars visited Townsville. Shane van Gisbergen and Jamie Whincup shared wins as the reigning champion got his title defence back on track. Saturday’s race was a masterclass from Whincup, storming past polesitter Scott Mclaughlin at Turn 2 on the second lap and never looking back. In race two, after a slow getaway he decided to undercut van Gisbergen with a lighter fuel load. Whincup did assume first until a run-in with a lapped Tim Blanchard gave van Gisbergen the opportunity to pass at the penultimate corner… Triple Eight’s six-time Bathurst 1000 winner Craig Lowndes has announced his retirement from Supercars at the end of this season. The triple title winner had a year remaining on his contract but wants to pursue overseas racing such as Le Mans… The premier Japanese single-seater series, Super Formula, is to test the halo on its next-generation SF19 car. Although organisers never originally planned for the safety device, chassis maker Dallara’s design has left the option for it to be fitted should it need incorporating. After a shakedown at the Italian Autodromo Riccardo Paletti circuit last month, the SF19 ran for the first time in Japan during a two-day Fuji test last week. Thanks to more downforce, it is expected it will outperform the car it replaces…