Frontstretch Newsletter: Lewis Hamilton Wins In Qatar; Cuts Deficit

Published: Mon, 11/22/21

Frontstretch Newsletter: Nov. 22, 2021
Volume: XI, Edition CCXII

Editor's Note:

With this Newsletter, we are cutting back our delivery to weekly newsletters during the off-season. We will still have plenty of news and regular articles in the weekly newsletters. The daily newsletters will resume in February. Thank you for an excellent 15th year of the Frontstretch Newsletter.

Phil Allaway

Newsletter Manager, Frontstretch.com

What to Watch: Nov. 22-28

- It is Thanksgiving week. While many of you are gathering for the big meal, or watching the three football games of note Thursday, race teams are still working to prepare for 2022. There are a couple of races of note on local short tracks as well. We'll have news for you as it breaks at Frontstretch.

TV Schedule: Here

Around the World in Motorsports: Nov. 19-21

- Silver Dollar Speedway announced Saturday that NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson and World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series champion Brad Sweet have become track promoters. Specifically, the two racers, along with Colby Copeland, will serve as co-promoters of the Chico, Calif. dirt track. Sweet will run the day-to-day operations of the track.

- Rutronik Racing by TECE's Audi R8 LMS GT3 shared by Markus Winkelhock, Elia Erhart, Michael Doppelmayr and Swen Harburger won the 24H Series Hankook 24H Sebring Sunday in a race that featured changeable weather conditions. The margin of victory was 104 seconds over the No. 91 Herberth Motorsports Porsche.

Other notables included the RPM Porsche No. 907 shared by Tracy Krohn, Nic Jonsson, Patrick Huisman and Andy Lally that finished fourth overall. NOLASport's No. 470 Porsche won the GT4 class in sixth overall with Pirelli GT4 America SprintX Pro-Am champs Jason Hart and Matt Travis sharing with Zac Anderson, Anthony Noble and Alex Mayer. They won their class by a lap over ST Racing's BMW M4 GT4 with Jon Miller, Samantha Tan, Chandler Hull, Bryson Morris and Nick Wittmer.

- Stewart-Haas Racing co-owner and three-time Cup championship Tony Stewart got married over the weekend to NHRA Top Fuel racer Leah Pruett. We at Frontstretch send our congratulations to the Stewarts.

- ARCA announced the ARCA Menards Series East and ARCA Menards Series West schedules on Friday. The East schedule is only seven races, only four of which are standalone events. The schedule starts at New Smyrna Speedway in February as part of the World Series of Asphalt, before races at Five Flags Speedway, Dover (support to Cup) and Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway. The remaining races (Iowa, Milwaukee, Bristol) are conjunction events with the ARCA Menards Series.

ARCA Menards Series West teams will have an 11-race schedule, with only the season opener at Phoenix being a conjunction race with the ARCA Menards Series. A second race has been added at Portland International Raceway as support to the Xfinity race there.

- Saturday night saw the USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship conclude the Hangtown 100 at Placerville Speedway. Kyle Larson, who won the preliminary Friday night, had the pole going in, but lost it due to a 12-spot invert. Being 12th meant that he had to deal with the typical mid-pack issues. Contact sent Larson to the work area on lap 12. Despite this, he drove back up into contention before rolling on lap 67. Larson would continue after the roll and finish 18th. Chase Elliott was 20th.

At the front, hometown hero Justin Grant ran down Buddy Kofoid and took the lead on lap 87. He then held on to win the Hangtown 100 and claim the $20,000 winner's check. Logan Seavey was third, then Chris Windom and Carson Macedo.

Today's Top News:

Lewis Hamilton Dominates Qatar Grand Prix, Moves Within 8 Points of Verstappen

Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton led flag-to-flag from pole Sunday to win the inaugural Grand Prix of Qatar at the Losail International Circuit. Max Verstappen recovered from a grid penalty to finish second, then Fernando Alonso, Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon.

Fernando Alonso Stretches Strategy, Takes 3rd Place in Qatar

A series of tire failures late in Sunday's Grand Prix of Qatar made it clear that the two-stop pit strategy was a safer move. Alpine F1's Fernando Alonso stretched his tires from his sole stop 32 laps to finish third, his first podium finish since 2014.

Photos are courtesy of LAT Images.

Have news for Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at frontstretcheditors@googlegroups.com with a promising lead or tip.

Today at Frontstretch:

Thinkin’ Dirty: 2021 Blue Gray 100 at Cherokee

by Bryan Keith

iRacing Weekly Roundup: Garey takes FTF Cup Series Championship

by Justin Melillo

Slipstream Saturday: FIA Rejects Mercedes Appeal, F1’s Middle Eastern Presence Grows

by Alex Gintz

This Week at Frontstretch.com:

With the NASCAR offseason truly underway, this week will see assorted articles and whatever news breaks.

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