IndyCar’s Detroit Grand Prix was scripted like a ’90s disaster movie; there were wrecks everywhere. The NASCAR Cup Series had a finish at Gateway that was so unexpectedly dramatic, it couldn’t have been scripted. The defending champion and fan favorite Ryan Blaney was on the verge of being gifted a race win after the second-place runner’s engine blew, but he had his own heartbreaking setback. It’s Tuesday, May 28, 2024, and this is Racing Recap, your summary of last weekend’s motorsports highlights.
Demolition Derby In Downtown Detroit
At the Detroit Grand Prix, Scott Dixon did what he does best yet again: staying out of trouble and saving fuel. It’s difficult not to describe the race as a crash fest. Foyt’s resident pest Santino Ferrucci took out Helio Castroneves into the entry of Turn 5, where Kyffin Simpson smashed head-on into the four-time Indy 500 winner. There was a brief rain shower during one of the many caution periods, but the yellow dragged on for so long that the rain stopped and the track dried out.
Most of the crashes were concentrated in the Turn 3 hairpin, the first corner during restarts. Last week’s Indy 500 winner Josef Newgarden even made an error of his own. He flew too hot into the corner, spun his Penske and collected points leader Alex Palou. Yes, Scott Dixon took over the points lead along with the race win.
Race Results
1. – Scott Dixon (Ganassi)
2. – Marcus Ericsson (Andrett) – +0.856 seconds
3. – Marcus Armstrong (Ganassi) – +4.912 seconds
4. – Kyle Kirkwood (Andretti) – +6.124 seconds
5. – Alexander Rossi (McLaren) – +8.953 seconds
Austin Cindric Snatches Victory At Gateway
After the final round of pit stops, Ryan Blaney was in a great position to win the Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway. The Penske driver just had to fend off a hard-charging Christopher Bell. The pair couldn’t be separated as Bell relentlessly attacked for the lead. However, that task became a cakewalk after the engine in Bell’s No. 20 Gibbs Toyota began to give out with 19 laps to go. As Gibbs nursed his car home and sunk through the field, Blaney just had to cruise to the checkered flag.
As Ryan Blaney saw the white flag, his No. 12 Ford Mustang slowed to a crawl and his teammate Austin Cindric blasted past like he wasn’t there. Blaney was one lap short of fuel. His team under-fueled the car during the last stop, but Penske had no idea that the No. 12 didn’t have enough gas to make it to the end. Austin Cindric won the race, his first since the 2022 Daytona 500. Blaney is still winless on the season and without a ticket to the playoffs.
Race Results
1. – Austin Cindric (Penske)
2. – Denny Hamlin (Gibbs) – +3.844 seconds
3. – Brad Keselowski (RFK) – +4.286 seconds
4. – Tyler Reddick (23XI) – +6.418 seconds
5. – Joey Logano (Penske) – +10.332 seconds