It’s Monday, November 6, 2023 and this is Racing Recap, your summary of last weekend’s motorsports action. Ryan Blaney became the first driver to win the NASCAR Cup Series Championship without winning the winner-take-all season finale. F1’s annual trip to Brazil was wildly unpredictable but still featured a typical Max Verstappen victory.
Chastain Wins Phoenix Finale As Blaney Wins Title
Ross Chastain won the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race to the shock of many NASCAR conspiracy theorists. He wasn’t eligible to win the Cup Series title so the big trophy went to second-place finisher Ryan Blaney, the highest-finished driver in the Championship 4. Chastain became the first ineligible driver to take the checkered flag in the winner-take-all finale since the format was introduced in 2014.
The entire season came down to a wheel-to-wheel battle between Blaney and Kyle Larson over the final green flag stint. While Chastain was present, he wasn’t an active influence on the championship fight. However, Blaney did vent his frustrations at the Trackhouse driver over the radio to his team.
Race Results
1. – Ross Chastain (Trackhouse)
2. – Ryan Blaney (Penske) – +1.230 seconds
3. – Kyle Larson (Hendrick) – +3.273 seconds
4. – William Byron (Hendrick) – +5.349 seconds
5. – Chris Buescher (RFK) – +5.784 seconds
Leclerc Crashes Out During Brazilian GP Formation Lap
Drama at the São Paulo Grand Prix began before the lights even went out. Charles Leclerc crashed his Ferrari on the formation lap after experiencing an electronics system issue that shut off the hydraulics and engine in the middle of the corner. On-board footage showed the steering wheel getting ripped from Leclerc’s hands as he lost power steering.
The race start would feature even more mayhem as Haas’ Kevin Magnussen and Williams’ Alexander Albon were collected in a multi-car crash as they hurtled towards the first corner. Thankfully, the standing restart after the red flag was clean. For Max Verstappen at the front, he had a brief duel with McLaren’s Lando Norris before pulling away and cruising to the win. Behind the world champion, Fernando Alonso beat his teammate Sergio Perez in a photo finish for the last podium spot.
Race Results
1. – Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
2. – Lando Norris (McLaren) – +8.277 seconds
3. – Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) – +34.155 seconds
4. – Sergio Perez (Red Bull) – +34.208 seconds
5. – Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) – +40.845 seconds