Acropolis Rally, Mugello MotoGP weekend
Live Text
Sort by
Oldest first
Day one of AUTOSPORT Race Centre Live isn't quite over yet, we've still got action from America and the Acropolis Rally's after-dark stage.
Friday 31 May - all times GMT
18:26 Acropolis Rally SS2
19:00 IndyCar Detroit race one qualifying
19:15 NASCAR Sprint Cup Dover qualifying
Friday 31 May - all times GMT
18:26 Acropolis Rally SS2
19:00 IndyCar Detroit race one qualifying
19:15 NASCAR Sprint Cup Dover qualifying
Robert Kubica
Acropolis Rally: Robert Kubica leading WRC 2 by 20 seconds. Went into a ditch on SS1 after being blinded by the combination of dust and setting sun, but otherwise a great start by the grand prix winner.
Acropolis Rally: Second stage about to start in the dark. SS2 is the first half of the long opening stage, with the finish line brought forward to Nea Politia. The crews are expecting the road to be rougher after the whole field passed through. Dust, however, shouldn't be any issue with strong winds continuing.
Quote
Evgeny Novikov
Acropolis Rally: Leader Evgeny Novikov has earned glowing praise from VW factory driver Jari-Matti Latvala.
The Russian holds a 20-second lead after a chaotic opening stage just outside Loutraki. Latvala was third fastest 36.3 seconds down.
"I have been really, really impressed with what Evgeny has done," said Latvala. "He has made an incredible start. That stage was so difficult, one of the hardest in my career with all the changes in rhythm and everything and for him to do the time he has done is very impressive."
Novikov was impressed with himself, but typically understated: It's a good start. I'm satisfied with that. We could have gone quicker in some places, but the most important thing was to find the rhythm, which we did."
Quote
Acropolis Rally: M-Sport team principal Malcolm Wilson admitted to mixed emotions. He may have Novikov leadng, but Mads Ostberg hit trouble just 400 metres into the stage.
"It was a strange stage for us," said Wilson, "obviously, it was disappointing for Mads to have a problem which we have never seen before with the wheel breaking.
"But then Evgeny has driven very, very well – and the good thing is that he was consistently the quickest; still fastest even when everybody was running."
"It was a strange stage for us," said Wilson, "obviously, it was disappointing for Mads to have a problem which we have never seen before with the wheel breaking.
"But then Evgeny has driven very, very well – and the good thing is that he was consistently the quickest; still fastest even when everybody was running."
Alex Tagliani
IndyCar - Detroit: Grand-Am practice has finished, and qualifying for IndyCar's Saturday race is about 15 minutes away. The second qualifying group looks the most likely to produce a shock.
Acropolis Rally: So windy at the end SS2, somebody reported their dust cloud overtook them on the way into the stage... Khalid Al-Qassimi much happier through SS2, the road having been swept on the first run.
Acropolis Rally: Greek prime minister Antonis Samaras put his country's ecomomic troubles to one side briefly this afternoon when he waved the crews away from the start of his country's WRC counter in Athens. Hirvonen quickest in the middle of the dark second stage tonight.
IndyCar - Detroit: It's qualifying time, and right on cue it has started to rain. Like, quite hard. At least the ducks will be happy.
Green flag
Rain
IndyCar - Detroit: The rain stopped as quickly as it started, and the session is green. Track is soaking. Splashing around in the first group are Tagliani, Newgarden, Hunter-Reay, Jakes, Pagenaud, Wilson, Andretti, Hinchcliffe, Allmendinger, Bourdais, Kimball, Vautier and Franchitti.
Acropolis Rally: Latvala quickest at stage finish so far. Hirvonen five down on his countryman, but reported a small moment when he nearly rolled. Two miles into the stage and Novikov is already a second up on J-ML...
Jimmie Johnson
NASCAR - Dover: NASCAR Sprint Cup qualifying from Dover's 'Monster Mile' is due off in about 10 minutes.
Hendrick duo Jimmie Johnson and Kasey Kahne led practice earlier on, and it's five-time champion Johnson who's in best shape in the standings.
Despite getting caught up in one of the many shunts at Charlotte last week, Johnson leads Carl Edwards by 32 points.
NASCAR Sprint Cup standings after 12 of 36 rounds:
1 Jimmie Johnson 445
2 Carl Edwards 413
3 Matt Kenseth 394
4 Clint Bowyer 385
5 Kasey Kahne 370
IndyCar - Detroit: From the first qualifying group, Tagliani, Vautier, Hunter-Reay, Jakes, Pagenaud and Franchitti advance to phase two. Allmendinger, Bourdais, Wilson, Andretti, Hinchcliffe, Newgarden and Kimball have been eliminated.
Acropolis Rally: Novikov leads Sordo by 30.3 at the end of day one. The Qatar M-Sport Fiesta was fastest on the second stage in the dark.
IndyCar - Detroit: The second group is done, and Sato, Conway, Power, Viso, Saavedra and Castroneves all advance to the next round. Those finished for the day are Rahal, Dixon, de Silvestro, Kanaan, Briscoe and Carpenter.
Acropolis Rally SS2 results:
Stage times: 1 Novikov; 2 Latvala +2.8s; 3 Hirvonen + 7.9s; 4 Sordo 9.7s; 5 Neuville + 12.8s.
Overall positions: 1 Novikov; 2 Sordo + 30.3s; 3 Latvala + 39.1s; 4 Nevuuville + 51.1s; 5 Mikkelsen + 1m14.6s.
Stage times: 1 Novikov; 2 Latvala +2.8s; 3 Hirvonen + 7.9s; 4 Sordo 9.7s; 5 Neuville + 12.8s.
Overall positions: 1 Novikov; 2 Sordo + 30.3s; 3 Latvala + 39.1s; 4 Nevuuville + 51.1s; 5 Mikkelsen + 1m14.6s.
Acropolis Rally: Kubica 10th overall at the end of the first day - leading WRC 2 by 38 seconds.
NASCAR - Dover: One third of the way through qualifying, Ryan Newman has provisional pole ahead of Kevin Harvick and Joey Logano.
Stopwatch
NASCAR - Dover: Denny Hamlin knocks Newman off the top spot. The Charlotte polesitter does a 22.788s to beat Newman's 22.826s.
Quote
NASCAR - Dover: Provisional polesitter Hamlin on his lap: "I wish I would've run faster, but the track is just really greasy right now. Overall it's not too bad, it's about a tenth from where we practised."
Red flag
IndyCar - Detroit: Helio Castroneves spins at Turn 4 and the session is red-flagged with two minutes to go.
IndyCar - Detroit: And this phase of the session will not be restarted. Hunter-Reay, Franchitti, Conway, Tagliani, Viso and Jakes will be in the Fast Six. Vautier, Sato, Pagenaud, Power, Saavedra and a very unhappy-looking Castroneves are out.
NASCAR - Dover: Champion Brad Keselowski's qualifying attempt puts him fourth... which becomes fifth as Mark Martin goes third.
Twenty-seven of the 43 entrants have now had their pole shots. Big names yet to run include Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch and Kasey Kahne.
Twenty-seven of the 43 entrants have now had their pole shots. Big names yet to run include Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch and Kasey Kahne.
NASCAR - Dover: Shock as practice pacesetter and seven-time Dover winner Jimmie Johnson only manages 17th in qualifying.
Quote
NASCAR - Dover: Mark Martin after going third-fastest: "It's crazy. The car was really spectacular there. It shakes around so much off Turn 3 that I have to pick my head off the headrest, but it's all good, man."
NASCAR - Dover: Matt Kenseth goes to second fastest, joining Joe Gibbs Racing team-mate Denny Hamlin on the provisional front row.
Twitter
IndyCar - Detroit: Marco Andretti tweets his qualifying verdict: "Got sent out with double the rear tyre pressure in qual. Extremely frustrated, but will come back swinging tomorrow."
IndyCar - Detroit: We're on for the Fast Six. It's worth remembering that Dario has a 10-place grid penalty for an engine change at Indy, so the highest he can start is 11th.
Quote
NASCAR - Dover: Matt Kenseth is second right now, but doubts he'll stay there: "I think we'll be somewhere from fourth to sixth and you can't be disappointed with that. I just wish I'd got the gas down a bit sooner."
IndyCar - Detroit: Drive-through for Franchitti for a pit exit violation.
NASCAR - Dover: As Kenseth predicted, he's been pushed down a place. Martin Truex Jr puts his Waltrip Toyota onto the outside front row, 0.026s down on provisional polesitter Denny Hamlin.
Checkered flag
IndyCar - Detroit - race one qualifying results: 1 Dario Franchitti; 2 EJ Viso; 3 Mike Conway; 4 James Jakes; 5 Ryan Hunter-Reay; 6 Alex Tagliani.
NASCAR - Dover: Just Kasey Kahne and Kyle Busch yet to run in qualifying. Can either depose Denny Hamlin from pole?
IndyCar - Detroit: Franchitti finishes qualifying on top, but taking the engine penalty into account it will be EJ Viso who leads the field away tomorrow.
NASCAR - Dover: Kasey Kahne only 10th, so it's Kyle Busch versus Denny Hamlin for pole.
NASCAR - Dover: Hamlin keeps pole as Busch ends up third behind Truex. All Toyota front two rows.
Checkered flag
NASCAR - Dover - qualifying results: 1 Denny Hamlin; 2 Martin Truex Jr; 3 Kyle Busch; 4 Matt Kenseth; 5 Ryan Newman; 6 Mark Martin; 7 Kevin Harvick; 8 Brad Keselowski; 9 Joey Logano; 10 Jamie McMurray.
Quote
Denny Hamlin
NASCAR - Dover: Denny Hamlin on his pole: "It feels awesome. Two in a row here at Dover, which everyone knows is my worst racetrack. I've got great team-mates though - I've studied them and if you learn from the best, you get better."
Dario Franchitti
NASCAR and IndyCar qualifying wrap up day one of AUTOSPORT Race Centre Live.
It's been a great day for Russia, with Evgeny Novikov storming away in the Acropolis Rally and Daniil Kvyat taking a clean sweep of European Formula 3 poles in Austria.
Narain Karthikeyan was only announced as a Super Nova Auto GP driver this morning, but he's gone on to top every session at Silverstone so far, including qualifying.
And in MotoGP, Jorge Lorenzo was quickest at Mugello but the big news was Marc Marquez's escape from a violent crash, and second-place man Valentino Rossi's return to form.
By: Matt Beer, David Evans, Peter Mills, Mark Glendenning, Jamie O'Leary, Glenn Freeman, Scott Mitchell, Gary Watkins, Charles Bradley
Published:
Page:
