! [Scroll down to read the English version]
[English]
In a few weeks where we have had no activity in the premier categories of motor racing and motorcycling, such as Formula 1 and MotoGP, the NASCAR series has not stopped this season, with its last two races taking place in Iowa and this past weekend at the Watkins Glen circuit. On the short oval in Iowa, William Byron won for the second time this season, having gone several races without reaching victory lane. But the highlight of the last race was the victory of Shane Van Gisbergen, who unsurprisingly won the fourth circuit race of the current NASCAR premier division season.
Shane Van Gisbergen is a circuit specialist, he really has no rivals at the moment and it's no surprise that his contract has been renewed, where he will race for several seasons with his Trackhouse Racing Chevy number 88 car. This is the New Zealander's fourth victory of the year, making him one of the most successful drivers of the year alongside Denny Hamlin, which is truly impressive. What has also made me think a lot about Shane is the fact that Van Gisbergen is in 25th place in the championship, although with his victories he has already secured his place in the playoffs. This driver is a circuit specialist, one of the best I've ever seen, but on ovals it's a different story. This isn't the first time this has happened; it reminds me of Australian driver Marcos Ambrose, who also had a talent for street and road courses that earned him a full-time spot in NASCAR.
Shane has made a lot of progress on the ovals, but there's no doubt that it will take him a while to adapt, so I would rule them out of making much progress in the playoffs. I'm pretty sure they won't make it past the first round, which is a shame because the second round of the playoffs features a circuit, such as the ROVAL in Charlotte, where they are among the main contenders to win and advance to the next stage (Round of 8). In any case, we mustn't underestimate the fact that this driver is dominating circuit racing. Several drivers are trying to challenge him, but in the end it's almost impossible. So much so that Shane van Gisbergen's lead over the second-place driver was more than 11 seconds, which is truly incredible.
Watkins Glen es de mis circuitos favoritos de NASCAR, incluso lo tengo mejor valorado que Sonama, siempre fue de mis trazados que siempre esperaba que la categoría llegara a ese sitio. En Glen disfruté de muchos momentos, tales como la segunda victoria del colombiano Juan Pablo Montoya en NASCAR, dándole pelea al australiano Marcos Ambrose de la cual les comenté anteriormente, quien era de los principales favoritos para el triunfo, pero ese año, Montoya recibió un gran coche de parte de Chip Ganassi que le llevó a lo más alto de la clasificación de la carrera y al círculo de la victoria. Glen es un circuito lleno de mucha historia, fue abierto desde el 1956 como circuito permanente, llevándose carrera de la F1, pero en NASCAR llegó en 1997.
Watkins Glen se encuentra ubicado en Nueva York, tiene dos versiones, la configuración larga con 11 curvas y la versión más corta con tan solo 9, incluyendo la chicana (Parada de autobuses) que es una de mis zonas favoritas, además de ser ideal para los adelantamientos y donde se han dado momentos inolvidables en la categoría. Lo mismo entra la curva 8 y 9, sitios ideales para los sobrepasos donde se han definido victorias, tal como Ambrose pasó a Brad Keselowski para llevarse el triunfo en el año 2011, un final dramático y lleno de adrenalina. Ambrose emuló lo mismo en el siguiente año, en la cual derrotó nuevamente a Brad. Glen es una carrera que no decepciona, su configuración tiene diferencia de elevaciones, que hace de la carrera mucho más interesante y más en NASCAR, donde los coches son más pesados.
! [Scroll down to read the English version]
[English]
Watkins Glen is one of my favourite NASCAR circuits. I even rate it higher than Sonoma. It was always one of the tracks I hoped the series would come to. I enjoyed many moments at Glen, such as Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya's second NASCAR victory, battling it out with Australian Marcos Ambrose, whom I mentioned earlier, who was one of the main favourites to win. But that year, Montoya received a great car from Chip Ganassi that took him to the top of the race standings and into the winner's circle. Glen is a circuit steeped in history. It opened in 1956 as a permanent circuit, hosting F1 races, but NASCAR arrived in 1997.
Watkins Glen is located in New York and has two versions: the long configuration with 11 turns and the shorter version with only 9, including the chicane (Bus Stop), which is one of my favourite areas, as well as being ideal for overtaking and where some unforgettable moments in the category have taken place. The same goes for turns 8 and 9, ideal places for overtaking where victories have been decided, such as when Ambrose passed Brad Keselowski to take the win in 2011, a dramatic and adrenaline-filled finish. Ambrose did the same the following year, defeating Brad again. Glen is a race that never disappoints. Its configuration has elevation changes, which makes the race much more interesting, especially in NASCAR, where the cars are heavier.
Como se los he comentado en varias oportunidades, los resultados de las prácticas libres ni la clasificación presentan nada en lo que puede ser la carrera. Sí, el entrenamiento es sumamente importante para colocar la puesta a punto del coche para la qualy y carrera. La clasificación es una vuelta, pero lo que realmente fundamental es el ritmo de carrera, cumplir los stint cuidando las llantas para que estas duren más que los rivales. Justin Haley fue el líder de la única práctica libre del fin de semana, con un Shane Van Gisbergen logrando solo el sexto lugar a un poco más de una décima y media del primer lugar. La verdadera sorpresa vendría con la pole lograda por Ryan Blaney, quien venció a Shane por apenas 3 centésimas de segundos. Estos dos partirian en la primera línea, en la primera y segunda posición.
Ryan tuvo una buena carrera, lideró 35 vueltas, tres menos que Shane lo cual dice mucho, pero a la hora de la verdad el neozelandés no tenía rival en pista. Como dije al principio, esta fue su cuarta victoria consecutiva en circuitos mixtos de la temporada y la quinta en su carrera en la Cup Series, consolidando su dominio en este tipo de trazados. Tan solo quedan dos carreras para finalizar la temporada regular de NASCAR, Richmond y Daytona, donde los candidatos se querrán poner a punto para la hora de la verdad, los playoffs, entre ellos Shane quien sabemos su calidad en circuitos, pero en óvalos aún tiene que aprender y que mejor que estas últimas dos competencias.
! [Scroll down to read the English version]
[English]
As I have mentioned on several occasions, the results of the free practice sessions and qualifying do not necessarily reflect what will happen in the race. Yes, training is extremely important for setting up the car for qualifying and the race. Qualifying is one lap, but what is really important is the race pace, completing the stints while taking care of the tyres so that they last longer than those of your rivals. Justin Haley led the only free practice session of the weekend, with Shane Van Gisbergen only managing sixth place, just over a tenth and a half of a second behind the leader. The real surprise came with Ryan Blaney taking pole position, beating Shane by just 3 hundredths of a second. These two would start on the front row, in first and second position.
Ryan had a good race, leading 35 laps, three fewer than Shane, which says a lot, but when it came down to it, the New Zealander had no rival on the track. As I said at the beginning, this was his fourth consecutive victory on mixed circuits this season and the fifth in his Cup Series career, consolidating his dominance on this type of track. There are only two races left to finish the NASCAR regular season, Richmond and Daytona, where the contenders will want to get ready for the moment of truth, the playoffs, including Shane, who we know is good on circuits, but still has to learn on ovals, and what better way than these last two races.
Gracias por su visita. Espero que les haya gustado.
Hasta una próxima oportunidad.
Sin más que decir, se despide de ustedes, su cordial servidor @franz54.
! [Scroll down to read the English version]
[English]
Post taker text separator was created by myself at: Canva.
Thank you for your visit. I hope you liked it.
Till a next chance.
Without further ado, he bids farewell to you, his cordial server @franz54.
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
Posted Using INLEO