Posted on by IPM Editor
Scott Speed MCAS
05
Jul

Brian Deegan nearly ended a five-year Supercar main event victory drought, only to be passed on the final lap by defending Supercar champion Scott Speed during Saturday’s Red Bull Global Rallycross action at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) New River.

The victory was Speed’s first of the season for Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross. Sunday’s Round 7 was suspended due to severe weather for the safety of drivers and fans.

Tanner Foust continued his perfect streak of heats and semifinals, winning all three to tie the single-season record with 16 victories in preliminary rounds. In the opposite sessions, Patrik Sandell won in the first round before a major incident in round two; Sebastian Eriksson delivered Honda its first Red Bull GRC heat win in that round, before Steve Arpin took a victory in the semifinal.

Heavy rain and lightning forced drivers onto their rain compound BFGoodrich Tires before the Supercar final. Foust and Speed set out into the first two spots on lap one, but Brian Deegan began carving his way through the field by heading to the outside of the sloppy and slippery dirt section. He worked his way into second place, inheriting the lead about halfway through the final when Foust pulled off with a mechanical failure.

As other drivers struggled to find traction and visibility on the course, Deegan pressed forward without his turbocharger, limiting his horsepower. Behind him, Speed clawed back to second, having already taken the longer Joker Lap in the race. Deegan finally took the Joker on the last lap, enabling Speed to squeeze by and take the victory.

The results from Saturday’s Red Bull Global Rallycross MCAS New River, the sixth round of the 2016 Red Bull GRC season:

  1. Scott Speed, #41 Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross Beetle
  2. Brian Deegan, #38 Chip Ganassi Racing Ford Fiesta ST
  3. Steve Arpin, #00 Chip Ganassi Racing Ford Fiesta ST
  4. Patrik Sandell, #18 Bryan Herta Rallysport Ford Fiesta ST
  5. Austin Dyne, #14 AD Racing Ford Fiesta ST
  6. Sebastian Eriksson, #93 Honda Red Bull Olsbergs MSE Civic Coupe
  7. Joni Wiman, #31 Honda Red Bull Olsbergs MSE Civic Coupe
  8. Tanner Foust, #34 Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross Beetle
  9. Jeff Ward, #07 SH Rallycross/DRR Ford Fiesta ST
  10. Bucky Lasek, #81 Subaru Rally Team USA WRX STI
  11. Sverre Isachsen, #11 Subaru Rally Team USA WRX STI

“This is the beautiful thing about rallycross. This is why the sport is so popular and we all believe in this and so far this weekend it worked out for us. At the start I was so surprised to come out of the first corner in second. I went around the track and then saw Deegan come flying around the outside of me—I’m like, what in the world is this? He figured it out before everybody that the grip was out there, and then we had a heck of a race to the finish. I used my Joker and closed the gap and capitalized on the last lap. It was a great race, and I’m so happy that the fans stayed after the thunderstorm. I really appreciate that win because it was one heck of a show.” – Scott Speed, #41 Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross Beetle

 

FAST FACTS: A collection of facts from Saturday’s Red Bull Global Rallycross MCAS New River, the sixth round of the 2016 Red Bull GRC season:

  • Scott Speed earned the eighth victory of his Red Bull GRC career on Saturday at MCAS New River. It was Speed’s first victory of the season, and came at a course where he failed to make the final last year. He also became the first driver in 2016 to win a race in which he also had to advance through the last chance qualifier.
  • Brian Deegan earned his second podium of the 2016 season, and the 13thof his Red Bull GRC career, with his second place finish on Saturday. Deegan and Tanner Foust are the only drivers to earn podium finishes in every Red Bull GRC season.
  • Steve Arpin’s third place finish represented his third podium of the 2016 season and the fifth of his Supercar career.
  • Austin Dyne earned his best finish of the 2016 season so far by placing fifth.
  • Sebastian Eriksson gave Honda its first-ever Red Bull GRC heat victory by winning Heat 2A on Saturday. It was the fifth heat win of Eriksson’s Supercar career.

UNOFFICIAL DRIVER POINTS: Points accurate to completion of Saturday’s Round 6.

  1. Tanner Foust, 295
  2. Steve Arpin, 286
  3. Scott Speed, 279
  4. Brian Deegan, 248
  5. Patrik Sandell, 243
  6. Sebastian Eriksson, 214
  7. Joni Wiman, 193
  8. Jeff Ward, 134
  9. Austin Dyne, 123
  10. Rhys Millen, 96
  11. Bucky Lasek, 11
  12. Sverre Isachsen, 4
  13. Sebastian Saavedra, 3

UNOFFICIAL MANUFACTURER POINTS: Points accurate to completion of Saturday’s Round 6.

  1. Volkswagen, 27
  2. Ford, 24
  3. Honda, 21

Feature photo: Scott Speed competes at Red Bull Global Rallycross in Jacksonville, NC on 2 July, 2016. Larry Chen / Red Bull Content Pool

Facebook Comments

IPM Editor