Latest news with #Lear
Fox Sports
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
Power Rankings: Marcus Armstrong, Christian Rasmussen Jump In
INDYCAR The recent stretch in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES showcased the full range of the sport's diversity with four races on four distinct track types. Each tested driver skills and team strategies, which led to some shake-ups in the Power Rankings since early May. The Sonsio Grand Prix on the 2.439-mile, 14-turn Indianapolis Motor Speedway natural road course on May 10 kicked off the stretch on a track favoring technical road course specialists. The 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on May 25 on the 2.5-mile IMS superspeedway oval is the crown jewel of the series, demanding high-speed precision and pit strategy. Next was the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear, a tight, unforgiving street course with little margin for error June 1. Finally, last Sunday's Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline at World Wide Technology Raceway emphasized short-track handling with strategic adjustments on the 1.25-mile oval. Through it all, Alex Palou, Kyle Kirkwood and Pato O'Ward emerged as the consistent top three performers, anchoring Power Rankings amid the shake-ups beneath them. Their ability to perform across disciplines has been astiff test Palou, Kirkwood and O'Ward have passed, as they stayed in the top three spots in the Power Rankings this week ahead of the XPEL Grand Prix at Road America Presented by AMR on Sunday, June 22 (1:30 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX Sports app and INDYCAR Radio Network). But there are two new faces in the rankings based on their strong performances at WWTR: ↑10. Christian Rasmussen (No. 21 ECR Splenda Chevrolet; Last Rank: NR) Rasmussen came from the back to the front twice at WWTR after starting 25th, earning a career-best third-place finish. He has two top-six finishes in the last three races. ↑9. Marcus Armstrong (No. 66 SiriusXM/Root Insurance Honda; Last Rank: NR) Armstrong catapulted to 10th in points following his third top-10 finish in the last four races by crossing the finish line ninth at WWTR. He was the top Honda-powered qualifier at WWTR by starting sixth. ↔8. David Malukas (No. 4 Clarience Technologies Chevrolet; Last Rank: 8) Malukas hasn't delivered headline results in the last two races, but a closer look reveals a driver performing at an elite level, just without the final box score to match. Malukas qualified second in Detroit and was positioned for a second straight top-five finish before an avoidable contact penalty left him 14th at the checkered flag. He qualified fourth at WWTR and led a race-high 67 laps. He was in serious contention for the win before brushing the Turn 4 SAFER Barrier on Lap 195, leaving him 12th. Still, the speed is undeniable, and a runner-up finish in the Indy 500, the biggest stage in the series, cemented Malukas' ability to perform up front. ↓7. Will Power (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet; Last Rank: 4) Power's season has been a roller coaster, flashing brilliance offset by costly setbacks. He was involved in a first-lap crash in the St. Petersburg season opener, finishing 26th. Power started 33rd in the '500' and managed to claw up to 16th, but still not the kind of result that matches Power's championship-winning pedigree. At WWTR, Power earned NTT P1 Award honors but crashed early in Turn 4, finishing last. Outside of those three trouble spots, Power has five top-six finishes, a clear indication that when things go right, he's still among the best in the series. ↑6. Scott Dixon (No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda; Last Rank: 10) Dixon was on the verge of dropping out of the Power Rankings but finished fourth at WWTR for his third top-five finish of the season. The six-time series champion delivered another solid result, even when the raw speed isn't always there. He's fifth in points and remains a master in execution of various fuel-saving strategies. ↔5. Christian Lundgaard (No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet; Last Rank: 5) Lundgaard slipped at WWTR by finishing 14th, but his overall body of work keeps him firmly in the Power Rankings and championship conversation. The Dane is fourth in points and had six top-eight finishes in the seven races before WWTR, including three straight podiums at The Thermal Club INDYCAR Grand Prix, the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach and a runner-up at Barber Motorsports Park. The bigger picture proves he's not just a sneaky talent but a legitimate threat for victory at each race. ↑4. Santino Ferrucci (No. 14 Bommarito Automotive Group; Last Rank: 7) Ferrucci is riding a wave of momentum that's making him one of the hottest NTT INDYCAR SERIES drivers. He's pieced together three consecutive top-five finishes that no one on the grid can match heading to Road America. A week after Ferrucci earned his best-career finish by crossing the finish line second in Detroit, he charged from 19th to finish fifth at WWTR. ↔3. Pato O'Ward (No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet; Last Rank: 3) O'Ward is on a heater, and it's not just flashes of brilliance anymore. He's sustained high-level execution across all types of tracks. O'Ward finished runner-up to Kirkwood on Sunday night at WWTR, his second runner-up finish in the last four races and third of the season. He also finished second to Palou at The Thermal Club and the Sonsio Grand Prix. Since the Children's of Alabama Indy Grand Prix presented by AmFirst in early May at Barber Motorsports Park, O'Ward has a fourth-place average finish, with a worst result of seventh on the streets of Detroit. He has three top-three finishes in the last four races and is second in points, 73 behind Palou. ↔2. Kyle Kirkwood (No. 27 Siemens Honda; Last Rank: 2) Kirkwood proved he's not just a one-dimensional street course specialist by claiming his first oval win Sunday night at WWTR. His previous four victories each took place on street circuits. However, Kirkwood has achieved three of those five wins this season, including two straight. He has four top-five finishes this season and six top-10 results. The Andretti Global driver is third in points, trailing Palou by 75. Palou and Kirkwood have combined to win all eight races this season. ↔1. Alex Palou (No. 10 Ridgeline Chip Ganassi Racing Honda; Last Rank: 1) Palou began 2025 with five wins and a runner-up finish in six races. However, he slipped the last two races, finishing 25th on the streets of Detroit and eighth at WWTR. Still, Palou has outperformed everyone this season, and barring a third straight finish outside the top five, his top spot isn't seriously threatened. recommended
Daily Mirror
7 days ago
- Climate
- Daily Mirror
UK weather maps turn fiery red as Britain to bask in 31C scorcher in just days
Brits are set for scorching temperatures next week as a high pressure system dominates and they could peak at 31C with a flow of easterly air moving in from the continent Brits are set for sweltering temperatures of up to 31C in the coming days as maps turn red next week and high pressure dominates over the UK. After a couple of weeks of milder weather due to low pressure systems moving in from the Atlantic, the UK has seen the mercury rise again with the hottest day of the year so far on Friday with 29.4C recorded in Levington, Suffolk. But that humidity also led to storms especially in the southeast where a month's worth of rain fell overnight and caused flooding. And the outlook for next week is for more scorching temperatures especially in the south of the country due to a high pressure system. "As we go through the next few days high pressure is set to return and there will be no significant rain the forecast until we get to the following weekend," said BBC weather forecaster Louise Lear. It is due to get warmer as the week goes on with maps from WXCHARTS showing them peaking on Friday, June 20. They predict the southeast of England will see a stifling 31C while many areas will see the mercury reaching the mid 20Cs. In the Midlands, temperatures will range from 19C to 24C with Birmingham set to see 21C. Towards the north of England, it will range from 17C to 23C with the northwest coast to see cooler temperatures. As for Wales, there will be a range of 14C to 20C and in Scotland it will see 11C to 18C. There is a trend towards warmer weather in the east and in Cornwall and Devon, there will be an average of around 17C. "As we move into Thursday we start to tap into more of an easterly feed and that will drag in more warmth coming from the near continent. So maybe the sunniest day of the week, the driest day of the week, we will see a lot of sunshine and warmth, temperatures in Scotland peaking at 24C, we could see 27C or 28C," said Ms Lear. "The heat likely to peak on Friday but then we could potentially see a change as we move into the weekend as low pressure finally could bring some much welcome rain." While the Met Office's forecast for June 19- 28 reads: "Most parts of the UK are expected to be fine and dry at the start of this period, then a broad northwest to southeast split is likely to develop in late June. The wettest and windiest conditions are expected to be in the northwest, with spells of rain at times which may be heavy in places. "It will likely be very warm or perhaps hot at first in the north, temperatures quickly becoming near normal or slightly above. More settled in the southeast with conditions drier overall, although some rain will probably spread from the west or northwest at times. "There is also the risk that isolated heavy showers and thunderstorms could develop at times. Temperatures are expected to be above normal, perhaps with some hot spells in the southeast.
Fox Sports
10-06-2025
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix Lures Bigger Crowds, Viewers, Engagement
INDYCAR The Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear produced its best results since the event returned to downtown Detroit in 2023, establishing new highs in attendance, viewership and social media engagement. In its third consecutive year hosted on the city street circuit, the Grand Prix attracted approximately 156,000 people to downtown Detroit over the three-day weekend, representing a 4% increase in total attendance from both 2023 and 2024. With packed grandstands and fans filling the rooftop viewing decks and the garages surrounding the venue, the Grand Prix's overall ticket revenue also increased by approximately 10% in 2025. The thrilling action also attracted more television viewers. According to Nielsen ratings, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES race broadcast from Detroit on Sunday, June 1 delivered an average audience of 1.061 million viewers across the FOX network and FOX streaming services, which represented a 75% increase from the 2024 race broadcast, which aired on the USA Network. It marked the third-highest rated NTT INDYCAR SERIES race this season, behind the Indianapolis 500 and the season opener in St. Petersburg. The Detroit race broadcast was viewed by more adults ages 18-34 than any other series race outside of the Indy 500 this year. Kyle Kirkwood of Andretti Global won the NTT INDYCAR SERIES race, which featured 261 on-track passes and the 181 passes for position rank, the most on an INDYCAR street circuit since 2022 in Nashville. Dennis Hauger won the INDY NXT by Firestone race. Social media metrics for the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear were also at an all-time high in 2025. The total social media reach for the Detroit Grand Prix reached 38 million over the course of race week (this includes not only Grand Prix social channels but all mentions of the event across all social platforms). With significant year-over-year increases in likes, plays, shares and reactions, the Detroit Grand Prix social channels (Instagram, Facebook, X, YouTube, TikTok and LinkedIn) delivered a direct reach of 1,068,074, which represented an increase of 140.68% from 2024. INDYCAR online video views nearly eclipsed the 11 million mark during the Detroit Grand Prix, representing a 4.7% increase over last season's race weekend in the Motor City. INDYCAR also reported a strong weekend for engagement on the INDYCAR mobile app with impressive year-over-year gains in total users, a surge in app downloads and race day app usage up by nearly 62% from 2024. The Grand Prix also continued its community giveback efforts in a big way in 2025. The annual PwC Grand Prixmiere presented by Chevrolet, in its 11th year as the official fundraising event for the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear, produced record results for the event's identified charitable causes. Hosted Friday evening, May 30, the Grand Prixmiere raised nearly $1.8 million for five Detroit-area organizations. Through Grand Prixmiere donations, as well as some unique auction items and experiences, funds were raised to benefit the Belle Isle Conservancy, Boys and Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan, Detroit Public Safety Foundation, Detroit 300 Conservancy and the Pope Francis Center in Detroit. Since 2014, the PwC Grand Prixmiere presented by Chevrolet has helped raise nearly $10 million for local charities. recommended
Fox Sports
06-06-2025
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
History Shows Josef Newgarden Can Rebound in Second Half
INDYCAR Josef Newgarden had plenty to say entering the 2024 Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear, following a week of national media obligations. At this point last season, the Team Penske driver entered Detroit seventh in points, riding a wave of momentum from his second consecutive Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge victory. Both '500' wins came due to a thrilling, last-lap pass. This year, Newgarden was quiet in Detroit, sticking to himself and not the usual outgoing, charismatic two-time series champion. He entered last weekend 11th in points. Newgarden charged from 32nd in this year's '500' to inside the top 10 by halfway, but a mechanical failure ended his day on Lap 135, leaving him 22nd and ending his quest to become the first driver to win three consecutive Indianapolis 500s. That's the story of his frustrating season. The trouble isn't caused by a lack of speed. Newgarden has been plagued by bad luck, leaving him 12th in points after Detroit, 185 behind leader Alex Palou, and five behind 10th-place Marcus Armstrong. Newgarden had a shot at a top-10 finish in the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, but his seatbelts came off, forcing an unscheduled pit stop. He finished 27th. An electrical malfunction before the Sonsio Grand Prix on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course dropped Newgarden from sixth in the starting lineup to take the green flag last. He rallied to finish 12th, leaving the question of what might have been. Even in the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding, Newgarden had a shot at a runner-up finish, but a fuel mishap occurred, not allowing his No. 2 PPG Team Penske Chevrolet to get full of Shell 100% Renewable Race Fuel. As a result, Newgarden had to coast the final few laps to get to the checkered. That allowed Palou to pull away, and his Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Scott Dixon to pass Newgarden for second. That third-place finish is Newgarden's lone top five all season. Maybe a week off to reset and recharge is exactly what Newgarden needs to swing the pendulum of his season. Following Detroit last year, Newgarden went on a run of five podium finishes over the final 11 races, including a victory at World Wide Technology Raceway, the site of the next NTT INDYCAR SERIES race June 15. Newgarden also had three podium finishes in the final five races. Can he go on another run? Newgarden has the tools and experience to flip the script on a rocky start. The upcoming stretch is tailor-made for a resurgence, especially on ovals, where he has few equals. 'He's the best oval racer in the series,' Ed Carpenter Racing driver Alexander Rossi said. 'He's the most aggressive.' Five of the final nine races are contested on ovals, beginning with a return trip next Sunday night to the 1.25-mile track near St. Louis for the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline, airing at 8 p.m. ET on FOX, the FOX Sports app and the INDYCAR Radio Network. Newgarden has at least one oval victory in each of the last nine years. He's won four of his last five tries at World Wide Technology Raceway. The outlier was 2023 when he finished 25th in a race in which he led 98 laps. At the Iowa Speedway oval, Newgarden has tallied six victories in 16 starts. The series visits the short track for a July 12-13 doubleheader. Newgarden won both NTT P1 Awards at the Milwaukee Mile last season and finished third in the 2024 season finale at Nashville Superspeedway. The series visits both for the final two races of the season, Aug. 24 and Aug. 31, respectively. Newgarden isn't just strong on the remaining circle tracks. Following next Sunday night's race, the series next goes to the XPEL Grand Prix at Road America on June 22. Newgarden finished runner-up on the Wisconsin road course last year to teammate Will Power and won in 2022. The July 6 Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio follows. Newgarden won in 2021. The Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto takes place on July 20. Newgarden is a two-time winner on the Toronto streets. Translation: Newgarden has arguably as much potential to win in bunches as anyone in the 27-car field. 'We can win any weekend,' Newgarden said. recommended
The Herald Scotland
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Review, Lear, Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh: 'a mesmerising depiction'
Shakespeare's Lear is a man at war in Ramesh Meyyappan's radical reworking of one of the bard's mightiest plays. Standing shell-shocked in a mini arena circled by sandbags, Meyyappan's Lear is cast adrift from both his faculties and family, in conflict with himself as much as the three daughters who tend to him. Possessed with the overbearing anger of a parent whose children have learnt to stand up to him, Lear's own increasingly infantile nature comes to the fore as his psychic wounds get the better of him. All this is brought to life, not with soliloquies and verse, but with barely a word spoken over the show's hour-long duration. As Lear shelters from the blast, Orla O'Loughlin's exquisite production wraps an already moving depiction of a family at war inside David Paul Jones' score. Read more reviews from Neil Cooper: This moves between propulsive piano patterns and string based brooding to give the performance its emotional pulse. Derek Anderson's lighting design adds even more drama to the action played out on Anna Orton's dirt-laden set. Nicole Cooper as Goneril, Amy Kennedy as Regan and Draya Maria as Lear's much loved Cordelia navigate their way around it as casualties of the fallout. In execution, Meyyappan and O'Loughlin's construction recalls the wave of underground East European theatre that came up throughout the late 1980s and 1990s. Its lack of dialogue lends it a similar global appeal by way of an international language of human empathy in response to extreme political adversity. There is a richness and depth as well to its depiction of sanity, madness and the family and the scars of battle that wound all. O'Loughlin's production is presented by producers Raw Material in association with the National Theatre of Scotland and the Singapore International Festival of Arts, where it premiered prior to its all too brief Scottish run. The moving silences left in the play's wake should see it go a whole lot further in a mesmerising depiction of one of the world's great tragedies that is both intimate and epic.
