Race Rap: Monday, April 14
Wild times in NZ. A more relaxed attitude about car-to-car contact in Supercars is going down well with fans but now always with drivers. Brodie Kostecki was clearly unhappy with Chaz Mostert after their Saturday stoush at Taupo in New Zealand and had to get some counselling from the 'driver whisperer', Paul Morris, before heading back into battle again on Sunday.
Oscar on top. The balance of power at McLaren could be shifting as Oscar Piastri unlocked more of his potential with pole position and victory in the Bahrain Grand Prix. After congratulations from Zak Brown there were excuses from Lando Norris: "I think Oscar will lap everyone so I'll try to get to second, I guess," said Norris after qualifying, followed after the race by "I’m not comfortable, I’m not happy and I'm not feeling good. I’m quite surprised because something’s not clicking.”.
Marquez again. Marc Marquez continues to star after his promotion to the factory Ducati team in MotoGP. He has only lost one race this year, when he fell, and took both the Sprint and GP victories at the Qatar Grand Prix to hold a 17-point advantage over his brother Alex in the title standings.
Street racers. Kyle Kirkwood won the 2025 running of the traditional Long Beach IndyCar race on the California street circuit. After taking pole position he finished the race ahead of Alex Palou and Christian Lundgaard, with Australia's Will Power in fifth.
Porsche again and again. The Porsche 963 continued its unbroken string of IMSA sports car wins on the streets of Long Beach. Once again it was Felipe Nasr and Nick Tandy who drove the winning car, as Aussie Matt Campbell repeated his recent run to second place for Porsche Penske Motorsport and BMW claimed third thanks to Dries Vanthoor and Philipp Eng.
Fourth in San Felipe 250. Toby Price and Paul Weel made a solid but unspectacular start to their 2025 off-road season in the USA. The pair were fourth at the finish after starting right at the back of the Trophy Truck contenders, from position 26, after breaking a serpentine belt during qualifying.
Another tough one. Bristol was a bust for Shane van Gisbergen when he spun on lap 177 and his car had to be taken behind the pits for major repairs. "Been working hard trying to get better at these ovals. This is the hardest type of racing I’ve ever done," says SvG.
Podium in Holland. Remy Gardner finally got to spray the champagne when he finished third in the World Superbike Championship race at Assen in Holland. However, he is only 15th in the standings with Yamaha.
Opposite Lock is over. Ed Mulligan was never a great rally driver, but he was the heart and soul of the sport in Australia - and beyond. He competed for more than 40 years, nicknamed 'Hooligan', and also founded the Opposite Lock company that supplied specialist equipment to generations of competition and off-road drivers.