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Speed Wins at MCAS New River Rallycross

For the first time since LA in 2015, Scott Speed was victorious at this weekend’s Red Bull Global Rallycross Championship at MCAS New River, in North Carolina. The event was supposed to be a double header, but only one race was run due to bad weather.

Unfortunately, Sunday’s race was canceled by Thor, who saw  fit to pelt the track with thunder and lightning and a downpour that rendered the track undriveable.

Saturday started out dryer and the Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross Beetles were in fine form, with Speed and Foust leading the pack after qualifying. Foust went on to win each of his semifinal races and earned himself pole position for the race.

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Speed, meanwhile, suffered mechanical issues, and so had to earn his way into the Final through the Last Chance Qualifier, forcing him to start the Final from deep down in the field. Speed proved that he knows his way around a wet track, though, quickly working his way up the field.

“I was so surprised to come out of the  first corner in second place,” said Speed after the race. “Getting up front early was key to our race, because we were able to avoid most of the mess caused by driving in that soup.”

He was still behind his teammate Foust, though, and it looked like no one could catch up the points leader. No one, that is, until he started losing speed at the hands of more mechanical gremlins.

Eventually, and in hindsight tragically, the decision was made to pull out of the race to preserve the car for the next day’s racing.

“It’s an unfortunate way for us to end the race after showing speed all day,” said Foust. “We were definitely in a position to win, so finishing by the side of the track is a real bummer.”

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Chip Ganassi Racing’s Brian Deegan inherited Foust’s lead, but Speed was hot on his tail. Eventually Speed passed the driver in the Ford Fiesta ST and that’s how the race ended.

After Saturday’s race, Tanner Foust still has the points lead in the driver’s championship with 295, but Steve Arpin, with 286 is right behind him with 286. Thanks to his victory, his first since LA in 2015, Speed is right behind them in third, on 279 points.

The circus heads to Washington DC next, on July 30.

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The post Speed Wins at MCAS New River Rallycross appeared first on VWVortex.



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