Weekend Recap: August 14 – 15

MOTOGP

The Bitci Motorrad Grand Prix of Austria ran at the 2.683-mile, 10-turn Red Bull circuit in Spielberg, Austria, the eleventh round in the eighteen-round MotoGP World Championship. Monster Energy-powered Francesco Bagnaia of the Ducati Lenovo Team raced to a strong runner-up finish. Fourth on the afternoon was reigning MotoGP World Champion and Monster Energy racer Joan Mir of the Ecstar Suzuki team. In the race for the ’21 World Championship, Monster Energy racers Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), Bagnaia and Mir hold down positions one, two, and three, respectively. The MotoGP contingent will now travel on to the fabled Silverstone circuit and the Monster Energy British Grand Prix on August 29th.

MOTOCROSS

The 1.3-mile, 21-turn Unadilla MX venue in New Berlin, New York hosted the Circle K Unadilla National on Saturday afternoon. Twenty-five thousand spectators lined the fences for the eighth round of the 2021 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship. Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing pilot Dylan Ferrandis motored to 2-3 moto scores for a runner-up finish on the day and a further enhancement to his point lead in holding down the number one spot in the 450cc class National Championship. Fourth place at Unadilla fell to Monster Energy Kawasaki rider Eli Tomac. Fourth overall at Unadilla went to Monster Energy-backed racer Chase Sexton of Team Honda HRC. In the fiercely fought 250cc class at Unadilla, Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha team athletes Justin Cooper and Jeremy Martin topped the timing and scoring monitors with second and third place overall finishes. Cooper maintaining a 24-point lead in the race for the 250cc National Championship with just four races and eight motos remaining in the season.

SPEEDWAY

The Monster Energy Speedway Grand Prix ran before a full house inside Skrotfrag Arena in Malilla, Sweden. Monster Energy’s pilot Freddie Lindgren slid to an excellent third-place finish on the evening. Monster Energy-supported Tai Woffinden placed ninth overall in Sweden.

NASCAR

On Saturday afternoon, the NASCAR Xfinity Series lined up and competed in the Pennzoil 150 at the Brickyard. Riley Herbst, in the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang for Stewart-Hass Racing, crossed the finish line in 8th place on the 2.439-mile road course race circuit. Riley finished with an excellent top 10 score. Also racing in Indiana, Monster Energy wheelman Ty Gibbs guided the No. 18 Monster Energy Toyota Camry to a 19th place finish on the storied Brickyard racetrack.

OFF ROAD TRUCKS

The AMSOIL Championship Off-Road series lined up at the Island River International Raceway in Bark River, Michigan for the Island Resort & Casino Rumble in the U. P. In the premiere and ultra-competitive Pro 4 division, it was championship leader CJ Greaves and his Monster Energy Toyota out front and pulling away to a convincing victory. Fourth place was awarded to Kyle LeDuc in his Monster Energy Ford, while Johnny Graves finished sixth in his Monster Energy Toyota. The last and final stop for the 2021 AMSOIL Championship Off-Road series will be Crandon International Raceway in Wisconsin on September 4 and 5.

NHRA

In his 800th career start (the most in NHRA history), John Force picked up his third victory of the season and 153rd in his career, by far the most in NHRA history. John also shared the winner’s circle with his daughter, Brittany Force, for the first time as she won in Top Fuel, marking the first father-child duo in NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series history to win on the same day together.

DOWNHILL MOUNTAIN BIKE

He did it again! Monster Energy’s Loris Vergier took first place in the elite men’s division at the Mercedes-Benz UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in Maribor, Slovenia. With a 1.755-second lead on the next racer, the 25-year-old claimed the victory.

CROSS COUNTRY MOUNTAIN BIKE

Monster Hydro pro cross country mountain biker Keegan Swenson followed his victory in Telluride last month with another solo victory in his first participation of the Leadville Trail 100 MTB Saturday. The 2021 U.S. national champ left both Howard Grotts and Lachlan Morton in his wake. Swenson covered the 100 miles off-road course in 6:11:26.