B4
SPORTS
East Oregonian
Saturday, July 20, 2019
Kurt Busch, crew chief enjoy
victory after Daytona criticism
By DOUG ALDEN
Associated Press
AP Photo/Matthew Childs
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc of Monac, left, tries to over-
take Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherland’s
after a pit service, during the British Formula One Grand
Prix at the Silverstone racetrack, Silverstone, England, on
July 14.
Bigger tires in store for
Formula One
By JIMMY GOLEN
Associated Press
NEWPORT, R.I. —
Formula One tires are get-
ting a makeover to make
them look more like the
ones auto racing fans can
buy for their own cars.
The circuit will switch
to 18-inch tires beginning
in the 2021 season, one
of a series of changes it is
making as it embarks on a
new contract with the Ital-
ian tire-maker Pirelli that
begins next year and runs
through 2023. F1 has used
13-inch tires for decades.
“The change ... is
designed to more closely
align Formula 1 tires
with street tires, allow-
ing an even greater degree
of technology transfer
between them,” the com-
pany said.
Other changes where
the rubber meets the road:
No more heating blan-
kets, narrower front tires
and tires that will degrade
more slowly, a modifica-
tion that could drastically
affect race and pit stop
strategy.
Some of the changes
were announced by the
F1 last year. Pirelli shared
more details with The
Associated Press this
month during an event for
the 2021 America’s Cup;
the company is a sponsor
and technology partner
with the Italian challenger
Luna Rossa.
“Formula One is the
pinnacle of the technology
in motor racing,” Marco
Crola, the Chairman and
CEO of Pirelli North
America, told the AP at the
New York Yacht Club in
Newport before the Amer-
ica’s Cup challengers gave
an update on their prog-
ress. “This one is exactly
the same in water sports.”
Pirelli noted that the
bigger tires will have
far-reaching effects on
the build of the car. The
13-inch models, with their
high sidewalls, served as
half of the suspension for
the car, and the 18-inch
ones will create more aero-
dynamic resistance.
“The move to a new
size is a significant change
for the teams, as it’s not
just as simple as swap-
ping a 13-inch tire for an
18-inch one,” the company
said in a statement to the
AP. “Plenty of work has to
be done to understand the
challenges involved.”
Some details remain to
be sorted out when FIA,
the Formula One govern-
ing body issues its regu-
lations. Pirelli will begin
testing the new tires later
this summer and through
2020 on the Formula
Two circuit.
LOUDON, N.H. —
When fans slammed crew
chief Matt McCall for cost-
ing Kurt Busch a win at
Daytona, he was a good
sport and made a video for
social media of him reading
the criticism — even a criti-
cal tweet that came from his
wife.
The feedback has been
quite different this week.
Busch raced to his first
victory with Chip Ganassi
Racing last week at Ken-
tucky — in part because of
a call McCall made before
overtime — and McCall has
been able to focus on what’s
ahead rather than answering
for any mistakes.
“It feels great, but I’m
terrible about celebrating.
Literally, when I get home,
I’m already thinking about
the next week,” McCall said
Friday. “That’s the way I’ve
always been and I’ve always
raced. I think it’s because
when you’re in a sport like
this, you’re expected to win.”
That hadn’t happened
until last Saturday, when
Busch edged brother Kyle in
a two-lap overtime shootout
at Kentucky Speedway. It
was the first time Kurt beat
his little brother in a head-
to-head NASCAR finish, but
more importantly, it was a
victory for the elder Busch,
McCall and Ganassi, who
had been in position to win
the week before at Day-
tona before lightning struck
— literally.
Busch was in front after
making it through a mas-
sive accident unscathed.
NASCAR said the race was
one lap away from resum-
ing, but McCall called Busch
in for a quick pit stop, which
turned out to be the end of
the line.
Lightning quickly fol-
lowed and the race was even-
tually called, leaving McCall
with a backlog of angry mes-
AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley
Kurt Busch celebrates his win in the NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Kentucky Speedway in
Sparta, Ky., on July 13.
sages from fans question-
ing his logic, among other
things.
McCall said he may have
taken it hardest of all.
“There’s stuff that’s out
of control,” McCall said.
“Our car was good enough
to possibly win the race if we
raced, so that made it a little
bit harder to not stay out.”
The
Busch/McCall/
Ganassi fortunes changed
in Kentucky and this time it
was McCall who was widely
credited with a crucial call
that helped the team to vic-
tory on four fresh tires.
“We just sort of got pretty
lucky there to have the cau-
tion at the end,” McCall
said. “Kurt had a really good
restart and made it happen.”
The result lifted the
Ganassi and Team Chevy
spirits considerably this
week as the circuit headed
north for Sunday’s Cup
Series race at New Hamp-
shire Motor Speedway,
where Busch swept both
races in 2004 and also won
in 2008.
Now 40, Busch is on a
one-year contract and trying
to enjoy each stop.
“Each week is fun
because there’s speed to be
found and teamwork to work
on to make sure we’re going
to have the best weekend,”
Busch said. “It brings it back
to that passion and desire
when I was younger to go
out there each week and try
to make sure we’re getting
the most out of each session.”
With Busch as his driver,
McCall said it’s almost like
having a co-crew chief and
extra hand in the pit crew.
Kentucky was Busch’s 31st
Cup victory and never bash-
ful, Busch always has a few
“suggestions” for his crew
on how to make the car per-
form better.
“His feedback and the
information he provides and
what he asks for, it’s pretty
precise,” McCall said. “I
feel like he asks for what he
needs and he asks for what
we need to win. He just
pushes for everybody to try
and get better each week.”
Busch, whose victory last
week clinched him a play-
off spot, said he learned the
value of communication
growing up racing with his
father, Tom.
“When you learn from
an early age and a success-
ful racer like my dad was, it
gets instilled in you on how
to communicate the proper
things with the car and gives
you that confidence to know
what you want changed in
the car,” Busch said. “I just
want their jobs to be easier
because if they’re jobs are
easier, they’re doing better
and ultimately the car that
I’m driving will have better
results.”
McCall said Busch has
made a considerable effort
to ease the transition into
his new team such as group
outings and hosting din-
ners. He also took a group
of team leaders to Pittsburgh
for a visit with Ganassi and a
Cubs-Pirates game.
“He communicates with
everyone. He tries to keep
everyone involved,” McCall
said. “He does a good job
with trying to keep the
morale high.”
Pagenaud wins 2nd
straight pole at Iowa
By LUKE MEREDITH
Associated Press
NEWTON, Iowa —
Simon Pagenaud will start
first in Saturday’s Indy-
Car race at Iowa Speed-
way after winning the
pole for the second week
in a row.
Pagenaud, who won
in Toronto last weekend
starting from the front
row, posted an average
speed of 180.073 mph to
capture his third pole of
2019 and his 13th overall.
Will Power quali-
fied second, followed by
series leader Josef New-
garden and Takuma Sato.
Defending Iowa cham-
pion James Hinchcliffe
was fifth and Alexander
Rossi, just four points
behind Newgarden, will
round out the third row.
The pole winner has
never won an IndyCar
race at Iowa’s 0.875-mile
oval in 12 tries, though.
“Traffic plays a big role
in this race,” Pagenaud
said. “It’s about having a
good car in traffic, a good
car on long runs. Most of
the time it finishes under
smash-and-dash at the
end with a late yellow.”
TEAM PENSKE’S
POLE DOMINANCE
Pagenaud’s qualifying
win was the fifth straight
for Team Penske at Iowa
and the eight in 13 tries.
But the powerhouse squad
has only won the race once
in Newton, when Helio
Castroneves notched his
final IndyCar victory in
2017.
“There’s very strong
competition within the
team. But as you can see,
Team Penske is phenome-
nal. They give us the fast-
est cars,” Pagenaud said.
Not Your Grandma’s
Nursing Home
Today’s assisted living is a departure from nursing
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