The Week That Was: April 25, 2022
Image via NHRA
Didn’t get to watch all of the action motorsports on two and four wheels that made it to TV this week? We’ve got you covered! Here’s a quick summary of everything that went down over the past few days:
Anderson, Forkner Complete Kawasaki Supercross Sweep in Foxborough; Lawrence Earns First 250 Title
Monster Energy Kawasaki riders Jason Anderson and Austin Forkner took the 450 and 250 East wins, respectively, in Monster Energy Supercross’ first visit to Gillette Stadium in four years. Jett Lawrence’s runner-up finish to Forkner in the 250 feature was enough to clinch the East division title, his first indoor championship, while Eli Tomac heads into his home race in Denver next week with a strong mathematical chance to do the same. Click here for a full report from on site in Foxborough.
Three Repeat Winners in NHRA’s Farewell Event in Houston
The final NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series Springnationals at Houston Raceway Park saw the first event of the year to produce repeat winners in the Top Fuel, Funny Car, and Pro Stock categories on the same weekend. Brittany Force took her second Wally in a row in the Top Fuel category, while Matt Hagan took his second in the past three rounds in Funny Car. Erica Enders is now three for five on the season in Pro Stock after a historic all-female final round, the first in class history, against Camrie Caruso, and Steve Johnson would take the Pro Stock Motorcycle win in that series’ second round of the season.
The Top Fuel and Funny Car finals couldn’t have been more different in composition. Force would take on 2022 Winternationals winner Justin Ashley, who eliminated Steve Torrence in the semifinals and ensured the four-time defending champion’s first win of the year will have to wait a little longer. Hagan, meanwhile, drew Bobby Bode, who was running his first career final and led early before a supercharger failure blew the body off of his car.
Verstappen Returns to Front of F1 Field in Imola
On Italian soil and with Ferrari heavily favored in the championship standings, Red Bull and Max Verstappen struck back at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix as they attempt to climb out of an early-season hole in the standings. Verstappen and Sergio Perez went 1-2 at Imola on Sunday, benefitting from a first-lap DNF for Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and a late error for points leader Charles Leclerc that dropped him from third and chasing Perez to sixth.
Lando Norris would give McLaren its first podium of the year in third, while Mercedes’ George Russell and Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas would round out the top five. Lewis Hamilton would finish 13th, outside of the points for the first time since a DNF in Monza last year. Leclerc maintains an 86-59 lead on Verstappen in the driver standings, but Red Bull leapfrogged Mercedes to second in the constructor’s championship with 113 points to Ferrari’s 124.