Just a week after falling agonisingly shy of a record second Indy 500 victory, Scott Dixon has his first chance to make amends and take another leap towards the IndyCar crown this weekend at the final Oval race of the year in Illinois. Meanwhile, grab the snacks and a comfy spot on the couch for the third successive weekend of Supercars while our Formula 2 and 3 duo Liam Lawson and Marcus Armstrong will keep you entertained every evening as the F1 support paddock heads to Spa-Francorchamps.
Marcus Armstrong
- What: FIA Formula 2 – Belgian Grand Prix
- Where: Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium
- When: R1 SUN 2.45 am | R2 SUN 9.10 pm
- How to follow: Spark Sport
Will this weekend be the weekend Marcus Armstrong puts behind his troubled 2020 campaign and score his first points since Austria? The Kiwi has struggled with tyre wear and has drowned in a tidal wave of poor luck over recent races but Spa has been a happy hunting ground for Armstrong in the past.
It was the venue of his second F3 win with Prema last season and the Ferrari Academy driver scored a pole position around the storied circuit in 2018 during his debut F3 European championship.
This weekend will also be a special event for the Formula 2 paddock as the remember they one year anniversary of the passing of Anthoine Hubert.
Liam Lawson
- What: FIA Formula 3 – Belgian Grand Prix
- Where: Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium
- When: R1 SAT 8.25 pm | R2 SUN 7.45 pm
- How to follow: Spark Sport
This hard-charging 18-year-old has been the only driver seemingly able one able to keep the reins on the runaway Prema outfit with Lawson still in touching distance of the championship lead with three rounds left to play out.
Lawson has never won a race around Spa with a best result of third in EuroFormula last year but has shown immense potential all season so can’t be counted before the weekend. But a good result will depend on a strong qualifying performance which has often been an issue for the Red Bull Junior in 2020 .
The Kiwi will also have an all new teammate for this weekend with Formula Regional driver Pierre-Louis Chovet getting behind the wheel of the third Hitech car after Renault-backed driver Max Fewtrell split with the squad following a disappointing start to the season.
Supercars Contingent
- What: NTI Townsville SuperSprint
- Where: Townsville Street Circuit, Australia
- When: R1 SAT 5.50 pm | R2 SUN 3.05 pm | R3 SUN 5.40 pm
- How to follow: Sky Sport
It is the third weekend in the row for a busy Supercars paddock as the championship nears closer to its truncated conclusion with Scott McLaughlin looking as invincible as ever. The defending champion clean swept the last round in Darwin to strengthen his points lead but Shane Van Gisbergen showed a strong turn in pace after a late engine change and the Red Bull pilot has emerged as McLaughlin’s closer competitor.
Last year’s street party proved to be chaotic with McLaughlin and David Reynolds clashing at Turn 1, Jamie Whincup crashing heavily into the wall and Nick Percat catching fire in the pitlane.
This weekend is expected to have the biggest crowd at a Supercars event for some time while the lengthy Top 15 shootout has been reduced to a more normal Top 10 shootout. Tyres wise, Supercars will stick with its single compound for both legs of the doubleheader.
Scott Dixon
- What: Bommarito Automotive Group Race to MEGA Savings 250s
- Where: Gateway, United States
- When: R1 SUN 7 am | R2 MON 7 am
- How to follow: Sky Sport
It was a bitter pill to swallow for Dixon at Indianapolis last weekend after he fell shy of an incredible victory in the dying stages having led most of the race.
But disappointments aside, Dixon now has a comfortable 84 point lead over Josef Newgarden in the championship and the Iceman is yet to suffer a poor result this season, placing him in the prime position to claim a sixth IndyCar championship.
Gateway is one of a few tracks on the regular IndyCar calendar that Dixon has not tasted victory at but he has scored two podium finishes there in 2017 and 2018.
This weekend’s doubleheader will be the final Oval of the season while Mid-Ohio has reportedly found a provisional place on the calendar on September 11 to 13.
Hunter McElrea
- What: Indy Pro 2000 Oval Challenge of St Louis
- Where: Gateway, United States
- When: SUN 6 am
- How to follow: Live Timing
Hunter McElrea has been electric over the last two rounds of the Indy Pro 2000 championship, collecting back-to-back second positions including an impressive drive in last weekend’s Indianapolis.
While a maiden win remains an unticked box in McElrea’s 2020 campaign, he has positioned himself nicely in the championship hunt.
Gateway will be a new circuit for the Kiwi to learn but his oval performance over the weekend suggests he will be a favourite for the win ahead of Sunday’s race.
Nick Cassidy
- What: Super FORMULA round one
- Where: Twin Ring Motegi, Japan
- When: SUN 5 pm
- How to follow: The-Race YouTube live stream.
Nick Cassidy will be out to defend his Super FORMULA crown with the long-awaited opening round at Motegi this weekend
The round will feel relatively different than previous Super FORMULA weekends with no refuelling or tyre changing permitted in the race meaning drivers will be forced to nurse their rubber all the way to the chequered flag.
Cassidy has yet to claim victory at the Japanese venue but has finished on the rostrum there the past two seasons, a strong omen for the TOMs racing pilot.
The Kiwi’s last gasp championship win last season completed the ‘Japanese Triple Crown’ with titles in F3, Super GT and Super FORMULA. But no doubt Cassidy will be hungry to ensure this season is wrapped up more safely with the aim to become the sport’s first repeat champion since Tsugio Matsuda in 2007-08.
Jaxon Evans
- What: Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup – Belgian Grand Prix
- Where: Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium
- When: Race SUN 10.25 pm
- How to follow: Spark Sport
It is do or die for Evans in Spa as the Mobil 1 Supercup begins its penultimate round of the 2020 season. It has been a turbulent ride for the Kiwi since his maiden win in Austria but he has demonstrated a liking to Spa in the past, collecting a podium and the fastest lap here last year.
Overtaking has proven to be challenging for the Supercup field in 2020, and while Spa offers plenty of passing opportunities, qualifying will be a top priority for Evans who in the last few rounds has had difficult maximising his potential due to a frustrating grid position.
Evans will likely need a win and a poor result from his championship rivals to give him an outside chance of glory at the finale in Monza, but title leader Larry ten Voorde has been a string of top-three finishes in the last few races adding an extra challenge for the Kiwi to conquer this weekend.
