RACE RAP: Monday, February 3
The Doctor is ready: Valentino Rossi has given an early commitment to the Bathurst 12-Hour in 2026. After finishing second at the weekend in a 1-2 sweep for the BMW M4 coupe, he promised he will be back for another attack on the 12-Hour next year. "I want to come back. Because, for me, it’s good to come one time in a year to Australia because I like a lot this place.
Miller is thrilled: The MotoGP shakedown in Malaysia was a great start to season 2024 for Yamaha and Aussie Jack Miller. The Japanese bikes were 1-2 on the time sheets after two days on track, with former world champion Fabio Quartararo fastest and the only rider to dip below the 1 minute 58-second mark. Miller was three-tenths slower in second as the MotoGP teams get a two-day break before the Official Test on February 5-7.
Dick gets another gong: It was largely lost in the storm around Ford's signing of Triple Eight Race Engineering in Supercars, but Dick Johnson has received a massive honour in the USA. He was presented with the Spirit of Ford award to recognise his 50 years of motorsport with the blue-oval band by Edsel Ford II – who famously committed to double public donations after Johnson hit 'The Rock' at Bathurst in his XD Falcon. Other legendary winners of the award include Sir Jacky Stewart and Jim Clark from Formula One, Mario Andretti and A.J. Foyt from the IndyCar world, Richard Petty from NASCAR, team owners Jack Roush and the Wood brothers, and John Force from drag racing.
SVG at crazy race: Shane van Gisbergen has advanced through the heat races in the NASCAR season opener at the crazy little 400-metres Bowman Gray stadium in North Carolina. He finished third in the second of four heat races, with the early wins going to Chase Elliott, Chris Buescher, Denny Hamlin and Tyler Reddick.
Rovanpera on snow: A practice run in the Arctic Rally only produced second place for Toyota GR's team leader, Kalle Rovanpera, ahead of the second round of the World Rally Championship in Sweden. Rovanpera was out-paced by a speedy 18-year-old Finn, Tuukka Kauppinen, who was only driving a Rally2 Toyota while the former world champion was in his Rally1 Yaris WRC. Another former WRC regular, Esapekka Lappi, was third in a Skoda Fabia.
