Three open-wheel series will be crowning champions this weekend, two at a billion dollar facility in the desert, the other on the dirt of Southern California.
Now that qualifying is complete for the feature race of the final weekend of the GP2 season at Yas Marina, four drivers are still eligible for the title. Swiss driver Fabio Leimer leads Brit Sam Bird by seven points with Brazilian Felipe Nasr thirty-one back and Monegasque Stefano Coletti forty-four back.
Since American Alexander Rossi took pole for the feature race, there are only forty-four points available for a driver to earn this weekend. Coletti has to score maximum points with Leimer failing to score, Bird scoring seven points or fewer and Nasr scoring thirty-one points or fewer. Should Coletti score maximum points this weekend, he would own the tiebreaker over Leimer with five victories to three. Should a three-way tie occur between Leimer, Bird and Coletti, Coletti would own the tiebreaker over Bird with three third place finishes to Bird none. Bird and Coletti would both have five wins and one second place on the season. Coletti would also hold the tiebreaker over Nasr as Nasr has yet to win in 2013. Coletti however has only scored once in the last twelve races.
The battle will really be between Fabio Leimer and Sam Bird. Bird will roll off the grid from second on Saturday with Leimer starting in fourth tomorrow. The last time GP2 raced at Yas Marina was a non-championship round in 2011. Leimer won the feature race from pole and finished tenth in the sprint race. Sam Bird did not compete at Yas Marina in 2011. Bird did compete at Yas Marina in 2010 where he finished third in the feature and retired in the sprint race.
Six drivers still have a shot for the GP3 title this weekend. Argentina Facu Regalia leads future Toro Rosso driver Russian Daniil Kvyat by seven points in what looks to be a two horse race just like GP2. Other championship eligible drivers include Estonian Kevin Korjus thirty-one back, American Conor Daly thirty-four back, Brit Jack Harvey forty-two back and Cypriot Tio Ellinas forty-three back.
In practice Kvyat was fastest, a little over a half second ahead of the next championship contender Korjus in sixth. Daly was ninth with his teammates Harvey tenth and Regalia twelfth and Ellinas in eighteenth.
Qualifying for the GP3 feature race will be tomorrow prior to the race itself with pole position worth four points.
At Perris Auto Speedway in Perris, California Bryan Clauson looks to lock up the 2013 USAC National Sprint Car Championship. Clauson leads Dave Darland by fifty-seven points with two races at Perris, one tonight and the season finale Saturday. Clauson is the defending sprint car champion.
Covering All Motorsports. From Indianapolis to Le Mans, Daytona to Monaco.
