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Sarni Motorsports Update
Racing News

August 15, 2024

MotoGP is back in action this weekend at the Red Bull Ring in Austria. INDYCAR is in Illinois and MotoAmerica visits Mid-Ohio for the first time in 10 years. We preview this weekend's races below.


Last weekend the Superbike World Championship raced at Portugal's Rollercoaster. Turkey's Toprak Razgatlioglu made history. Read on for coverage.


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For more news, visit the home page of SARNIMOTORSPORTS.


Jay Geils Memorial TV Links:

Saturday, August 17th: MotoGP - Austria Sprint 8:30 AM ET TRUTV

MotoAmerica - Mid-Ohio Superbike Race 1 3:00 PM ET MAVTV

MotoAmerica - Mid-Ohio King of the Baggers Race 1 4:00 PM ET MAVTV

INDYCAR - Illinois The Bommarito 500 6:30 PM ET USA

Sunday, August 18th: MotoGP Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich 7:30 AM ET TRUTV

Mid-Ohio Superbike Race 2 3:00 PM ET MAVTV

Mid-Ohio King of the Baggers Race 2 4:00 PM ET MAVTV


ENJOY YOUR RACE WEEKEND!

MOTOGP - This Sunday MotoGP is at the Red Bull Ring for the Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich.

Earlier today Trackhouse Racing released news from their Concord, North Carolina base that they have signed young Japanese rider Ai Ogura for 2025. He will team with Raul Fernandez, who is already confirmed for 2025.


Ogura is currently in contention for the Moto2 World Championship, currently 2nd place in the standings with two wins so far this season. Trackhouse Team Principal, Davide Brivio and Team Owner Justin Marks' ambition is to make Trackhouse Racing a destination for rising talent and create the opportunity for success on the racetrack.


Together with current rider, Raul Fernandez, Trackhouse Racing will run two young, ambitious, talents on the same Aprilia RS-GP motorcycles as the Aprilia Racing Factory team.


Miguel Oliveira will leave the team at the conclusion of the 2024 season. The Portuguese rider has started 94 premier class Grand Prix races to date and taken 5 wins since his MotoGP debut in 2019. He is rumored to be in serious discussions with Yamaha.

Oliveira Headshot

Miguel Oliveira is Moving On. Again

Ai Ogura: “First, I would like to say thanks to all the people who are part of this project and everybody who supported me. Of course, this is the dream! The final step to take. MotoGP is the maximum level you can have, so I’m obviously really happy to make it there. I’m very happy to be able to race in the top class and I can’t wait to do it together with Trackhouse Racing MotoGP Team. I can see that the team is really competitive and the bike is very strong and as a rider my job is doing what I can with everything I have. It’s always the same mentality but I’m very happy to be part of Trackhouse and make this step up to MotoGP with them - I’m just looking forward to start 2025. Now I have to think about the Moto2 World Championship. I’ll try to finish this year the best way I can and arrive well prepared in 2025. Thank you everybody and see you next year!“


Entering the Red Bull Ring, just 3 points separate Prima Pramac Racing's Jorge Martin and Lenovo Ducati's Francesco Bagnaia. Pecco's teammate Enea Bastianini took the double wins at the last round in Silverstone and mitigated the damage to Bagnaia's off weekend.


Bastianini is now P3 in the championship and wants to keep his momentum going on a circuit that has favored Ducati. Meanwhile Marc Marquez is 13 points behind the Beast and wants to prove a point, that Ducati has made the right decision by replacing Bastianini with the Spaniard alongside Pecco Bagnaia in 2025.


Aprilia Racing's Maverick Viñales is the only non-Ducati rider in the top five of the World Championship. This hasn't been a particularly kind circuit to the bike builder from Noale, Italy. They have never reached the podium at the Red Bull Ring. But they increase their chances this weekend by adding test rider Lorenzo Savadori as their Austrian Wildcard entry. The retiring Aleix Espargaro was on the British Sprint Race podium, from his pole start and is riding like there is no tomorrow. Or at least no next year.


This Sunday is the Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich from the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Austria. The broadcast can be seen in the States on truTV at 7:30 AM Eastern. Saturday's Sprint race is at 8:30 AM ET, also on truTV.

Alboreto: Gasoline in the Veins - The story about the man who grew up to realize his childhood dream of driving a Formula 1 car for Enzo Ferrari is now available once more in the United States. Alboreto: Gasoline in the Veins is written by Michele Alboreto's brother Ermanno and details his early years and rise through the racing ranks. It also tells about his character outside the car and that is the contribution that we are most proud to be associated with. It began with an interview during Michele's Indy car career and a request to use it in his life story. We also contributed interviews with his teammates and racing legends like Giacomo Agostini. Listen to that interview HERE. For ordering info, reply to this update for details. There are a limited number of copies here in America, you will save international shipping prices by getting your copy right here. Visit the Facebook page HERE.

WORLDSBK - Toprak Razgatlioglu continued unbeatable at the Pirelli Portuguese Round last weekend. Another triple win weekend; his third in a row and record 13 straight WorldSBK victories.

His main protagonist in Portimão seemed to be Danilo Petrucci, but the veteran Ducati man's health is still less than 100%.


In Race 1 Saturday Petrux led early, but could not sustain the pace and was passed by both Toprak and Alvaro Bautista. It was Alvaro's 100th WorldSBK podium, taking P2 over Petrucci by just 0.670s at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve.


Toprak Razgatlioglu Saturday win made him the third rider in WorldSBK history to win 11 races in a row. His run of success stretches back to the Dutch Round at Assen. He set himself up for his history-making success on Sunday in the Algarve.


After Saturday's Race 1, Danilo Petrucci was clearly happy with his progression back from his significant training injuries earlier this year.


Danilo Petrucci: “This was a really nice race! I’ve led a WorldSBK race for the first time and it’s something I’ve been trying to do for a while! During the race I was pushing at 90% because I knew it would be impossible to follow Toprak. I had a bit left at the end but Alvaro was a bit faster in the corners. It’s a podium though and that’s always nice. I want to say thanks to my crew because I really had a good bike today.”

Toprak Petrucci

Danilo Petrucci Challenged Toprak Razgatlioglu

On Sunday, Toprak Razgatlioglu made WorldSBK history by winning his 12th consecutive race. The ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team rider was one of the few front runners to use the harder rear tire during the shorter 10 lap race but took the lead at Turn 1 on Lap 2 and was never challenged thereafter. Razgatlioglu held a comfortable three second lead by the time he took the flag and celebrated his milestone victory.


It was another strong showing for Barni Spark Racin's Danilo Petrucci, who took a first career Superpole Race podium. KRT's Alex Lowes was able to surprise Toprak's teammate Michael van der Mark at Turn 8 and held off his former teammate to the line by just 0.021s.


In Sunday's Race 2, Toprak built on his win streak, but it was a challenging race. A clash with Alex Lowes on Lap 6 saw the right wing ripped off the BMW. With the balance of his bike changed Razgatlioglu struggled in the longer corners and was under attack from Bautista and Bulega.


Bautista was the closest challenger but the Spaniard crashed at Turn 5 on Lap 15. Having been able to set the fastest lap of the race the Ducati rider was charging and chasing down Razgatlioglu’s lead. Having taken the lead Razgatlioglu shot back at Turn 4 before Bautista’s mistake. The double World Champion was chasing his first win since the Superpole Race at Assen. The Ducati star remounted but finished outside the points.


Bulega continued his run of finishing on the podium at every round this season. The reigning WorldSSP champion started from fifth position on the grid but dropped to sixth position at one third distance before recovering through the leading group to get into the podium positions at half distance. After Bautista’s crash it was Bulega’s turn to carry the baton for Ducati and while he led the race he wasn’t able to claim the win. Just 0.035s separated Bulega from a second win of the season.


Alex Lowes led three laps and was running comfortably in fourth position when Bautista crashed. Elevated to the podium he opened a gap of 2.5s to Team GoEleven's Andrea Iannone at the flag.


In the championsh,ip Razgatlioglu holds a 92 point lead from Bulega with Bautista a further ten points adrift. BMW leads the manufacturers standings by 20 points from Ducati.


Toprak Razgatlioglu: “This race was very difficult. It wasn’t easy to ride with the strong wind but I kept fighting. In the last sector I was struggling and I was always slower in the last corner. I gave it everything, and we won again. This is my 13th win in a row and my 54th in total. I’m very happy after today. It’s been an incredible weekend for me and the team. Everybody is working very hard and we want to continue like this for the next race in Magny-Cours!”


The MOTUL French Round is on September 6th - 8th.


MOTOAMERICA - This weekend, the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course hosts AMA races for the first time since July of 2014. This weekend's Permco MotoAmerica Superbikes at Mid-Ohio will be a first visit for MotoAmerica at the natural terrain road course in Lexington, Ohio.


Josh Herrin arrives at Mid-Ohio as the leader of the 2024 MotoAmerica Steel Commander Superbike Championship. Rounds at Circuit of The Americas and New Jersey Motorsports Park follow this weekend's seventh round at Mid-Ohio.


Herrin, the 2013 AMA Superbike Champion, is atop the standings but this championship is far from over as he has several rivals nipping at his heels. There are 46 points separating the top five in the point standings with three rounds and seven races left to run in the fight for the title.


With three wins and four additional podium finishes, Herrin and his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R lead the Steel Commander Superbike Championship by 15 points over Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne. The three-time and defending champion is in contention for the title despite painful arm pump issues.


Gagne has just a single race win but he has scored points in each and every round, including four additional podium finishes to go with his lone victory.

Herrin Road America

Herrin Wants To Continue at the Front at Mid-Ohio

 

Just eight points behind Gagne and 23 behind Herrin is Wrench Motorcycles’ Bobby Fong. The 2019 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion’s double win at Brainerd International Raceway put him atop the standings heading into the Ridge Motorsports Park round. It was there, however, that Fong faltered in race one when he chose to use slicks when he needed rain tires, and that miscue was followed by a crash in race one at Laguna Seca. Still, the Californian is having his best Superbike season yet and is still very much in the hunt for the 2024 title.

 

Gagne’s teammate Cameron Petersen is also in the midst of his finest Superbike season as he sits fourth and just four points behind Fong with three victories. The South African’s scorecard, however, has been marred by a crash in race three at Barber Motorsports Park, and mechanical failures at both Road America and Laguna Seca.

 

Fifth in the championship is Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Cameron Beaubier, the winningest Superbike rider thus far in 2023. Five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Beaubier is 46 points behind Herrin after not scoring points in five races. The Californian won three of the first five races before suffering an injury that kept him on the sidelines for three races. Beaubier got back to his winning ways at Laguna Seca with a victory and a close second to Herrin in Race 2.

 

Herrin’s Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati teammate Loris Baz and EasyHealthPlans.com/TopPro Racing’s Sean Dylan Kelly are separated by six points with Baz sixth and Kelly seventh. Kelly is coming off a solid weekend at Laguna Seca where he finished fourth in Race 1 and battled for victory before getting a close third (behind Herrin and Beaubier) in Race 2. Baz, however, was disappointed with his two sixth-place finishes at Laguna, a track he calls one of his favorites.

 

Beaubier’s teammate JD Beach sits eighth in the championship and arrives in Ohio hot off his two victories in the American Flat Track (AFT) races in South Dakota – the Black Hills Half-Mile and the Sturgis TT.

 

Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Brandon Paasch and his fill-in teammate Xavi Forés are ninth and 10th in the title chase, respectively, but Forés will be handing the team’s Suzuki GSX-R1000R back to team regular Richie Escalante, who was injured in the opening round at Road Atlanta and will make his return to racing at Mid-Ohio.


This is a home round for Rahal Ducati Moto and the Supersport team is hosting events throughout race week. Last night in Cleveland they hosted a bike night at Rahal Ducati Cleveland. On Sunday and Monday it's the Ducati Revs Ohio Experience.


On August 18th & 19th, riders can take to the newly-repaved Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course at Ducati Revs. Riders will have the opportunity to ride along with Rahal Ducati Moto riders Corey Alexander and Kayla Yaakov for a unique learning experience.


Participants, enjoy VIP experiences with coaching from Ducati factory team riders. Sunday MotoAmerica tickets are included for all participants. Sunday night after the Moto America races will feature a track walk with the stars - featuring insights from the factory Ducati pilots racing in Supersport and Superbike. Tickets and info HERE.


MotoAmerica is at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Saturday, August 17th and Sunday the 18th. MAVTV has the Superbike races at 3:00 PM Eastern each day. The King of the Baggers Mid-Ohio races follow the Superbike broadcasts each day on the same channel.

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FORMULA 1 - With the Dutch Grand Prix more than a week away, it is a great time to think about what has transpired before the summer break. Things started out in 2024 where they had left off after the last three seasons, with a dominant Red Bull Racing team, led by three-time World Champion Max Verstappen. But suddenly, in the last three races, things have changed.


Max won the first two races, before Carlos Sainz took the Australian Grand Prix. Verstappen then won two more, before Lando Norris won his first GP in Miami.


Red Bull bounced back at Imola, with Verstappen spraying the Ferrari Brut in Italy. Charles Leclerc then won his home GP in Monaco, before Verstappen reeled off another two wins in Canada and Spain. That was his last win; June 24th, almost two months ago. Since then it has been three wins for Mercedes, with Hamilton scoring two after Russell's DQ in Belgium.


Throw in another McLaren win, with Australia's Oscar Piastri climbing the top step of the podium for the first time in Hungary and here we are. Things are changing. Seven season wins still has Max Verstappen in the lead of the Drivers' World Championship, but his 2024 title is no longer a foregone conclusion. Verstappen has a 78 point gap between himself and Lando Norris. Can he turn the tide in his home grand prix?

Norris Miami Win

Watch Out For Lando

Charles Leclerc is P3 in the title hunt, some 100 points adrift of Max Verstappen. Oscar Piastri trails Leclerc by 10 points.

 

The Constructors' Championship sees McLaren behind Red Bull by 42 points. Ferrari is in P3 19 points behind McLaren, with Mercedes trailing Ferrari by 81 points.


After the Belgian Grand Prix, another Red Bull sailor abandoned ship. Jonathan Wheatley signed on with the Audi/Kick Sauber project,. This follows the departure of Adrian Newey, who also leaves Red Bull behind. There is acrimony and discord in the team and it is starting to show in race results.

On the other side of the coin at McLaren, with success comes rewards. At the start of the break McLaren Racing announced a multi-year extension of Andrea Stella’s contract as the McLaren Formula 1 Team Principal.


Andrea started his career at Ferrari, working as Performance Engineer for Michael Schumacher and Kimi Räikkönen and then as Race Engineer for Räikkönen and Fernando Alonso during his 15-year tenure at the Scuderia.


Stella joined McLaren in 2025. Prior to his Team Principal role, Andrea worked as Head of Race Operations and Performance Director, before being promoted to Executive Director, Racing in 2019. 


McLaren F1 Team Principal Andrea Stella: "It’s a privilege to be part of the McLaren Formula 1 team, and I am honored to continue in my role as Team Principal. We’ve made great strides forward in the past year and a half and we still have a lot more work to do to consistently fight at the front of the grid, which poses an exciting challenge. Success comes through the Team working in synergy, and I am enjoying my role, which has allowed me to help unlock individual talent and empower people to work together towards our Team’s objectives. 


"My thanks go to Zak for his confidence in me as a leader, to my entire leadership team and all my colleagues in the Team, for their continued collaboration and support. I am excited for what we can continue to achieve together."


The Formula 1 Heineken Dutch Grand Prix is on Sunday, August 25th. The US broadcast is at 8:55 AM ET on ESPN. We're looking forward to our Dutch Baby breakfast.

INDYCAR - On Saturday night, INDYCAR Returns from their Olympic break at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison Illinois for the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline. The race runs 260 laps on the 1.25-mile oval, for a race distance of 325 miles.

 

Alex Palou leads the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship with five races to go for the third time in his INDYCAR SERIES career. He also led the 2021 and 2023 championships with five races to go, winning the title in each of those seasons. Palou, who has led the point standings after seven of the 12 rounds this season, took the point lead at the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey in June.


Since 2008, the championship leader with five races to go has won the championship nine times.

Palou Corkscrew

Alex Palou Has Three Wins in 2024


Katherine Legge is returning to the No. 51 e.l.f. Cosmetics Honda fielded by Dale Coyne Racing for the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline.


Legge, from England, will make her fourth NTT INDYCAR SERIES start this season for DCR – all on ovals – as teammate to Jack Harvey in the No. 18 INVST Honda. She began her season in the 108th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and then competed in both races of the Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend last month at Iowa Speedway. She finished a season-best 17th in the second race at Iowa.


It was announced yesterday that Conor Daly will join Juncos Hollinger Racing to drive its No. 78 Chevrolet for the five remaining races of the 2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season, starting this Saturday night at World Wide Technology Raceway.


Daly replaces Agustin Canapino, who was released last week by the team. The signing marks a reunion with JHR and team co-owner Ricardo Juncos for Daly, who won the 2010 Star Mazda Championship with Juncos Racing in 2010 with seven wins in 13 races.


This will be the third team for which Daly has raced this season in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. He finished 10th after starting 29th in the 108th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing/Cusick Motorsports and replaced the injured Jack Harvey in the second race of the Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend in July for Dale Coyne Racing.


Daly, 32, has made 110 INDYCAR SERIES starts for 10 teams since his debut in 2013. His best finish is second in 2016 at Detroit (Belle Isle), and he has one career pole, in 2020 at Iowa Speedway.


AJ Foyt Racing has signed David Malukas to drive one of the team's Chevrolet-powered cars in a multiyear deal starting with the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season. Malukas, who turns 23 in September, was forced to sit out the beginning of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES season when he sustained torn ligaments in his left wrist from a mountain bike accident. Requiring several months to heal, Malukas returned to action in June, driving Meyer Shank Racing's No. 66 entry. Impressive in his return, he has qualified in the top 12 in four of his last five races. AJ Foyt Racing did not indicate the 2025 status of its two drivers this season, Santino Ferrucci and Sting Ray Robb.


The 13th race of the 17-race season will be the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline at World Wide Technology on Saturday night August 17th. The broadcast will be on USA at 6:30 PM Eastern.


FORMULA E - On Wednesday, August 14th, Porsche announced that it has signed Nico Müller as a new works driver. In the upcoming eleventh season of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, the 32-year-old Swiss-born driver will line up for Andretti Formula E. This sees Porsche further expand its program in the electric world championship and extend its customer support.


Müller joins three of the most successful drivers in the field of late: his new teammate and 2022/2023 World Champion Jake Dennis, as well as reigning World Champion Pascal Wehrlein and António Félix da Costa as the driver with the most wins last season (both from the works TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team). Whether and in which other racing series Nico Müller will compete for Porsche Motorsport is currently being planned and will be announced at a later date.

Nico Müller

Nico Müller Porsche Factory Driver

Nico Müller has plenty of experience in Formula E. He has been competing in the electric racing series since the 2019/2020 season and has sat out only the 2021/2022 season. In the most recent racing season, he achieved his best result to date with twelfth place overall for the Abt Cupra Formula E Team. With the Porsche 99X Electric, he will now be driving the world championship winning car of the past two years.


Nico Müller: “Being a Porsche works driver is a childhood dream come true for me. When I first came into contact with Porsche, I immediately realized: this is something very special. As a racing driver, Porsche is the brand you look up to. To be able to represent Porsche now is a great honor that fills me with a great deal of pride.”

FIA WEC - The entry list for the Round 6 of the FIA World Endurance Championship - the Lone Star Le Mans on August 30th – September 1st, has been revealed.


One of the most notable changes is the addition of Ben Keating to the No. 88 Proton Competition Ford Mustang LMGT3 car. The American will replace regular Bronze driver Giorgio Roda.


Keating hails from Texas and operates his auto dealership field out of the state so he'll be a favorite with the home fans. He is a double LMGTE Am champion in WEC but this year has been focused on his IMSA program.

Proton Mustang

Ben Keating Will Wheel the Proton Mustang at COTA

Alongside Keating, there will be two other American drivers for the home fans to support including Ian James – owner and driver of the Heart of Racing Team’s Aston Martin Vantage AMR LMGT3. The No. 77 Proton Competition entry also features American Ryan Hardwick in its lineup.


There will also be three American manufacturers competing across Hypercar and LMGT3 as Cadillac, Corvette and Ford all line up on the starting grid. Supporting the WEC over the weekend, will be the Mustang Challenge and Lamborghini Super Trofeo series.

In Hypercar, the only change to the entry list is the addition of a third driver for Proton Competition. The privately-run No. 99 Porsche 963 entry will welcome back Britain’s Harry Tincknell who skipped the previous round in Brazil due to other race commitments.


Check out the FIA WEC entry list for LONE STAR LE MANS.


The FIA WEC season is on summer break before the championship returns to the USA for Round 6 of the season, the Lone Star Le Mans at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas runs from August 30th – September 1st.

IMSA WTSC - There's one thing about IMSA. they keep you guessing. At last count, to our recollection, there are four separate classes in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Then, races are divided into two different championships; for endurance and sprint races.


Next weekend's Michelin GT Challenge at VIRginia International Raceway, includes just, you guessed it, the two GT classes in the series.


The GT classes of the WeatherTech Championship are made up of FIA GT3-specification homologated cars, which headline the race weekend at VIR. It’s the only time they’ll race without at least one prototype class this season.


Antonio Garcia and Tommy Milner, part of the Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports team, are the leaders in VIR race wins among those entered for this year’s race. Garcia, who shares the No. 3 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R with Alexander Sims, is a four-time VIR winner including last year in GTD PRO. Milner, who rides with Nicky Catsburg in the No. 4 Corvette, has three VIR victories, the last coming in 2021 in the former GTLM class.

Corvette Long Beach

Corvette Racing Ready For VIR

Twenty-three cars are on the pre-event entry list, nine in GTD PRO and 14 in GTD. The Michelin GT Challenge is the eighth race of the season for the two classes, with only endurance events at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta remaining after this. The class leaders – the No. 77 AO Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R in GTD PRO and the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 in GTD – will be looking to solidify their positions while the remaining competitors look to close the gap at VIR.


The points leaders in both GT classes have built their advantages with mostly consistent strong performances across the season. The No. 77 AO Porsche sits atop the GTD PRO field by 76 points on the strength of two wins and just one result lower than sixth place.


The No. 57 Winward Mercedes leads in GTD by 268 points, with four class wins. With just three races remaining starting at VIR, challengers in both classes need to begin whittling away those deficits.


With three podium finishes in the past four races, including a win at Watkins Glen International, the No. 23 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 has advanced from fourth place to second in the GTD PRO standings. Heart of Racing co-drivers Ross Gunn and Alex Riberas look to continue closing on the class-leading AO Porsche at VIR.


Since opening the season with a pair of subpar results, Robby Foley and Patrick Gallagher have put together a string of five straight GTD finishes of fifth place or better, including a win August 4th at Road America. It’s moved the No. 96 BMW into second place in the class standings, eight positions better than they were after Sebring in March.


The Michelin GT Challenge at VIRginia International Raceway runs from August 23rd - 25th. The race is on USA Sunday, August 25th at Noon ET.