Scott Speed won Red Bull Global Rallycross‘ first visit to Indianapolis in dominant fashion, claiming victory in every race his competed in over the weekend at Lucas Oil Raceway.
The reigning double champion completed a clean sweep of three heat wins to add to his pole position, before going on to win his semi final and lead home his Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross team mate Tanner Foust two win for the second time this season in what was the team’s home town event.
Speed got off well in the final, leading Foust into the first corner while Steve Arpin applied pressure on the second-placed driver.
Chris Atkinson, who started on the front row of the grid alongside both VARX drivers made a poor start dropping him to the back of the grid. The Subaru driver then made contact with Sebastian Eriksson, sending the Swede into wild slide, although he was able to hold on.
By the second lap of the race Speed and Foust had disappeared out in front but a battle still remained for second place as Oliver Eriksson hounded Arpin for the final podium place.
Speed was never troubled for the win for the rest of the 10-lap race, with Arpin unable to overhaul Foust for second, making it a VARX one-two, their fourth of the year.
The result had even more significance because not only was it the team’s first event in their home town, but team boss Michael Andretti missed the IndyCar Series race in Iowa, the first race in the series he hasn’t attended since 1993, to be in Indianapolis.
Oliver Eriksson took his best result in Supercars to date with fourth, ahead of Austin Dyne who again found himself finishing in the top five.
Sebastian Eriksson recovered from his lap one moment to take sixth, ahead of the Subarus of Patrik Sandell and Atkinson.
Cabot Bigham was classified ninth after a spin into the wall at turn six on the fourth lap. Fellow Red Bull GRC Lites alumni Mitchell DeJong failed to compete in the final after he was sidelined by an electrical issue.
The result means that Speed moves ahead of Arpin in the championship. He sits 26 points behind leader Foust, while Mitchell DeJong maintains fourth despite his early exit in Indianapolis.
Like in Supercars, it was a team competing in their home race that won in Lites with Christian Brooks of Dreyer & Reinbold Racing leading home Cyril Raymond and Travis PeCoy for his first win of the season.
Scott Speed described Brooks’ drive in the Lites final as the “best drive from a Lites driver yet” – Credit: Louis Yio/Red Bull GRC
