2018 in motorsport

Last updated

The following is an overview of the events of 2018 in motorsport, including the major racing events, motorsport venues that were opened and closed during a year, championships and non-championship events that were established and disestablished in a year, and births and deaths of racing drivers and other motorsport people.

Contents

Annual events

The calendar includes only annual major non-championship events or annual events that had significance separate from the championship. For the dates of the championship events see related season articles.

DateEventRef
6–20 January 40th Dakar Rally [1]
27–28 January 56th 24 Hours of Daytona [2]
5–6 February 29th Race of Champions [3]
18 February 60th Daytona 500 [4]
17 March 66th 12 Hours of Sebring [5]
12–13 May 46th 24 Hours of Nürburgring [6]
27 May 76th Monaco Grand Prix [7]
102nd Indianapolis 500 [8]
26 May–8 June 100th Isle of Man TT [9]
16–17 June 86th 24 Hours of Le Mans [10]
28–29 July 70th 24 Hours of Spa [11]
7 October 61st Bathurst 1000 [12]
9–10 November 17th IFMAR 1:8 IC Off-Road World Championship [13]
18 November 65th Macau Grand Prix [14]

Established championships/events

First raceChampionshipRef
1 April TCR UK Touring Car Championship [15]
7 April GT4 Belgium [16]
8 April World Touring Car Cup [17]
22 April IFMAR 1:10 Electric Drifting World Cup [18]
3 June GT4 Nordic European Cup [19]
14 July F3 Asian Championship [20]
4 August F3 Americas Championship [21]
25 August TCR Korea Touring Car Championship [22]

Opened motorsport venues

DateVenueFirst eventRef
3 February Santiago Street Circuit Santiago ePrix [23]
14 April Circuto Cittadino dell'EUR Rome ePrix [24]

Deaths

DateMonthNameAgeNationalityOccupationNoteRef
13 January Erhard "Dallas" Mathiesen69SwedishSport administrator3rd president of IFMAR [25] [26]
14 Dan Gurney 86AmericanRacing driverWinner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans (1967) [27]
27 Jerry Sneva 68AmericanRacing driver 1977 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year [28]
10 March Ralf Waldmann 51GermanMotorcycle riderWinner of the 20 Grand Prix motorcycle racing events (125cc and 250cc). [29]
8 April John Miles 74BritishRacing driver [30]
28 James Hylton 83AmericanRacing driver [31]
10 June Tom "Mongo$e" McEwen 81American drag racer [32]
25 July Sergio Marchionne 66Italian-CanadianBusinessmanThe chief executive officer (CEO) of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, the chairman and CEO of FCA US LLC, the chairman and CEO of Ferrari, and the chairman of Maserati [33]
8 September Barrie "Whizzo" Williams 79BritishRacing driver [34]
11 Don Panoz 83AmericanEntrepreneurPanoz LLC, Élan Motorsport Technologies and American Le Mans Series founder [35]
23 Juan Marcos Angelini  [ es ]31ArgentineRacing driver Turismo Carretera driver [36]
3 November Mari Hulman George 83AmericanBusinesswomanChairperson of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway [37]
12 David Pearson 83AmericanRacing driverThree-time NASCAR Grand National Series champion [38]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raffaele Marciello</span> Swiss-born Italian racing driver

Raffaele "Lello" Marciello is a Swiss-born Italian professional racing driver. A former member of the Ferrari Driver Academy, he was the 2013 European Formula Three Champion, a reserve and test driver for the Sauber Formula One team in 2015, and spent three seasons competing in the GP2 Series. He switched to GT racing in 2017 and became a works Mercedes-AMG driver ahead of the 2018 campaign, where he stayed until leaving in 2023 and subsequently signing with BMW. In 2022, Marciello earned his first major endurance race victory by winning the Spa 24 Hours.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 FIA World Endurance Championship</span> 6th season of the World Endurance Championship

The 2017 FIA World Endurance Championship was the sixth season of the FIA World Endurance Championship, an auto racing series co-organised by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) and the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO). The series is open to Le Mans Prototypes and grand tourer-style racing cars divided into four categories. The season began at the Silverstone Circuit in April and will end at the Bahrain International Circuit in November, and include the 85th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. World championship titles will be awarded to the leading prototype drivers and manufacturers, while for the first time in the World Endurance Championship the leading grand touring drivers and manufacturers will also be awarded a world championship.

The 2017 GT Series Sprint Cup, known for sponsorship reasons as the 2017 Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup, was the fifth season of the GT Series Sprint Cup following on from the demise of the SRO Group's FIA GT1 World Championship, the fourth with the designation of Blancpain Sprint Series or Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup.

The 2017 Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup was the seventh season of the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup. The season began on 23 April at Monza and ended on 1 October in Barcelona. The season featured five rounds, with each race lasting for a duration of three hours besides the 24 Hours of Spa and the 1000 km Paul Ricard events.

The 2017 GT4 European Series Northern Cup was the tenth season of the GT4 European Series Northern Cup, a sports car championship created and organised by the Stéphane Ratel Organisation (SRO). It was the first season after it was renamed from GT4 European Series to GT4 European Series Northern Cup.

The 2017 European Le Mans Series season was the fourteenth season of the Automobile Club de l'Ouest's (ACO) European Le Mans Series. The six-event season began at Silverstone Circuit, in conjunction with the FIA World Endurance Championship, on 15 April and ended at Algarve International Circuit on 22 October.

The 2017 British GT Championship was the 25th British GT Championship, a sports car championship promoted by the Stéphane Ratel Organisation (SRO). The season began on 15 April at Oulton Park and finished on 24 September at Donington Park, after ten rounds held over seven meetings.

The 2017 Blancpain GT Series Asia was the inaugural season of SRO Motorsports Group and Team Asia One GT Management's Blancpain GT Series Asia, an auto racing series for grand tourer cars in Asia. The races were contested with GT3-spec and GT4-spec cars.

The 2018 IMSA SportsCar Championship was the 48th motor racing championship sanctioned by the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA). It was the fifth season of the United SportsCar Championship and third to be held under the name as the IMSA SportsCar Championship. It began on January 27 with the 24 Hours of Daytona, and ended on October 13 with the Petit Le Mans.

The 2018–19 FIA World Endurance Championship was the seventh season of the FIA World Endurance Championship, an auto racing series co-organised by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) and the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO). The series is open to Le Mans Prototypes and grand tourer-style racing cars divided into four categories. The season marked the first move to a winter schedule for the championship, with the season starting at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in May 2018 and concluding at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June 2019. World championship titles were awarded for LMP drivers, GTE drivers, LMP1 teams and GTE manufacturers.

The 2018 Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup was the eighth season of the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup. The season began on 22 April at Monza and ended on 30 September in Barcelona. The season featured five rounds, with each race lasting for a duration of three hours besides the 24 Hours of Spa and the 1000 km Paul Ricard events.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 European Le Mans Series</span>

The 2018 European Le Mans Series was the fifteenth season of the Automobile Club de l'Ouest's (ACO) European Le Mans Series. The six-event season began at Circuit Paul Ricard on 15 April and finished at Algarve International Circuit on 28 October. The series is open to Le Mans Prototypes, divided into the LMP2 and LMP3 classes, and grand tourer-style racing cars in the LMGTE class.

The 2018 British GT Championship was the 26th British GT Championship, a sports car championship promoted by the Stéphane Ratel Organisation (SRO). The season began on 31 March at Oulton Park and finished on 23 September at Donington Park, after nine rounds held over seven meetings.

The 2019 Michelin Pilot Challenge is the twentieth season of the IMSA SportsCar Challenge and the sixth season organized by the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA). Michelin is set to become the new official tire supplier of the series, following the departure of Continental Tire at the end of 2018.

The 2019–20 FIA World Endurance Championship was the eighth season of the FIA World Endurance Championship, an auto racing series co-organised by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) and the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO). The series is open to Le Mans Prototypes and grand tourer-style racing cars divided into four categories. World Championship titles were awarded for LMP drivers, LMP1 teams, GTE drivers and GTE manufacturers. With the new winter scheduling format, the series began at Silverstone Circuit in September 2019 and ended with the 2020 8 Hours of Bahrain in November 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 FIA GT Nations Cup</span>

The 2018 FIA GT Nations Cup was the first edition of the FIA GT Nations Cup held at Bahrain International Circuit on 1 December 2018. The race was contested with GT3-spec cars. Only Silver and Bronze drivers were allowed to compete. The event promoters were the Bahrain Motorsport Federation (BMF) and the Stéphane Ratel Organisation (SRO). For the following year the event was reformatted as the multi-discipline FIA Motorsport Games.

The 2022 Pirelli GT4 America Series is the fourth season of the GT4 America Series. The season began on April 15 at Sonoma Raceway and will end on October 9 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The 2022 Michelin Pilot Challenge was the twenty-third season of the IMSA SportsCar Challenge and the ninth season organized by the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA). The season began on January 27 at Daytona International Speedway and concluded on October 1 at Road Atlanta. This season also saw the return of former IndyCar driver Robert Wickens after his horrific accident at the 2018 ABC Supply 500 left him as a paraplegic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harry Gottsacker</span> American racing driver

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Stevan Gordon McAleer is a British racing driver who competes in the IMSA SportsCar Championship, GT World Challenge Europe, and Michelin Pilot Challenge.

References

  1. ↑ "Dakar Rally 2018: Carlos Sainz wins race for second time". bbc.com. BBC. 20 January 2018. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
  2. ↑ "Action Express Breaks Distance Record En Route To Third Rolex 24 Win". dailysportscar.com. Dailysportscar. 28 January 2018. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
  3. ↑ Perez, Jerry (6 February 2018). "David Coulthard Dominates the 2018 Race of Champions". thedrive.com. The Drive. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
  4. ↑ Rodgers, Joe (8 February 2018). "2018 Daytona 500: Entry list, date, time, TV schedule for Speedweeks". sportingnews.com. Sporting News Media. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
  5. ↑ "2018 IMSA WeatherTech Championship, CTSC Schedules Released". frontstretch.com. 4 August 2017. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  6. ↑ Goodwin, Graham (7 August 2017). "2018 Nürburgring 24 Hours Dates Confirmed". dailysportscar.com. Dailysportscar. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
  7. ↑ "FIA announces World Motor Sport Council decisions". Federation Internationale de l'Automobile . 2017-12-06. Archived from the original on 2017-12-07. Retrieved 2017-12-09.
  8. ↑ "2018 Indianapolis 500 Event Schedule". Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
  9. ↑ "2018 Isle of Man TT Schedule Calendar Remains Unchanged". ultimatemotorcycling.com. 20 November 2017. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
  10. ↑ "The FIA World Motor Sport Council approves the dates for the 2018 24 Hours of Le Mans | ACO - Automobile Club de l'Ouest". Lemans.org. 19 June 2017. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
  11. ↑ Kilshaw, Jake (17 September 2017). "Silverstone Race Moved to Avoid N24 Clash". sportscar365. John Dagys Media. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
  12. ↑ "Bathurst 1000 2018: results, Craig Lowndes wins seventh with Steven Richards at Mount Panorama | Fox Sports". www.foxsports.com.au. 7 October 2018. Retrieved 2018-11-30.
  13. ↑ "Ongaro crowned World Champion Down under". Red RC. Archived from the original on 2018-11-14. Retrieved 2019-11-09.
  14. ↑ "Macau Grand Prix". en.macaotourism.gov.mo. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
  15. ↑ Hudson, Neil (13 September 2017). "TCR UK unveils seven-event calendar for its first season". TouringCarTimes.com. Mediaempire Stockholm AB. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  16. ↑ Kilshaw, Jake (15 December 2017). "SRO Launches Nordic, Central, Belgian GT4 Cups". sportscar365. John Dagys Media. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  17. ↑ "Inaugural WTCR calendar announced, Suzuka added". Motorsport.com. 22 December 2017. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
  18. ↑ "IFMAR Drift World Cup - Stage 1 Report". www.liverc.com. Retrieved 2019-11-15.
  19. ↑ Kilshaw, Jake (15 December 2017). "SRO Launches Nordic, Central, Belgian GT4 Cups". sportscar365. John Dagys Media. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
  20. ↑ "Asia to host FIA-Certified F3 Championship in 2018". Speedcafe.com. 27 January 2018. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  21. ↑ "First F3 Americas Entry Confirmed for Keystone Speedfest". F3 Americas Championship. Retrieved 2018-09-19.
  22. ↑ "TCR Korea unveils provisional calendar". TouringCarTimes.com. 5 February 2018. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  23. ↑ "Guide: Welcome to the 2018 Antofagasta Minerals E-Prix – Formula E". www.fiaformulae.com. FIA Formula E. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  24. ↑ "Formula E ready for Rome". fiaformulae.com. 12 February 2018.
  25. ↑ "RIP Dallas Mathiesen, 1948-2018". www.liverc.com. Retrieved 2019-11-20.
  26. ↑ "Dallas Mathiesen Obituary" (PDF). ifmar.org. 2018. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
  27. ↑ Litsky, Frank (15 January 2018). "Dan Gurney, Driver and Builder of Racecars, Is Dead at 86". The New York Times .
  28. ↑ Miller, Robin (29 January 2018). "Jerry Sneva, 1949-2018". Racer.com . Racer Media & Marketing, Inc. Archived from the original on 2018-01-31. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  29. ↑ Bradley, Charles (27 April 2018). "Grand Prix motorcycling star Ralf Waldmann dies". motorsport.com . Motorsport Network . Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  30. ↑ Jenkins, Richard (9 April 2018). "The World Championship drivers – Where are they now?". OldRacingCars.com. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  31. ↑ "NASCAR driver James Hylton dies in highway accident".
  32. ↑ National Hot Rod Association, Legendary Top Fuel and Funny Car racer Tom "the Mongoose" McEwen passes away, NHRA Staff, 11 June 2018, Retrieved Jun. 11, 2018.
  33. ↑ Di Paolo Griseri (25 July 2018). "E' morto Sergio Marchionne, l'uomo che salvò l'auto italiana". Repubblica.it. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
  34. ↑ "Obituary: Versatile ace and historic racer Barrie 'Whizzo' Williams". www.autosport.com. Retrieved 2021-03-05.
  35. ↑ Dagys, John (11 September 2018). "OBITUARYDon Panoz Passes Away at 83". sportscar365.com. John Dagys Media, LLC. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
  36. ↑ "La muerte de Juan Marcos Angelini: las fotos de la avioneta tras el accidente - TN.com.ar". Todo Noticias (in Spanish). 2018-09-24. Retrieved 2019-11-20.
  37. ↑ Speedway, Indianapolis Motor. "IMS Chairman of the Board Emeritus Mari Hulman George Dies at 83". www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com. Retrieved 2019-11-20.
  38. ↑ "David Pearson, NASCAR's Silver Fox, has died at 83". Associated Press . November 13, 2018. Retrieved November 13, 2018.
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