Autoweek's top-10 motorsports stories of 2018

The 2018 year in motorsports will be remembered for three legendary champions who added to their legacies, a tragic accident and for an electric car that conquered a mountain. From Scott Dixon to the tragic story of Robert Wickens to Volkswagen's historic run up Pikes Peak, here's a look at some of what kept Autoweek's motorsports staff talking during the past 12 months. Here's our top-10 stories of 2018: 1-Scott Dixon sets IndyCar sights on A.J. FoytDixon captured his fifth IndyCar championship to move into second place on the all-time list behind A.J. Foyt's seven titles. Dixon's season included three wins and an impressive nine podium finishes in 17 races.  

 

2-Lewis Hamilton closes in on Michael SchumacherLewis Hamilton successfully defended his Formula 1 championship, winning his fifth career title, and moved into a tie with Juan Manuel Fangio for second place on the all-time F1 list behind just Michael Schumacher's seven championships. Along the way, Hamilton tied a personal best with 11 wins in the season, giving him 73 — just 18 shy of Schumacher's all-time mark. He also won 11 poles to give him 83 and extend his all-time record. 

 

3-Volkswagen I.D.R at Pikes PeakVolkswagen and driver Romain Dumas put the latest exclamation point on electric vehicle technology when it's Volkswagen I.D. R conqured the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in June like none other had done before, covering the course in a blistering 7 minutes, 57.148 seconds. The record time was good for first overall and beat the previous electric car record of 8:57.118 set in 2016.

 

4-Robert Wickens' tragedyTragedy struck the IndyCar Series on August 19 when up-and-coming star Robert Wickens' car launched into a catch fence during a race a Pocono. Wickens suffered severe injuring including fractures to his spinal cord and neck that left the driver paralyzed from the waist down. Wickens, a 29-year-old IndyCar rookie, made 14 starts in 2018 and reached the podium four times.

5-Steve Torrence reaches NHRA heightsSteve Torrence, a 35-year-old cancer and heart attack survivor, wins every round of all six Countdown playoff races to score a dominating NHRA Top Fuel championship. It's the first time a driver had swept though the NHRA playoffs undefeated. For Torrence, it was his first NHRA championship.

6-Joey Logano stands alone with NASCAR Cup titleJoey Logano won just one race in NASCAR's regular season but got hot at the right time in winning twice in the Playoffs. One of those playoff wins came when it mattered most, as he held off fellow Championship 4 qualifiers Martin Truex Jr., Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch in the finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway to win the race and his first Cup championship. The championship was also the second in the NASCAR Cup Series for team owne Roger Penske, who last won with Brad Keselowski in 2012. 

 

7-Streaks over for Jimmie Johnson and Denny HamlinJimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin likely can't wait to turn the page to 2019 after the two completed winless seasons for the first time in their Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series careers. Johnson had won at at least one Cup race dating back to 2002, while Hamlin's winning streak dated back to 2006. Johnson's season also included the loss of longtime sponsor Lowe's, which will not be returning in 2019. Both drivers will also have ne crew chiefs in 2019.

8-Brian France's summerThe embarrassing sacking of Brian France from the NASCAR management team after his highly publicized charge of DUI and possession of oxycondone on Long Island while his corporation was racing at Watkins Glen in August. France, the grandson of the late NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. and son of the late Bill France, the company's long-time president, was NASCAR's CEO until he took what executives called "a leave of absence." He has pleaded not guilty to all charges, but has not returned to any visable role with NASCAR.

9-Sebastien Ogier is king of WRCSebastien Ogier made it six championships in a row in the World Rally Championship to move to within three titles of all-time WRC recordholder Sebastien Loeb. Along the way, Ogier one four times for the M-Sport Ford team. In 2019, Ogier moves to Citroen as he hopes to continue his run.

10-Tanner Gray is one and done in NHRA  Tanner Gray, at 19, became the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series' youngest champion, winning the Pro Stock division. Gray won't be looking to build on that success at the NHRA level anytime soon, however, as he plans to move to NASCAR in 2019.  Other highlights from the year 2018: Champions the racing world lost in the past year included Le Mans 24 winner and master-of-all things racing Dan Gurney, NASCAR's second all-time winningest driver David Pearson, 1987 NHRA Funny Car champion Dick LaHaie, one of the NHRA all-time characters Tom "Mongoose" McEwen and IndyCar master tuner Morris "Mo" Nunn … Formula 1 breaks out the Halo driver cockpit driver safety device. It gets tested at Spa when Charles Leclerc is saved from possible serious injury as Fernando Alonso's car is deflected from Leclerc's head by the Halo …  Fernando Alonso retires from F1 to pursue championships in the WEC and an unknown future in other racing dicsiplines … Alexander Rossi finishes second in the championship emerges as a bona fide star and future champion contender in IndyCar … James Hinchcliffe — named IndyCar's Most Popular Driver at season's end — fails to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 … Furniture Row Racing, which won the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup championship with driver Martin Truex Jr., announces that it is closing its doors at the end of 2018 due to lack of sponsors … The World Endurance Championship announced hypercar concepts for the future of the WEC and 24 Hours of Le Mans … Will Power wins his first Indianapolis 500 and gives team owner Roger Penske a 17th Indy 500 win … IMSA struggles to find a workable balance of performance between the LMP2 and Daytona DPi cars and announces that the two classes will once again be separated in 2019 … Top Fuel driver Terry McMillen, at 64 years old, shocked the field and won the Chevrolet Performance NHRA U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis … The ABB FIA Formula E series kicked off its fifth season in December — and this time without mid-race car changes needed in the first four seasons. António Félix da Costa got the win in the Formula E opener in 46 minutes, 29 seconds, and one charge.

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