Pancrase 304 Results

Live from Shinbika Studio Coast, commentated by Stewart Fulton and Guy Delumaeu, let’s look at how Pancrase 304 went down.

Preliminary Card:

Bout 1: Tatsuki Ozaki vs. Ryuji Abe (2019 Neo Blood Tournament First Round Strawweight) (3×3)

The first bout of the evening was Tatsuki Ozaki versus Ryuji Abe in the first round of the Neo Blood strawweight Tournament. Abe landed a takedown after a minute of standup. Ozaki landed some elbows to the head while being pinned up against the cage. Ozaki tried for a guillotine but it did not work. Ozaki rolled out of the clinch and then took top mount, which Abe escaped in the final seconds, rolling out and trying for a flying knee. In the first minute of the second round Ozaki had some good striking. Abe landed another takedown and took Ozaki up against the cage once again. They escaped clinch and went back to stand-up. The final round started with Ozaki being aggressive with striking, but found himself against the cage again. He broke free with two minutes left, but was hit with a double-leg takedown. The fight went the full nine minutes, leaving the judges to decide who won. The judges gave Tatsuki Ozaki the win, which surprised the commentators.

Bout 2: Kei Arimura vs. Takashi Araya (Neo Blood Tournament First Round Strawweight) (3×3)

The second of two strawweight tournament fights was next. Arimura was the better striker from the get-go. Araya landed a takedown as he started to bleed. They stook back up after Arimura escaped. Araya did land some strikes to the head while in top mount. Araya got a second takedown before the round ended. At the start of the second round it was Araya who was quick to bring it to the ground. Araya was on top mount for most of the round, but with a few seconds left in the round Arimura landed a few more stand-up punches. It was clear that Arimura was the superior striker while Araya was the better grappler. Most of the third round was on the ground. The fight was put up for decision, where Araya was favoured.

Bout 3: Daiki Nishimura vs. Yosuke Shimoda (Neo Blood Tournament First Round Flyweight (3×3)

After the strawweights we saw a flyweight tournament bout. It was noted that both fighters were making their pro debut. Shimoda landed a single leg takedown after a minute of stand-up, but Nishimura took his back after a roll. They went back to stand-up after that. Early in round two Shimoda landed a spinning back kick to the head. The whole round was a good striking battle. In the final round Nishimura tried for a guillotine but did not find success with it. After three rounds, Shimoda was given the victory.

Bout 4: Ryosuke Takasugi vs. Masahide Hiraoka (Neo Blood Tournament First Round Bantamweight) (3×3)

The next fight was a bantamweight Neo Blood fight. Masahide Hiraoka fought out of Krazy Bee. The first round had Takasugi landing a takedown, with Hiraoka escaping in the final seconds of the round. Takasugi shot for another takedown in the second after Hiraoka had some decent ground game. Hiraoka’s striking was really successful in this round. The final round was mostly stand-up. Hiraoka was given the victory from the judges.

Bout 5: Tatsuhiko Iwamoto vs. Michio Ito (Neo Blood Tournament First Round Featherweight) (3×3)

The next fight was a featherweight battle. Ito is representing Krazy Bee as well. The first round was grappling heavy as both fighters tried for many moves. Ito had some heavy heads in the second round, and then landed a double leg takedown up against the cage. In the final round, Ito was in top mount when he stared landing hammer fists, so much so that the referee stopped the bout.

Bout 6: Ryosuke Shiotsu vs. Yota Tatsunari (Neo Blood Tournament First Round Featherweight) (3×3)

We saw a second featherweight fight next. The first round show aggressive striking and grappling from both fighters. Very early in the second round, Tatsunari landed a kick and then strikes on the ground afterwards making the ref stop the bout. Watching the replay, it was revealed that before the exchange Shiotsu had tweaked is leg and fallen down. He was carried out via stretcher.

Bout 7: Yohei Nada vs. Darani Date (Neo Blood Tournament First Round Featherweight) (3×3)

In another Featherweight fight, we saw Yohei Nada and Darani Date compete. Nada landed a takedown within the first minute of the bout. He had complete control on the ground, staying dominant for the whole round. Nada continued with his well done grappling in the second and third round. The fight went the distance. Nada won the fight from the scorecards.

Bout 8: Takashi Yamashita vs. Masayoshi Watanabe (Neo Blood Tournament First Round Welterweight) (3×3)

Moving up the weight classes more, we had welterweights Takashi Yamashita and Masayoshi Watanabe fight next. The first round was purely stand-up. Watanabe landed a takedown in the final round, making the rest of the fight stay on the ground. Both fighters lasted all three rounds with Watanabe getting the nod.

Bout 9: Yuma Nakajima vs. Naoki Arikawa (Flyweight) (3×3)

The final preliminary fight was the only one that wasn’t contested within a Neo Blood Tournament. On the ground, Arikawa was landing strikes throughout the first. In the second round, Arikawa had a headlock on the ground that made Nakajima tap out.

Main Card:

Bout 10: Kazuma Maruyama (7-5) vs. Kenta Takagi (#5) (16-16) (Wellterweight) (3×3)

The first main card fight was a Welterweight fight. After a minute and a half of stand-up fighting, Maruyama was hit with a left hook while going for a kick, absolutely knocking him out.

Bout 11: Mayra Cantuaria (4-3-1) vs. Emiko Raika (8-5-1) (Flyweight) (3×5)

The next fight was a Flyweight battle between Mayra Cantuaria and Emiko Raika. Cantuaria was aggressive from the start, landing knees in a clinch. She landed a takedown and took half guard. Landing strikes periodically, Cantuaria was in position for a rear naked choke. She landed numerous unanswered strikes, but it didn’t stop the bout. Cantuaria put in an armbar while trapping a leg, making Raika tap.

Bout 12: Masayuki Kikuiri (4-0) (#8) vs. Yusuke Kasuya (9-5-2) (Lightweight) (3×5)

Masayuki Kikuiri put his undefeated record on the line when he faced Yusuke Kasuya in a Lightweight bout. Kasuya landed a good couple of strikes and then a double leg takedown. On the ground, he threw down hard strikes to win the match in just over a minute. He celebrated with what I would assume is his two children afterwards.

Bout 13: Shinsuke Kamei (4-0) (#11) vs. Yojiro Uchimura (16-12-3) (#10) (Featherweight) (3×5)

This next fight was similar to the one before in that it was a 4-0 fighter facing a more experienced fighter. The two fighters were next to each other in the Featherweight rankings. In the first round both guys were swinging for the fences. In the final minute, Uchimura went to the ground, but the commentators suspected it was over a slip and not a knockdown. At the start of the second round Uchimura landed a beautiful Superman punch and tried to finish the fight with strikes afterwards but Kamei recovered. With a few seconds left in the second round, Kamei got dropped yet again by a left hook. Uchimura landed more strikes up against the cage and then turned around and stopped as if the fight had ended. The fight didn’t end, the ref didn’t do anything to signal it did, so this was complete instinct by Uchimura. The fight continued into the third round. After they were up against the cage for a while in the third, Kamei rolled into a leg lock, but Uchimura escaped. Both fighters were exhausted at this point. They kept swinging until the fight ended. They hugged after the bout ended. This fight had the crowd amped up as it was fast from the get-go. Uchimura got the unanimous victory.

Bout 14: Kenichiro Togashi (18-14-5) (#7) vs. Akira Okada (13-6-3) (#4) (Lightweight) (3×5)

Bout 14 of the evening was Kenichiro Togashi versus Akira Okada. Nearly halfway into the first round, Okada was hit with a right that dropped him. The second round was a slow, methodical stand-up battle between the two. Okada was checked by doctors in-between rounds two and three but was able to continue. In the final round, Okada landed elbows in a clinch that made Togashi start bleeding. He tried for a takedown but was stopped. He landed a takedown from a leg sweep as the fight came to a close. The judges favoured Togashi, giving him his 19th professional win.

Bout 15: Yuto Hokamura (14-8-2) (#6) vs. Toshinori Tsunemura (13-8-4) (#1) (Bantamweight) (3×5)

The #1 ranked Bantamweight Toshinori Tsunemura also known as “Tsune” faced Yuto Hokamura in the next bout. With under two minutes left in the first round, Hokamura landed a kick to the head that made Tsune go absolutely numb. “We almost saw Tsunemura’s head fly into the crowd,” said commentator Stewart Fulton.

Bout 16: Kseniia Guseva (4-0-1) vs. Emi Fujino (22-11-1) (#2) (Strawweight) (3×5)

In the next fight, Kseniia Guseva, current #2 ranked Flyweight in Pancrase faced #2 fighter in Strawweight, Emi Fujino. I recognized Shizuka Sugiyama in Fujino’s corner. The majority of the first round was spent up against the cage. The second round was very similar. They finally went to the ground in the final two minutes. Fujino landed some punches from the top mount and half guard. The fight went the distance with Fujino getting the unanimous decision.

Bout 17: Kyle Aguon (12-7) (#3) vs. Taichi Nakajima (13-9-1) (#2) (Featherweight) (3×5)

The next bout was a Featherweight battle between Kyle Aguon and Taichi Nakajima. Augon fights out of the Spike22 gym in Guam, which also plays host to DEEP’s Roque Martinez. The first round of this fight had lots of stand-up fighting, with Aguon landing some good strikes. Augon tried for a guillotine in the final minute but didn’t keep it for long. Miyuu Yamamoto was in Aguon’s corner for this fight. The fight was very close throughout. It went all 15 minutes, with Aguon getting a split decision victory.

Bout 18: Tatsuya So (17-16-4) (#4) vs. Daichi Kitakata (18-8-1) (#1) (Strawweight) (3×5)

In the 18th fight, Tatsuya So and Daichi Kitakata competed. The first round was close, but Kitakata had a strong ending to the round, dropping So with strikes and then putting in a guillotine for a few seconds. Kitakata landed a takedown after some good strikes at the start of the third round. On the ground, Kitakata attempted a rear naked choke, but did make it work. So tried for his own move but wasn’t able to put anything in. The fight ended with both fighters swinging. The judges gave Kitakata the victory.

Bout 19: Sidy Rocha (9-5-2) (#3) vs. Takayo Hashi (16-6-1) (#1) (Women’s Flyweight Championship) (5×5)

The co-main event of the evening was Sidy Rocha and Takayo Hashi fighting for Pancrase’s Women’s Flyweight Championship. Rocha had a clear advantage due to height and reach when trading blows. In the final seconds of the last round, Rocha landed a takedown. Most rounds felt like the first, where Hashi was being outboxed. In the fifth however, Hashi landed a takedown. Hashi’s work in the final round wasn’t enough though, as Rocha took the decision victory to win the Women’s Flyweight Championship.

Bout 20: Tom Santos (10-6) (#5) vs. Takasuke Kume (21-5-4) (Champion) (Lightweight Championship) (5×5)

The main event of the evening was Tom Santos challenging Takasuke Kume for his Lightweight Championship. In the first round of the fight, Kume landed a trip after a strike to bring the fight to the ground. He landed strikes on the ground for a few minutes. Kume landed another takedown at the start of the second round. Kume continued his ground and pound style. At the start of the third round Santos went down from a right hook. Kume landed more strikes on the ground, and then put in a triangle choke that Santos tapped out to.

Lewis Hamilton Gets 2019 Australian GP Pole Position and New Track Record

It will be an all Mercedes front row for the Australian Grand Prix tomorrow as Lewis Hamilton grabbed pole position on Saturday. Putting in a 1:20.486 lap, the British driver set a new best lap for the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit. Qualifying behind by 0.112s, Valtteri Bottas will start on the front row as well. The second row will have Sebastian Vettel from Ferrari and Max Verstappen from Red Bull Racing. Charles Leclerc from Ferrari placed fifth with the two Haas drivers Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen placing sixth and seventh. The other Red Bull driver, Pierre Gasly, placed 17th.

Q1

In the first qualifying session, it was Charles Leclerc who got first place, beating both Mercedes drivers who were holding the place before. Williams were in the bottom two places during Q1 with Robert Kubica going into the grass during a hot lap. Lance Stroll was knocked into 16th place in the final minutes of the session. Sebastian Vettel made it through to Q2 in Medium tyres, as opposed to most of the grid who drove in Softs.

Q2

In Q2 it was Renault drivers Nico Hulkenberg and Daniel Ricciardo who came the closest to moving on but failed. The two Toro Rosso drivers Alexander Albon and Daniil Kvyat also did get eliminated. Antonio Giovinazzi was eliminated while his teammate Kimi Raikkonen moved on.

Q3

Before Lewis Hamilton grabbed pole position with his record lap, Valtteri Bottas also set a track record with a 1:20.598 lap. Vettel placed third but has a 0.704 gap to the top lap. Sergio Perez drove the slowest lap in Q3, being 2.295s behind Hamilton.

Mercedes hopes to use their front row lockout to their highest potential tomorrow when the Australian Grand Prix takes place. The broadcast starts at 1 AM EST.

Lewis Hamilton Puts In Best FP1 and FP2 Laps At Albert Park – 2019 Australian GP

Lewis Hamilton topped both Friday practice sessions in Australia, ahead of the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix.

FP1

In Free Practice 1 it was last year’s champion Lewis Hamilton who had the fastest lap. Putting in a 1:23.599, Hamilton was ahead of Sebastian Vettel by 0.038. His teammate Valtteri Bottas was 5th on the timing sheet, behind by 0.267. Charles Leclerc was in third place, behind by 0.074s.

During the session there was a red flag put out due to Alexander Albon spinning out in sector one. The car collided with a barrier, making the front wing of the car fall off. Valtteri Bottas spun in sector three but avoided making contact with any walls.

The two Williams cars placed last in the timing sheet, both being more than four seconds behind the best lap. George Russell stopped his car on pit lane at one point in the session and had his car pushed back to his box.

Kimi Raikkonen was the highest placing driver in this session who isn’t in a 2018 top three team, as he joined the Alfa Romeo squad this year.

FP2

In the second practice session Lewis Hamilton found himself improving his FP1 lap time, clocking in a 1:22.600 lap to get first place. Fellow Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas was behind him by 0.048s. The Red Bull Racing duo of Max Verstappen and Pierre Gasly took third and fourth with Sebastian Vettel from Ferrari taking fifth. Gasly reported a loss of power in the car with only a few minutes left in the session.

Alexander Albon’s troubles continued into the second practice session as he went off track in sector 3, losing control by hitting grass beside the track.

Kimi Raikkonen continued to be the highest placing driver who wasn’t from Mercedes, Ferrari or Red Bull. Renault placed 7th and 8th after Ricciardo was in 17th in FP1.

Williams continued to struggle in the second practice session, nearly being a second slower than everyone on the grid.

The final practice session will be held tomorrow at 11 PM EST with the qualifying held at 2 AM EST. The Formula 1 season will officially commence on Sunday when the Australian Grand Prix takes place at 1 AM EST.

Formula 1 Race Director Charlie Whiting Passes Away At Age 66

Formula One’s Race Director Charlie Whiting passed away on Wednesday night at age 66. The FiA (Federation Internationale De L’Automobile) put out a on Wednesday statement saying that he suffered pulmonary embolism. “I have known Charlie Whiting for many years and he has been a great Race Director, a central and inimitable figure in Formula One who embodied the ethics and spirit of this fantastic sport,” said FIA President Jean Todt in the statement.

The loss comes before F1’s inaugural 2019 race weekend in Australia. On Thursday a press conference was held where drivers reflected on Charlie Whiting and his impact. “I spoke to him yesterday… Difficult to grasp when somebodies just not there anymore,” said Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel. Whiting first became involved in F1 in 1988 when he was a Technical Delegate for the sport.

“We just have to appreciate every day and every morning you wake up and that you enjoy life and that it’s not only about Formula 1 but a lot of other things in life,” said Max Verstappen, reflecting on Whiting’s sudden passing. Verstappen also told a story about how he chatted with Whiting in Geneva recently. F1 put out a tribute video online on Thursday which recapped his career in motorsport and his impact on the sport.

Sky Sports have released out an interview where current F1 Managing Director and former driver now Motorsport journalist Martin Brundle reflected on Whiting.
It has been reported that Michael Masi will be the race director for this weekend. Masi has formerly worked in a similar position with the V8 Supercars series.

WWE RAW 3/11/19 Results and Review

RAW was from Pittsburgh, PA this week. The show opened with The Shield coming to the ring via the crowd. Michael Cole told us that they are here to give their “farewell address.” Roman Reigns talked about the situation with all three Shield members. Reigns said that if last night was their last night, he has no regrets. He encouraged Seth about his upcoming Wrestlemania match against Brock Lesnar, saying he will “slay the beast.” All three Sheild members put their fists together, and then Reigns and Ambrose left the ring. It’s hard to tell if that was their split because it felt so nonchalant. Rollins was talking in the ring by himself before Paul Heyman came out. Rollins said he is suited to beat Lesnar at Wrestlemania. Rollins pointed out how Lesnar has lost to Daniel Bryan, AJ Styles and Finn Balor in the past, who are all smaller guys. Heyman made the excuse that all those fights were short notice changes of opponents.

Heyman pointed at the video screen and played a video about Lesnar. This felt lame because the way Heyman talked made it seem like Lesnar was actually coming out. Who wants to see a video package? After the video, Heyman was talking to Rollins, which distracted him from Shelton Benjamin who came from the crowd to attack him. There was no real explanation for this other than maybe Benjamin is friends with Lesnar. Also, just because The Shield split doesn’t mean they can’t run out and help Rollins? Like, did Reigns and Ambrose just turn a blind eye to Rollins getting jumped?

Seth Rollins vs. Shelton Benjamin

We saw after a commercial break that Benjamin and Rollins started fighting. Paul Heyman was on commentary during this. Rollins won the match with a Curbstomp. A huge chunk of this match happened under commercials. I don’t really know why Benjamin is involved.

Finn Balor vs. Bobby Lashley (Intercontinental Championship Match)

The next match was Finn Balor and Bobby Lashley in a championship battle. When Balor did his entrance we saw this weird camera shot of Lashley staring at Balor via the big screen. Balor was ahead in this match and was heading to the top rope for a Coup de Grace, but was then distracted by Lio Rush, who rang the ringside bell. Rush got taken out by Balor, but when he went off the top rope he was given a Spear by Lashley to end the match.

Ronda Rousey In The Ring

Before the next segment, we got a slideshow recap of last night where Ronda Rousey interfered in the match between Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair. Rousey was in the ring to talk. Right off the bat, she was very aggressive, being very mad at the crowd. After she cut her promo, which didn’t make a ton of sense, Dana Brooke came out. Yes, Dana Brooke. As Brooke was talking you could hear one person in the crowd very audibly shouting “who are you?” Brooke challenged Rousey to a fight and got beat up. I don’t think beating up Brooke will make Rousey look any more cool or bad or whatever they want her to be.

Aleister Black & Ricochet vs. Bobby Roode & Chad Gable

The next match was Aleister Black and Ricochet versus Roode and Gable. Of course the new guys got the win. They were impressive as usual. The Revival attacked Ricochet and Black on the stage after the match.

A Moment of Bliss With A Big Wrestlemania Announcement

On Alexa Bliss’ talk show, she unveiled who will be hosting Wrestlemania. After tons of build up, she announced that she is actually hosting.

Braun Stroman Hates Colin Jost

Last week, Colin Jost was attacked by Braun Stroman for questioning if wrestling was real or not. This week, Colin had a car delivered to RAW as an apology to Braun. He got in the car with a smile on his face and drove away. Just kidding, of course he destroyed the car. Stroman said Jost will “get these hands” in New York.

Elias Has A Hometown Concert

Elias played in front of the crowd next. This was his hometown, so he had very positive support. Elias made the crowd turn against him by saying that not many people from Pittsburgh aren’t a “waste of life.” No Way Jose came out with his conga line and interrupted the concert. Jose was rocking a new neon green haircut. Elias attacked Jose and that was the end of the segment. Wow, boring, but I guess they wanted to find a way to put Elias on this show.

Nia Jax w/ Tamina vs. Natalya w/ Beth Phoenix

Before the next match, we had Beth Phoenix come out with Natalya to support her in this match. Right as the match started, Phoenix did a run-in to end the match via DQ. We saw backstage that Sasha Banks and Bayley got into a brawl with Jax and Tamina. I don’t know why Phoenix attacked so quickly in the match. This felt very rushed.

Triple H Calls Out Batista

Triple H came to call out Batista. Batista came out in a button up and shiny blazer. Batista had eight security guards with him. Batista stayed on the apron and refused to come into the ring. Batista kept saying that he wants to be given what he wants. After saying “give me what I want” a dozen times, he unveiled that what he wanted was a match with HHH at Wrestlemania. Alright, well he got the match, and HHH made it a No Holds Barred match. While the repeated line from Batista was odd, I thought the last thing he said was a good line, saying that he will have his final match on his own terms, and that it will be HHH’s final match.

Kurt Angle vs. Apollo Crews

Kurt Angle came out to address his future. He announced that at Wrestlemania he will have his farewell match. He also said that he should give Philadelphia one last match. He faced Apollo Crews and got the win. He thanked the crowd and hugged Crews.

Roman Reigns Attacked Before Match

The next match was scheduled to be Roman Reigns versus Baron Corbin. When Reigns got into the ring he was attacked by Drew McIntyre. Reigns was given a Claymore Kick at ringside. If The Shield decided to break up in the final segment of RAW then none of this would have been an issue. Seth Rollins did run out to see if he was okay though. There was some weird skit that they did where Roman convinced the doctors that he wasn’t injured or something. Backstage we saw Dean Ambrose say to HHH he wants to fight Drew McIntyre tonight. HHH granted the wish, with the match happening next.

Dean Ambrose vs. Drew McIntyre (Falls Count Anywhere Match)

Ambrose charged at McIntyre, attacking him on the ramp and then brawling into the crowd. They went up the stairs and into a standing area when Ambrose threw a table. During the break, McIntyre threw Ambrose over a concessions stand table. Back around the ring, McIntyre did an very painful looking vertical suplex onto the floor. They brawled over to the commentary table and were both on top of it. McIntyre did a low blow and then raked the eyes of Ambrose. Off the table now, McIntyre threw Ambrose head first like a dart into the LED entrance screen. Ambrose was wedged in between a barricade and then given a Claymore Kick to end the match. While the final spot was pretty good, I thought the match, in general, was pretty lame. They brawled around the arena but it was just the same thing after a while. Renee Young was being over the top during this segment about Dean being beaten up.

This show had a lot of either boring or just bad wrestling. I can’t figure out one whole segment that I would consider good on this show. I’m not being harsher than usual, I genuinely think this was a lame episode.

Formula 1 2019 Season Preview

If this year’s offseason for Formula 1 could be defined by two words it would be “team changes.” Out of the 20 driver field, 12 of them find themselves in a different position than last year. Some left, some moved up or down the totem pole, and some made the rare return to the top tier of motorsport. The two most focused on teams will, of course, be Mercedes and Ferrari, but everyone has their own unique story heading into this weekend in Melbourne.

Fans of Formula 1 have been given a TV series to watch ahead of the 2019 season called “Formula 1: Drive To Survive.” The series followed teams throughout the 2018 season, chronicling struggles through 10 episodes. The first episode focused on Red Bull Racing and Haas during the 2018 Australian Grand Prix. The show mostly focused on the bottom eight teams in the series, as Mercedes and Ferrari initially opted to not participate in the show.

2019 Race Schedule Schedule

Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport

Mercedes come into the 2019 season being champions of the past five seasons. Being the most dominant and successful team also makes them the least interesting one. The team is one of the only this year to keep their previous lineup. Five-time champion Lewis Hamilton will team with Valtteri Bottas, looking for a third trophy in a row in the World Drivers Championship. Bottas did not win any races last year but had consistent point placings within the top 10. Both drivers will be behind the Mercedes AMG F1 W10 EQ Power+ car. It has the Mercedes M10 EQ Power+ power unit, which ROKiT Williams Racing will also be using this year.

Scuderia Ferrari

Veteran Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel will be joined by Charles Leclerc this year. Leclerc previously raced for Sauber in the 2018 season, being a rookie in the tour. His best placing in the year was 6th, placing in the points 10 times in the year. He is replacing Kimi Raikkonen, who drove under Ferrari for five seasons. He essentially swaps places with Leclerc as he is going to Alfa Romeo Racing (formerly Sauber). Vettel is going into his fifth year with Ferrari, finishing 2nd in the Driver’s Championship in his past two years. Vettel stayed in the fold of the championship last year until the third last race, the Mexican Grand Prix. He had a successful first half of the season, winning five of 11 races. Lewis Hamilton had only won four at that point. In the second half of the season, Vettel only won one race while Hamilton won seven. The battle for the championship was much more intense at the start of the year. With a clean slate, Vettel will aim to keep his streak going through the whole season this year. Vettel and Leclerc will drive the SF90 car this year with the Ferrari 064 engine, which two other teams also use.

Aston Martin Red Bull Racing

This year, Red Bull Racing saw a change in their driver line-up and engine brand. The team formerly ran the Renault R.E. 18 which was called a TAG Heuer engine, but this year they have a Honda RA619H in their RP19 car. This came after the team had 11 DNFs in the 42 times their cars were entered in races last year. What’s interesting is Honda hasn’t had great engines in the past either, with McLaren ending the partnership after the 2017 season to go to Renault. How Honda’s reliability will hold up against Renault will be a story to follow in the season. The lineup for Red Bull is Pierre Gasly and Max Verstappen. Gasly comes from Toro Rosso, the team which he attained 29 points for in 2018. The season was his first full one in F1, although he did race five near the end of 2017 for the team. Max Verstappen stays with Red Bull this year, making it his fourth year with the team. In 2018 he was the highest ranked driver that didn’t come from Ferrari or Mercedes, placing fourth.

Renault F1 Team

In 2018, Renault was the top team that wasn’t in the top three. From one of those top three teams, that being Red Bull, Daniel Ricciardo will be coming down to Renault for this season. He is joined by Nico Hulkenberg, who is going on his third year with the team. Ricciardo will be, ironically, leaving his Red Bull car that gave him tons of troubles for another car which is also Renault powered. Ricciardo is the only driver in the field that has home field advantage at the first race of the season in Australia. The chassis for this year is called the R.S. 19, and the engine is the Renault E-Tech 19.

Rich Energy Haas F1 Team

The only current North American F1 team Haas is one of the only teams to have the same lineup as last year. Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen will drive for the team as they have for the past two years (and a third for Grosjean). The team secured a new title sponsor for this season called Rich Energy. The team will be using their VF-19 model with a Ferrari 064 engine.

McLaren F1 Team

McLaren has a lineup of Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz Jr. in 2019. Norris did a slew of test drives for the time last year while placing second in Formula 2. In his F2 season he had one win and five podiums. Sainz is participating in his fifth year of F1, but joining McLaren for the first time. He drove with Renault and Toro Rosso in the past. McLaren is using the MCL34 chassis with the Renault E-Tech 19 engine.

SportPesa Racing Point F1 Team

After Lance Stroll drove for Williams for two years in a pay driver position, his father has purchased Force India for this year. The pink car duo found itself under huge financial troubles in the 2018 season. Lawrence Stroll, whose net worth is 2.6 billion US dollars, bought the team, securing a seat for his son in the next season. He’s filling in for Esteban Ocon, who doesn’t find himself in the 2019 Formula 1 lineup. Stroll’s teammate is Sergio Perez, who is staying with the same team. The team went by Force India last year but now go by Racing Point, also securing the title sponsor of SportPesa, a sports gambling website.

Alfa Romeo Racing

Alfa Romeo Racing takes on a completely new lineup with Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi flying the team’s colours this year. Raikkonen, the now 39-year-old will drive for the team after being with Ferrari for five years. He placed third in the 2018 Drivers’ Championship, behind Lewis Hamilton and former Ferrari teammate Sebastian Vettel. Raikkonen’s teammate Giovinazzi will be a rookie in the series after being a Ferrari and Haas test driver in the past. He also participated in the 24h of Le Mans in 2018, placing 5th in the LMGTE Pro category with the AF Corse team. The team has dropped the Sauber part of their name and now just goes by Alfa Romeo. They will drive a C38 which sports a similar livery to the year before, and a Ferrari 064 engine.

Red Bull Toro Rosso Honda

Toro Rosso said goodbye to both their past drivers this year, bringing in Alexander Albon and Daniil Kvyat. Kvyat is one of the two drivers this season who are returning to the tour after an absence. Kvyat was present in Formula 1 since 2013 but disappeared in 2018. In that time he was a development driver for Ferrari. He has now found himself back on the grid alongside Alexander Albon, who is set to make his F1 debut. Albon is an example of someone who has climbed up the open-wheel ladder. He was in the regional F3 series in 2015, and then GP3 in 2016, and just finished his second season in Formula 2. In the 2018 season, Albon won four races for the team DAMS. This year he will be driving a STR14 with a Honda RA619H engine, as will Kvyat.

ROKiT Williams Racing

Williams has had a rough start to the 2019 season even though no racing has taken place yet. In the February testing at Barcelona, the team only started to drive on the third of 10 testing days due to the car not being ready yet. Their lineup this year will be rookie driver George Russell and the returning Robert Kubica. Kubica is making his Formula 1 comeback after suffering major injuries from a crash while rally racing in 2011. A report from Autosport in 2011 said he suffered “multiple fractures to his right arm, leg and hand.”  He was a test driver for Williams all of last year, but will finally get to race this year. His teammate George Russell is a 21-year-old who has been dominant in the Formula 1 feeder tours. In 2017, Russell won four races and became the GP3 Series champion. In 2018, he won seven races in the Formula 2 series and placed first once again. His skill will be tested once he steps into the big league for the first time. Williams will be the only team on the grid besides Mercedes themselves to be using a Mercedes M10 EQ Power+ engine. The chassis for the car is the FW42. The team lost longtime sponsor “Martini” at the end of the 2018 season, but have partnered with ROKiT, a smartphone company that have yet to launch products.

The Graduating Class of 2018

Formula One said goodbye to five drivers this year. The graduating class of Formula One for 2018 was Marcus Ericsson, Stoffel Vandoorne, Esteban Ocon, Sergey Sirotkin, Brendon Hartley and Fernando Alonso. The biggest name on the list is easily Alonso because he is a former World Drivers’ Champion and veteran of the sport. If this was an actual graduation, he would be the valedictorian.

Big and Small Changes

Formula 1’s tyres will undergo a change in their presentation in 2019. There will be five types of tyres, but the three ones used on any given race weekends will be called Soft, Medium and Hard tyres. This is done to make it easier to understand the tyres and their meaning, because in previous years there were many tyres all with unique names.

This year the Mexican Grand Prix will go ahead of the United States Grand Prix on the calendar.

Different from previous years, in this season if a driver weighs below 80kg, weights will be put in their car to make them that weight. This rule was put forward so that weight cutting isn’t as much of a factor in the sport. The weight of the driver is measured separately from the car that he drives in.

Cars are allowed more fuel at the start of the race so that preserving fuel isn’t as much of a factor.

As Australia Approaches

It is only days until we will see Formula 1 cars back on the track. The season kicks off in Albert Park, Melbourne, with the first race on Sunday at 1 AM EST (4 PM local time). If you’re even more eager to see the cars, the first practice session will be on Thursday at 9 PM EST (Friday at noon in Melbourne). The points board is wiped, everyone’s slate is clean, and now people have another chance to prove themselves. Will it be another year for the Silver Arrows? Or will Ferrari break their streak? Can another team come in and be a top tier competitor? We will have to watch and see.

Kyle Busch Wins Boyd Gaming 300 in NASCAR Overtime

Less than 24 hours after his Gander Outdoors Truck Series win, Kyle Busch was in victory lane once again, winning the Boyd Gaming 300 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The win came after two NASCAR Overtimes, with Busch staying ahead of John-Hunter Nemechek to close out the race.

Busch overcame some obstacles to win the race. He started in the top 10 but had to pit under green early on as a wheel was loose. He worked his way up and took the lead on lap 112, battling with Christopher Bell and Tyler Reddick for a long time. After Tyler Reddick and Christopher Bell got caught up in an incident during the first Overtime, Busch started on a front row with Nemechek to win.

Stage 1 went to Cole Custer and Stage 2 was won by Tyler Reddick. Both stage wins came with a lead over a lap ahead of the second place driver.

“It’s cool to be able to back up Christopher’s win last week and bring the Supra back to victory lane,” said Busch after he became the second driver to win an Xfinity race in a Toyota Supra. The car model was only debuted in the Xfinity series at Daytona in February.

On Sunday the NASCAR Cup Series races the Pennzoil 400 from Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The Xfinity series returns next week on Saturday from ISM Raceway with the Phoenix 200.

Kyle Busch Wins Second Consecutive Truck Race, Winning The Stratos 200

Similarly to Kyle Busch’s performance last week in Atlanta, Nevada raised driver performed a full stage sweep on Friday night at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Busch kept the lead for most of the race, losing positions due to pit stop only.

The 134 lap race was split into two 30 lap stages and a 74 lap finale. The stages ending caused yellow flags, but besides them, there was only one other flag, which was waved on lap 6 due to Sheldon Creed spinning.

During the race Busch would often pit and take more tires than his competitors, making him lose positions. This was the intentional move though as he would speed through the pack and regain first place shortly after. Busch won the race a second ahead of second place finisher Brett Moffitt.

NASCAR has a triple-header in Vegas this weekend, with the Xfinity race tomorrow and the Monster Energy Cup Series race on Sunday. After three straight weeks of truck racing, the Gander Outdoors Truck Series will now take a short break, not returning until March 23rd at Martinsville Speedway.

Brad Keselowski Wins The Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500, Breaking Penske Team Record

Brad Keselowski won the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 on Sunday, making him the most winningest Penske driver ever. The win broke his tie with Mark Donohue, who held the record previously. The race came down to the final laps where a faster Martin Truex Jr. failed to surpass Keselowski.

“We had the best car we probably should have won that one,” said Truex Jr. after the race. The 325 lap race had a restart with 43 laps to go, with Kurt Busch and Joey Logano on the front row. The race had many leaders, as Kyle Larson won Stage 1 and Kevin Harvick won stage 2.

Keselowski was battling sickness during the weekend in Atlanta, even missing the final practice session because of it. He had a backup driver ready for the race on Sunday but was able to participate himself.

The race did not have many cautions. Besides the stage ending cautions there was only three other incidents that made cars slow down. The first one was a competition caution which occurred on lap 36 due to the rain the night before. There was a caution on lap 223 because of Kyle Busch’s car smoking, and another one on lap 274 after Ryan Preece collided with B.J. McLeod while exiting his pit box. 27 of the 37 cars finished the race within a 5 lap gap behind the leader.

Kyle Busch started from the rear after needing a backup car and made a charge up the field throughout the race. Busch finished in 6th place.

NASCAR heads to Las Vegas Motor Speedway on with a triple header lineup. On Friday the Gander Outdoors Truck Series holds the Strat 22 in the evening at 9 PM EST. On Saturday at 4 PM EST, the Xfinity Series will hold the Boyd Gaming 300. The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series will hold their third season race on Sunday at 3:30 PM EST, with the Pennzoil 400.

WWE RAW 2/25/19 Results and Review

Let’s look at this week’s RAW, which included an unannounced return, an announcement from Roman Reigns and much more.

Opening Segment

Monday Night RAW started with a video package about when Roman Reigns came out in October to announce that the was battling leukemia. After that, Roman Reigns’ music hit. The crowd was very loud and supportive of him. Reigns looked like he was on the brink of tears when he first saw the crowd. He went around the border of all of the front row high fiving fans. At first he said thank you to everyone. He said that he was scared before his announcement in October. He was overwhelmed by all of the support he got after the announcement and that he will use his platform to raise awareness and help others who were in his situation. Reigns eventually said he will give us his long awaited update. The update was that he is in remission for his leukemia. The crowd started cheering and chanting because of this. He said thank you one more time and then left. This was genuinely great news and a great way to start the show. Roman Reigns is truly inspiring because of this. You could tell that the support from others had him in high spirits through his battle and even moreso afterwards. I can’t wait to see him return.

The Revival (Scott Dawson & Dash Wilder) vs. Aleister Black & Ricochet

In another one of these NXT versus main roster matches we had Aleister Black and Ricochet face The Revival. Before the first break both Black and Ricochet were diving all over the place. Black ended the match with Black Mass. Like I’ve said before, these matches are good but I don’t like that they take up so much TV time since they have nothing to do with any storylines. Like I understand squash matches but it took up so much of the show last week. Also, they should focus on the dudes they called up earlier in the year before they focus on a new pack.

After a break we saw backstage a red carpet for Ric Flair’s Birthday Celebration. We also saw a video from Snoop Dogg wishing Ric Flair a happy birthday.

Elias Can’t Get A Song Going

Elias was in the ring to play on his guitar but then was cut off by Lacey Evans and Dean Ambrose. When Dean came out he issued a challenge to Drew McIntyre in a No DQ match. Poor Elias can’t get his own part of the show. Elias tried playing his guitar but Ambrose asked what he was doing. Elias tried surprising Ambrose with a guitar shot but he dodged it and was hit with the Dirty Deeds.

Sarah Logan & Ruby Riott w/ Liv Morgan vs. Natalya & Ronda Rousey

The next match on this show was two members of the Riott Squad versus Natalya and Rousey. Rousey and Natalya did a double team on Morgan on the outside. Natalya got beat up for a long time and then Rousey got a hot tag. As Ronda was on a roll the match got called off because Becky Lynch came from the crowd and hit Natalya. Ronda and Lynch tried fighting but got separated. Lynch was handcuffed and brought away. After the break Ronda got on a mic and called out Vince McMahon. Vince didn’t come out, but Stephanie McMahon came out. Ronda begged for Becky to being reinstated but Stephanie refused to do so. After more arguing and a semi-good promo from Ronda (at points it seemed like she stumbled but a lot of it was good), she left Stephanie with the decision.

Jinder Mahal vs. Kurt Angle

After commercials, we saw a video from Stone Cold Steve Austin wishing Ric Flair a happy birthday. In the ring we saw Jinder Mahal issue an open challenge to anyone who was invited to Flair’s party. Kurt Angle took the challenge. Kurt Angle won after hitting a ton of spots and whatever. Cool, but why?

A Moment of Bliss w/ Finn Balor

Alexa Bliss started her talk show by talking about how she is available for the Wrestlemania main event. I think she was under the assumption that Ronda was out of the Wrestlemania main event or something? Anyways, Finn Balor is her guest this week. He was dressed in in-ring attire, so I assumed his match was next. Bliss was about to make a deal that if Balor showed his abs she would show something but she got interrupted while talking. Why cut a deal when he’s going to fight? His abs are gonna be visible in like seconds. The thing that cut off Bliss was Lio Rush coming out. Rush said something about Balor’s IC title. Balor interpreted this as Lio wanted a title shot, so he gave it to him.

Finn Balor vs. Lio Rush (Intercontinental Championship Match)

Early in this match Rush was getting tons of moves in. He did a Moonsault off the apron and then two Tope Suicidas. In fact the match felt like it was meant to make Rush look really good. Like, nearly on Balor’s level type of good. Balor eventually ended the match after reversing a move and then landing a Coup de Grace. After the break Lashley was behind the curtain scolding Lio Rush. He said that he was supposed to get a title shot for him, not Rush. He then forced a beaten up Lio Rush to come out with him.

Bobby Lashley w/ Lio Rush vs. Braun Stroman

Stroman fought Lashley next. Well, he was going to, but their match never started. Lashley tried jumping Stroman but ended up losing the brawl. I could easily be wrong, but I get the feeling that Rush is turning babyface soon and Lashley will turn against him.

Dean Ambrose vs. Drew McIntyre (No Disqualification Match)

Dean Ambrose called out Drew McIntyre earlier in the night. Later in the show he got his wish. During this match Elias came down and attacked Ambrose. This was of course because Elias was interupted by Ambrose earlier. After that, McIntyre gave him a Claymore Kick to end the match. After the match it was Elias, McIntyre, Lashley and Corbin all beating up Ambrose. Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns came out to save Dean. Reigns landed Superman Punches, and Seth landed a Curbstomp. Reigns did a Spear to McIntyre.

Bayley w/ Sasha Banks vs. Nia Jax w/ Tamina

To preview what is most likely the first rivalry for the women’s tag belts, Bayley fought Nia Jax. The finish of the match was Nia Jax being distracted by pulling Banks’ hair, giving Bayley the chance to kick her and land an elbow drop for the win.

Ric Flair’s Birthday Celebration.

The finale of the show was the Ric Flair Birthday Celebration of course. This has been promoted for weeks. Now. The ring had a cake, balloons and a table with something covered. Triple H and Stephanie McMahon came out while the rest of the roster stood on the ramp. They brought out Shawn Michaels, Ricky Steamboat, Kurt Angle and Sting. After seeing a video package about Ric Flair, they unveiled a custom World Heavyweight Championship belt. When he was finally introduced, he didn’t come out. Backstage we saw Batista storming into Flair’s dressing room, most likely beating him up, and then dragging him out. He said “Hey Hunter, do I have your attention now?” HHH then ran backstage to attend to Flair. The show ended with HHH shouting for a doctor. Not going to lie, this was a big surprise to me and I’m kind of hyped because of it. It’s been a long time since Batista last wrestled, and I’m so ready to see it again.

While the ending of the show was good, the whole show wasn’t amazing. There was lots of just plain boring segments. My favourite match this week is easily Rush versus Balor.