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So Many People Are Buying Crossovers It's Ridic

Photo credit: Getty
Photo credit: Getty

From Road & Track

Welcome to The Grid, R&T's quick roundup of the auto industry and motorsports news you should know this morning.


70 Percent

You've been hearing that SUVs, crossovers and pickups, or light trucks, make up a lot of the cars sold in the country, but that number is now nearing 70 percent, which is astounding. According to Automotive News, 68 percent of cars sold so far this year are light trucks, with a record 1,116,280 sold in March.

This is tangible evidence that the shift to crossovers isn't only real, but it's a force, and there are reasons why automakers aren't investing like they used to in sedans and coupes. Of course, there is still a market for sedans, but it's shrinking. That isn't necessarily bad news, as it'll allow automakers to specialize the sedans to appeal to a core audience while the crossovers will need broader appeal.

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Who Won What

This was the first "big" motorsports weekend of the year, with Formula One, IndyCar, and NASCAR all running races. In NASCAR, Kyle Busch pulled away from Kevin Harvick to win in Texas. IndyCar was a nailbiter and damn entertaining, with Josef Newgarden taking advantage of a late yellow and fresh tires to get around Robert Wickens for the win. Alexander Rossi finished third. In Formula One, Sebastian Vettel won over Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton. But the bigger news is Pierre Gasly's fourth place finish, the best ever for a Honda-powered car in the hybrid era. Good for them.

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