Good morning! The 2023 season is officially underway with the Rolex 24 completed and NASCAR's Busch Lite Clash on the horizon. We know it’s still the middle of winter, so warm up with some hot takes, spicy memes and the latest news in motorsports. And don't miss the joke answer at the bottom of this email that's sure to start your morning on a bright note.

Why are race car drivers the best people to give dating advice?

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As always, at the bottom, we'd appreciate your feedback in our poll.

IMSA

Acura Dominates GTP Debut

Meyer Shank Racing won the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class win in the Rolex 24 At Daytona with Tom Blomqvist driving the No. 60 Acura ARX-06 to a 4.190-second victory, leading a race-best 365 of the 783 laps. The event marked the first race with hybrid-powered prototypes and the second consecutive and third overall win for the Meyer Shank team. Accompanying Blomqvist in victory lane was Colin Braun and last year's Rolex 24 winners - Simon Pagenaud and Helio Castroneves.

Nine hybrid prototypes made their debut in the GTP class, with all but one finishing, including the top six overall finishers. The MSR No. 60 Acura led the final 97 laps, marking the third straight Rolex 24 win for Acura. The finish of the race and the reliability of the hybrids was a good sign for all involved, with the president of Honda Performance Development calling it a "landmark moment" and the "pinnacle of sports car racing."

Last Minute Magic for James Allen

Nothing like waiting until the last possible second in a 24 hour race to make your move. James Allen and the Proton Competition ORECA LMP2 07 team took the win in the Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) class at the Rolex 24 At Daytona, following a tight race against three other teams. Despite the car being damaged in practice, the Proton crew worked hard to repair it and managed to secure a narrow victory over Ben Hanley's Crowdstrike ORECA by just 0.016 seconds. This victory was a testament to the team's effort and determination, especially after having to repair the significant damage sustained to the car.

Click here the full results for the 61st annual Rolex 24 at Daytona

Formula 1

Ferrari Fred

Fred Vasseur, the new boss of Ferrari, has been tasked with transforming the team into world champions once again. Despite having impressive facilities and financial power, Ferrari has not won a World Championship for nearly 15 years. Vasseur believes he has the tools and delegation to turn things around and has a close relationship with CEO Benedetto Vigna. Vasseur has a long career in motorsports and was successful in building Alfa Romeo into a strong midfield team.

He is taking time to assess Ferrari's operation before making any changes, focusing on procedures rather than personnel. Vasseur stated, "It would be arrogant from my side to make any changes on the technical organization after two weeks in the job...I trust that the guys that are in place will try to do the best job they can, and it’s up to me to put them in the best possible condition to do the job. Then, it could be time, after a couple of weeks or months, to take action if things are not working. But I trust them.”

Sauber Acquisition Begins Audi's F1 Entry

Audi has acquired a minority stake in Sauber as they prepare for their entry into Formula 1 in 2026. Sauber, currently competing as Alfa Romeo, will become Audi's works team under the partnership. The acquisition marks an important step towards Audi's Formula 1 entry, with Sauber serving as their strategic partner. In the meantime, Sauber will continue to race under the Alfa Romeo branding in 2023.

Verstappen Living in 3038

Is Ford Joining the F1 Hype Train?

Ford and Red Bull are rumored to be in talks for a partnership, with an official announcement expected at Red Bull's season launch event on February 3rd. Ford's Performance division chief has expressed interest in returning to Formula 1 for the marketing benefits and exposure from the Drive to Survive series. The extent of the partnership is unclear, as Ford is not believed to have signed up for the 2026 power unit regulations, and Red Bull already has a relationship with Honda.

🙋‍♂️ Alfa Romeo to compete in 2023 with no team boss... Meet the new man in charge

🤝 This Driver's new teammate has 'pushy personality'... He claims it's going to be good for him and the team

NASCAR

Money Talks continue for NASCAR, Teams

Teams are asking for a bigger share of the annual revenue from the league as they struggle to turn a profit. The largest source of revenue is the 10-year media rights agreement with Fox and NBC worth $8.2 billion, with 65% going to tracks, 25% to teams and 10% to the sanctioning body. Teams want a greater percentage to cover their expenses, asking for $16-$18 million annually for the best performers, double the current amount.

Team owners and executives are negotiating with NASCAR for a new agreement, with a sub-committee representing the teams and NASCAR's President, COO, and other top executives representing the organization. Talks resumed after teams publicly expressed frustration over the financial struggles of being a NASCAR team. Teams proposed a permanent charter system, while NASCAR seeks a spending cap and additional content rights.

Toyota Wants to Expand it's Cup Presence

Toyota Racing Development is seeking to expand its presence in NASCAR Cup Series. The president, David Wilson, says Toyota is talking to a lot of existing teams and new potential car owners, but has ruled out existing Chevrolet or Ford teams like Hendrick Motorsports or Team Penske. The Next Gen is expected to allow TRD to expand without breaking the bank. TRD has always remained in the single digits even as NASCAR shrunk to three manufacturers and a 40-car field.

More NASCAR

🦉 Hooters and Chase Elliott drop their 2023 paint scheme... Mixed reviews - What do you think?

🤠 Daytona 500 pre-race concert act announced... It's going to get a little bit 'Sideways'

IndyCar

Bryan Herta Wants Wickens in 2024 Indy 500

Bryan Herta, team owner of Bryan Herta Autosport, aims to enter Robert Wickens in the 2024 Indy 500 after working on hand controls needed for the paralyzed driver. Wickens was involved in a crash during his rookie IndyCar season in 2018 and has been a driver coach for Arrow McLaren IndyCar team and raced in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge with Bryan Herta Autosport and Hyundai. Despite having won two races with Hyundai's Elantra N-TCR fitted for hand controls, perfecting the technology for an Indy car in the Indy 500 has slowed the project. Herta and Honda are working on the logistics and timing of the project, and it may not be possible this year but Herta sees a path to it.

More IndyCar

🗣 IndyCar teams should do more to help with the promotion of the series... Why aren't they doing this in the off-season?

🔀 AJ Foyt Racing switches up their car numbers... Connotations to white supremecy symbolism

GLOBAL MOTORSPORT

Take a trip to far away motorsport lands

👀 Most handsome driver lineup in the history of Endurance Motorsports?... NASCAR's Garage 56 lineup for Le Mans is set

🎟 Le Mans sells out for 100th anniversary... Crowd of 300,000 expected

Memes

Scuderia Ferrari providing the grounds for some of the best off-season content so far(Browse the replies at your own risk)

Hot Takes

How good was Juan Pablo Montoya? 📈 Overrated or 📉Underrated?

ONBOARD OF THE DAY

Kyle Busch 2022 Busch Lite Clash Pole Lap Onboard

The NASCAR Season kicks off this weekend with the Busch Lite Clash at the Coliseum. Hop on board the Kyle Busch's no. 18 as he sets quick time for the inaugural event in 2022.

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