Good morning! As the temperature starts to rise and the snow melts away, it can only mean one thing: winter is almost over and a new race season is just around the corner. The Rolex 24 Hours is upon us, marking the official kick-off to the 2023 race season. So grab a cup of coffee, sit back, and let's catch up on the latest happenings in the motorsports world.

Did you know? The Rolex brand has a long history of being involved in motorsports. What was their first partnership in the racing world?

*Answer at the bottom

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

IMSA

Eighteen automotive manufacturers from around the globe are set to participate in the 2023 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, including the new Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class. Action began this past weekend with the Roar Before the Rolex 24 and featured the first races in the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge, the newest IMSA series featuring Le Mans Prototype 3 (LMP3) and GT4-specification cars. The IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge boasts 12 different manufacturers in its two classes. The WeatherTech Championship's new top class in 2023 is GTP, a name that heads "back to the future" by recalling the glory competition days of the 1980s and '90s, combined with the futuristic addition of hybrid power.

Here's a rundown on each of the 18 manufacturers competing in this weekend's Rolex 24

Cindric Hoping to Double Up on Daytona Success

Austin Cindric is the only NASCAR driver taking part in this year's Rolex 24 at IMSA. He will be driving the No. 51 Oreca for Rick Ware Racing in the LMP2 division, and he has some talented teammates to share with. Formula One reserve driver Pietro Fittipaldi, Andretti Autosport IndyCar driver Devlin DeFrancesco, and fellow American Eric Lux will all get their turn in the seat. This will be the fifth Rolex 24 start for Cindric, who took home Rookie of the Year honors last season in Cup and has eight total starts in IMSA competition. Cindric and the RWR team will start 15th on Saturday, as they qualified sixth in the ten-car LMP2 class.

IMSA Announces Hall of Fame

The International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) has launched its Hall of Fame, revealing the logo and the nomination committee for the inaugural class. The logo is a black shield with white and red accents, similar to the new-for-2023 IMSA corporate branding. A 12-member nomination committee has been created to identify the people and significant race cars that will be considered for induction into the inaugural class. The committee includes members of the IMSA board, former IMSA presidents, and media members. Inductees for the inaugural class will be announced during the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring race week in March.

More IMSA

⭐️ Here's who you need to look out for in this year's Rolex 24... 9 F1 drivers, 1 Daytona 500 winner and 3 Indy 500 winners

Formula 1

All 10 car launch dates have been confirmed and for once, Haas leads the pack...

Audi's F1 Entry: A 3-Year Rush to the Finish Line

Audi motorsport chief Allan McNish has said that the company is preparing for a "very busy" and "exciting" time leading up to its Formula 1 entry in 2026. McNish, who is now Director of Coordination for Audi Group Motorsport, spoke of the hard work being put in by employees already involved in the F1 project, and the general feeling of excitement among them. McNish, who contested the 2002 F1 season with Toyota, made clear that he is not underestimating the challenge ahead, and that the difference between middle-of-the-pack and fighting for race victories is a huge gulf.

F1 cars like to play in the snow too

More Money Talks in F1

In an interview with Racer, Christian Horner, suggests that the entry fee into F1 could be too high for new teams to afford. The proposed entry of the Andretti Cadillac team into Formula 1 has led to several discussions about the cost of entry for new teams. Horner believes that the teams, who are perceived to be paying for new entries, are likely to object to the idea of diluting their prize fund to accommodate new teams.

He suggests that the current anti-dilution fee is based on the price Dorilton paid to acquire Williams in 2020, however, the value of F1 teams has risen significantly since then. Horner suggests that a larger entry fee could prove too much to ask of a new team, leading to the likes of Audi investing in existing teams, and the current stalemate around Andretti.

NASCAR

Jimmie Kicks off NASCAR Comeback

Seven-time NASCAR champion, Jimmie Johnson, has made his return to stock car racing after a two-year stint in the NTT IndyCar Series. Johnson returned to the track for testing in preparation for his five-race schedule this season, and was pleased with his speed in his NextGen debut.

Johnson and the no. 84 Legacy Motor Club team were limited to three sets of tires and the amount of data that could be collected during the testing but felt great about the pace they had compared to the six full-time drivers in attendance.

Like Taking Rides From a Baby

Chase Elliott will be driving the No. 35 McAnally Hilgemann Racing Chevrolet at Daytona International Speedway on February 17th. The ride would normally belong to Jake Garcia who is unable to compete at Daytona because of his age.

This will be Elliott's first time racing a truck at Daytona and 18th start in the Truck Series. He has three wins in the Truck level. Jake Garcia will take back over driving duties after Daytona. Team owner Bill McAnally is excited for the potential of the team this year and believes Chase's presence will benefit the entire group.

Crank it Up - Muffler Edition

More NASCAR

🎟 Chicago Street Race announces prices & performers... Miranda Lambert, The Chainsmokers + more headline the inaugural weekend

👀 Casey Mears eyes a NASCAR comeback... He wants to get to the 500 start milestone

GLOBAL MOTORSPORT

Take a trip to far away motorsport lands

🌎 WTR and Andretti make plans for Le Mans start... "our goal is to be in every major racing event in the world"

❄️ An unusual absence of snow in Monte Carlo... Drivers urge WRC to move the race further North

IndyCar gets a jump on their 2024 Hybrid Engine Package... 500 miles successfully logged without interruption

Hot Takes

Does winning the Daytona 500 define a legacy or is it merely 'icing on the cake'? 🤔

From shocking to iconic to just plain bada$$, do yourself a favor and browse through the replies here:

ONBOARD OF THE DAY

#9 Porsche 911 GTD 2022 Rolex 24 Hour Onboard

Gear up for the annual Rolex 24 race by experiencing the thrill of the #9 Porsche 911 GTD PRO. Join us as we take a spin around the Daytona International Speedway during a beautiful sunrise.

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*Answer

Rolex's long history with motorsports dates back to 1935 when Malcolm Campbell broke the 300mph barrier while wearing a Rolex watch. Campbell went on to set the world speed record multiple times and praised the precision and durability of the watch in a letter to the company.

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