Good morning. It's a sad day in the motorsports community as we learned late last night of the death of Ken Block, a man who connected the worlds of motorsports and action sports through the power of content in a way no one had before.

NEWS

Ken Block Killed in Snowmobile Accident

Pro rally driver and Hoonigan co-founder Ken Block died in a snowmobile accident on Monday at the age of 55. Block, a pioneer in the car community and co-founder of DC shoes, was known for developing the Hoonigan brand and creating the popular Gymkhana video series.

According to the Wasatch County Sheriff's Office in Utah, Block was riding alone on a steep slope in Utah when his snowmobile "upended, landing on top of him." He was pronounced dead at the scene and is survived by his wife, Lucy, and three children.

FORMULA ONE

FIA President Invites More Rich People to F1 with Tweet

We promise we're not just like other news sites that love to breakdown every presidential tweet, but this one is a big deal. It's an acknowledgement of possibly adding to the 10 team F1 roster.

A couple of things to note: If an 11th team is added, it would dilute the other teams' income from the sport by 10%. To combat this, there is a "dilution fund" of $200 million that new entrants would have to pay to get into the series.

As we have seen with the Andretti's bid to join the series, it's not that easy, even with this dilution fund, only McLaren and Alpine have supported adding the famous Andretti name to the F1 ownership .

F1 Drivers Need a Break from Their Jobs Just Like Us!

After being dropped by McLaren for 2023, Daniel Ricciardo decided to take a year out in a third driver role with Red Bull to find new motivation before hoping to return to a race seat in 2024.

In an interview with Motorsport.com Alex Albon, who spent a year on the sidelines in 2021 before joining Williams last season, understands why Riccardo felt that time away from racing would be beneficial. Albon also said that on his return, it took him time to get used to the environment at Williams and understand how to work effectively with his new colleagues. "You need to make sure that you're getting the most out of everyone and everyone's going in the right direction in terms of where the car needs to go, where performance needs to go," he said.

Catch the full interview here

F1 Boss Surprises No One With Goal To Win

In an interview with publication AS -Adam Baker, CEO of Audi Formula Racing, wants to win by their third season in F1. "We want to be competitive in three years," Baker said. "It is a realistic goal. We want to compete for wins in the third year."

They will have new regulations in 2026, which could reset the pecking order.

Ultimate F1 Experience For Finance Bros & Tech Billionaires

More F1

🎮 F1 Arcade coming to the USA... It looks like a bar with some racing sims

🏭 New Aston Martin F1 Factory ... If you've ever wondered why motorsport is expensive 

📺 Drive to Survive Season 5 next month?! ... Has F1 and Netflix cracked the code?

NASCAR

NASCAR's Rose Parade Float: All Revved Up and Nowhere to Go (On TV)

Unfortunately, NASCAR's "Always Forward" float didn't get any air time on the major networks at the 2023 Rose Parade in Pasadena, California, due to a float breakdown in front of them. Despite this, the NASCAR float still managed to win the award for Most Outstanding Depiction of National Treasures & Traditions.

The float featured iconic cars belonging to Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon, and float guest, Richard Petty. Up and coming NASCAR driver Rajah Caruth, who will be racing full-time for GMS Racing in the Craftsman Truck Series this year, also rode on the float.

Kyle Busch Unveils New Paint Scheme: He'll Probably Have 450 More This Year

Kyle Busch Takes the Plunge into Unknown Waters with Richard Childress Racing: Fingers crossed it's a match made in heaven. But we do know it will be funded by numerous sponsors, which means a lot of paint schemes. 

Debate: Victory Lane or Front Stretch?

Where's the best place to interview NASCAR winners? On one hand, you've got the front stretch, the grand stage where the finish line is located and all the TV cameras are pointed. It's the perfect spot for a victory lap and a triumphant wave to the crowd.

But on the other hand, there's victory lane, the sacred ground where champions go to bask in the glory of their triumph and guzzle champagne like it's going out of style. It's a more intimate setting, but it might not be as flashy for the folks at home.

So which is it? Front stretch or victory lane?

INDYCAR

COTA: Who Comes First, the Chicken (Race) or the Egg (Ticket Sales)?

According to Circuit of the Americas chairman Bobby Epstein, any potential return of IndyCar to the Austin circuit will depend on if the series can generate enough ticket sales to make it viable.

Epstein says he would be happy to see the series return, but they must be able to sell enough tickets. "It's a matter of how many tickets you can sell and if IndyCar can sell enough tickets to come to Austin," Epstein explained. "Are we the theatre, or are we building the sport? It's not our job to build the sport or the fan base. As much as we would like to, it's not our job and we don't have the budget for that. I'm a huge IndyCar fan. I would love to see them back here. The numbers just have to work."

In other words, it's a classic case of the chicken and the egg - do you need a race to sell tickets, or do you need tickets to have a race?

DAKAR

2023 Dakar Rally: Americans Are Winning

The Dakar Rally has begun and by the time you're reading this they will be into Stage 4, but so far the Americans in the field are kicking assStage 1: American Ricky Brabec won in the bikes

Stage 2: American Mason Klien won in the bikes, Mitch Guthrie won in the T3 side by sides.

Overall: Carlos Sainz (father to the F1 driver and rally legend) continues to lead in his Audi

Money Lap will have updates throughout the event, but if you'd like to watch it in the USA:

• Coverage is on Peacock each night, Or watch extended highlights (10minutes) below

GLOBAL MOTORSPORT

Take a trip to far away motorsport lands

⚡ Toto Wolff Explains Mercedes Leaving Formula E... High Cost. Low viewership

🛞 Wayne Taylor Says New Andretti Partnership ... A relief

ONBOARD OF THE DAY

Ken Block. Rally Stage

Watch Ken do some of what he did best: going flat out.

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