Good morning! This is a big one, it seems like the racing world has been in announcement mode the last few days. We also said goodbye to another edition of the Dakar Rally and ushered in a new era in Formula E. Why did the race car go to the doctor?

*Answer at the bottom

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

NASCAR

Double or Nothing: Larson Sets Sights on Historic Feat in 2024

NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick and driver Kyle Larson announced that they will join Arrow McLaren Racing in the 2024 Indianapolis 500. Hendrick, known for not allowing his drivers to venture into other racing series, has changed his mind with Larson's talent and passion for the event. The car will be co-owned by Hendrick, prepared by the McLaren team and will be driven by Larson, who has long had the 500 on his bucket list.

Hendrick says he is more than ready to enjoy the moment at what is typically considered the world’s biggest race, and Larson hopes to add his name to the list of drivers who excel in numerous disciplines, including champions like A.J. Foyt and Mario Andretti.

The Closer Closes Out 23 Year Career

NASCAR Cup Series Veteran, Kevin Harvick, has announced that he will be retiring from full-time racing after the 2023 Cup season. Harvick, who has spent 23 years in the NASCAR Cup series, has 60 wins and one Cup championship under his belt. He will be spending his final season with Stewart-Haas Racing, where he has been for the past 10 years. 

 2023 Daytona 500 Just Got EXTREME

According to sources close to the Athletic, Travis Pastrana is expected to make his Daytona 500 debut with 23XII Racing in February. Speculations swirled last week on social media when the team posted a teaser video indicating they will field a third car for the Great American Race. 

Catch the full article here

More NASCAR

🔧 NASCAR Testing Schedule... starting this week

🎙 Clash at the Coliseum race break performer announced... an unlikely crossover 

F1

Williams (finally) Finds New Boss

James Vowles, long-serving Mercedes engineer and strategist, has been announced as the new Team Principal of Williams. Vowles revealed that he had been in communication with Williams for a month, and that the "fit" between himself and the team was "very good" after a number of meetings with the board. He also revealed that Mercedes boss Toto Wolff was not aware of his decision to move to Williams until just a few weeks ago, but that Wolff had been "incredibly good" about the change. Vowles said that he doesn't see the move as a big leap, and that the journey towards Team Principal had been in his head for many years, with Mercedes providing him the pathway to get there.

Hand Surgery Halts Magnussen's Daytona Plans

Haas F1 driver Kevin Magnussen will undergo surgery on his left hand before the 2023 season, which may prevent him from participating in the 24 Hours of Daytona race scheduled from January 28-29, alongside his father Jan. The surgery is expected to be a harmless procedure, but Magnussen will have to wait for the doctor's advice for the recovery time. The Haas team has reassured that Magnussen will be ready for F1 pre-season testing in Bahrain from February 23-25.

More F1

📖 2023 F1 rule book revisions... The 10 biggest changes you need to know

IMSA

Will Power to Make IMSA Debut at Daytona

Former IndyCar champion, Will Power, will make his IMSA debut in the Rolex 24 endurance race in 2023. He will be driving for the SunEnergy1 squad, owned by US-based Australian Kenny Habul, in the GTD-class Mercedes AMG GT3. The event is the opening round of the 2023 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Power hopes to use the race as a springboard for more tin-top outings, such as the Bathurst 1000 and the Bathurst 12 Hour.

Honda Recycles Stalled IndyCar Engine for GTP Acura V6

Acura is entering the first season of IMSA’s GTP era with its ARX-06 built to LMDh rules, which will debut in the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona at the end of January. The car will use a 2.4-liter V6 that features a twin-turbo and paired with the first electrical hybrid system in top-class American racing. The engine is similar to the one originally planned for the 2024 IndyCar Series which had planned to switch to a 2.4-liter motor for its hybridized future but backtracked on the move in mid-December. The president of Acura motorsports said that there is some commonality between the two engines, due to the budget constraints and the fact that the company builds its own powertrains.

Continue reading more of Honda Performance Development President David Satlers' interview here

DAKAR

The 2023 Dakar Rally is in the books. This year brought no shortage of excitement as competitors experienced torrential downpours, unnerving crashes and some of the closest racing in Dakar history. Here is how the final four stages played out: 

Stage 11:  Dunes drag on in longest stage, Americans retake the lead in Bikes and T3

Stage 12: Loeb wins fifth consecutive stage, Howes slips from lead, Austin Jones leads American's hopes of Dakar Championship

Stage 13: Only 91 seconds separate top 3 riders, Loeb breaks record with sixth stage win, Klein withdrawals 

Stage 14: Kevin Benavides steals Stage 14 and overall victory, Howes secures podium and American Austin Jones wins back to back Dakar Rally victories

2023 Dakar Rally Full Highlights

Chili Bowl

2023 Chili Bowl Missing Two Main Ingredients

Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell, two of the most prolific dirt ringers, did not compete in the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals this year. Larson, the 2021 Cup Series champion, had decided to race in the Wild West Shootout at Vado Motorsports Park instead, where he can race a Super Late Model for $10,000-to-win five nights in a row before a $25,000-to-win race to close out the week.

Larson has been vocal about the fact that he believes the purse at the Chili Bowl should be higher. Bell, on the other hand, is not boycotting the event, but was unable to participate due to other reasons.

Logan Seavey won the 37th annual event, holding off the 2022 champion Tanner Thorson and Cannon McIntosh. This was Seavey's first win in the race, and he became the second first-time winner in the last two years.

GLOBAL MOTORSPORT

Take a trip to far away motorsport lands

🔋 Formula E Kicks off the 2023 Season in Mexico City... Dennis Dominates in Opener

⏰ 24H Dubai Results WRT scores first win with BMW

🤕 Injury forces Supercross Rider to Retire "They can't really fix it."

Motorsports Moment of Zen

Memes

THE WHEEL

When you get wrecked out of your fourth C Fixed in a row and you just want race season to come back...

ONBOARD OF THE DAY

Fernando Alonso Cadillac DPI Daytona 24 Onboard

Take a nighttime joyride onboard Fernando Alonso's Cadillac DPI during the 2019 Daytona 24 Hours! 

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*Answer

Because it was feeling a little "tire-d"!

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