Frontstretch Newsletter: Dec. 19, 2022
Volume XVI, Edition CCVI |
What to Watch: Dec. 19-25 |
- Alpha Prime Racing is set to make another announcement regarding the upcoming 2023 season on Tuesday. It will
likely involve another driver to join Sage Karam in the No. 45 Chevrolet. We'll bring that to you once it is announced. - Testing ahead of the 2023 season
continues for a number of IMSA teams. Daytona International Speedway will be the site of a number of private tests over the next week.
- Interstate Batteries Monday
Night Racing continues their season tonight with a visit to the virtual Auto Club Speedway with 1987 Cup cars. Action starts tonight at 7:45 p.m. ET. The action will be simulcast on both Podium eSports' Twitch and Frontstretch's own YouTube channel. For this season, Frontstretch has entered into a sponsorship deal with Monday Night Racing. During the offseason, we will weekly 5 Points to Ponder columns about each event, in addition to a post-race show on our YouTube channel. That is in addition to race recaps. We will have a recap of tonight's MX-5 race and anything else that breaks today at Frontstretch. - This week at Frontstretch, we are continuing our offseason content with the last five major storylines of the season. We'll also have additional articles for your pleasure. |
Around the World in Motorsports: Dec. 12-18 |
In the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the No. 6 Porsche 963 will be shared full-time by Mathieu Jaminet and Nick Tandy. Dane Cameron will drive at Daytona as a third driver. The No. 7 will be shared full-time by Matt Campbell and Felipe Nasr, with Michael Christensen as a third driver. In the WEC, Cameron will share the No. 5 Porsche with Christensen and Frederic Makowiecki. - Saturday saw Era Motorsport confirm their 2023 IMSA
plans. The team will be back full-time in the LMP2 class. Ryan Dalziel and Dwight Merriman will drive the full schedule, while Christian Rasmussen will compete in the Michelin Endurance Cup races. Oliver Jarvis will race for the team in the Rolex 24 at Daytona. Similar to 2022, the
team plans a different driver lineup for the LMP2 sprint races. That lineup will be announced at a later date. - Sean Creech Motorsports announced Tuesday that they will return for the full LMP3 season in 2023. Joao Barbosa will be back full-time, while Dr. Lance Willsey returns after sitting out the last two races of the season.
No word on additional drivers, but the team has stated that they have acquired cars from the now-defunct CORE autosport, so they could conceivably run a second car later in 2023 in either the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, or in the VP SportsCar Challenge. Maro Engel will join the squad for the four Michelin Endurance Cup races. Meanwhile, Cooper MacNeil is stepping back from racing and will only compete in the Rolex 24 at Daytona. - Vasser Sullivan announced
Tuesday that Aaron Telitz and Frankie Montecalvo will continue driving the No. 12 Lexus RCF GT3 full-time in 2023. The team has not announced endurance drivers for the GTD class effort as of yet. |
| | Michael McDowell, Todd Gilliland Returning to FRM in
2023Front Row Motorsports announced Thursday that they will retain their driver lineup of Michael McDowell and Todd Gilliland for the 2023
season. |
| | Bubba Wallace Re-Ups With Columbia for 2023,
Beyond23XI Racing announced Wednesday that Columbia Sportswear has signed a new multi-year deal that will see the company continue to sponsor Bubba Wallace's No.
23. |
| | Brett Moffitt Running for AM Full Time in
XfinityAM Racing announced last Monday that they will expand full-time to the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2023. Brett Moffitt will drive the team's No. 25 Ford
full-time. |
| | Jeffrey Earnhardt Running for APR Full Time in
2023Alpha Prime Racing announced Tuesday that Jeffrey Earnhardt will drive the No. 44 Chevrolet full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in
2023. |
| | Hailie Deegan Moving to ThorSport for
2023Hailie Deegan announced Thursday via her personal YouTube that she will move to ThorSport Racing in 2023, replacing Christian Eckes with the organization. The team
will also switch back to Ford from Toyota. |
| | Williams CEO Jost Capito Stepping
DownLast Monday, Williams Racing announced that team CEO and principal Jost Capito will leave the team prior to the beginning of next
season. |
| | IMSA Reveals Rolex 24 At Daytona Preliminary Entry
ListIMSA released a preliminary entry list Thursday for next month's Rolex 24 at Daytona with 60 teams on it. As of now, there will be nine GTP cars, 10 LMP2s, nine
LMP3s, eight GTD Pro and 24 GTD teams in the race. |
| | Crowdstrike Racing Partners With Algarve Pro Racing For Michelin
Endurance CupCrowdstrike Racing announced Tuesday that they are partnering up with Algarve Pro Racing to race an ORECA 07-Gibson in the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup races in
2023. |
| | Sage Karam Earns Monday Night Racing Debut Win at Canadian Tire
Motorsport ParkLast Monday, Sage Karam dominated the Interstate Batteries Monday Night Racing action at the virtual Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, winning the 80 minute race going away. Adam Cabot was second, then Will
Rodgers, Alex Labbe was fourth, while Joey Padgett was fifth. |
Photos are courtesy of Nigel Kinrade Photography, Williams Media, iRacing via Justin Melillo, IMSA and our own Phil Allaway. Have news for Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us
at frontstretcheditors@googlegroups.com with a promising lead or tip. |
|
