Before the 2024 season begins, let's have one last look back at 2023's top stories
Editor's note: We have been a bit under the weather the last several days. Thankfully, we're getting better. We had hoped to run this sooner, but better late than never.
2023 was quite an exciting year all across auto racing.
Here’s a look at 10 of our favorite feel-good stories of the year, as well as one heck of an idea to highlight 2024:
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Josef Newgarden celebrates his win in the 107th Running of the Indianapolis 500. Photo courtesy IndyCar.
Newgarden Finally Gets his Indy 500 Win
It took him until his 12th try, but fan favorite Josef Newgarden finally won the Indianapolis 500 this year -- and he could not have done it in more dramatic fashion.
Multiple crashes that caused three red flags saw the 107th running of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” end with a one-lap shootout to the finish. Newgarden was able to bolt past defending champion Marcus Ericsson on the backstretch to take the lead and cross the yard of bricks first. His first Indy win added to an already impressive resume that includes two championships, 28 other race wins and 17 pole positions.
And although the finish had its fair share of controversy (Ericsson called out IndyCar officials for throwing the final red flag with two laps remaining to ensure the race would not end under caution, which would have given him two consecutive 500 wins), Newgarden’s win was still widely celebrated.
In fact, after parking his car at the start/finish line, the Tennessee native climbed out and ran into the stands to share his jubilant celebration with fans, ala former Penske teammate and four-time 500 winner Helio Castroneves.
“I always wanted to go into the crowd here at Indianapolis,” Newgarden said. “I’ve seen people go onto the fence; I wanted to go through the fence. This was a dream I wanted to happen.”
Newgarden’s victory also was the 19th crown for team owner Roger Penske, further adding to his record as the most successful car owner in Indy 500 history.
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Ryan Blaney celebrates his first NASCAR Cup championship at Phoenix Raceway. Can he make it two in a row in 2024? (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Ryan Blaney Goes from Winless Season to Cup Champion
Entering the 2023 season, Ryan Blaney had already proven himself as a race winner in the NASCAR Cup Series, but there were still doubts about if he had what it took to become a series champion. Since joining the Cup Series full-time in 2016, he had picked up seven wins. While respectable, that didn’t exactly scream “title contender”.
But Blaney had a career year in 2023, going from winless the year before to picking up three wins this season (a career high) along with eight top fives and 18 top 10s. Blaney won the Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day weekend, but his second win of the year did not come until Talladega in October. He also was in a must-win situation to make the Championship 4 in the penultimate round of the season at Martinsville, where he collected his third and final win of the season.
By finishing second in the season finale at Phoenix, Blaney won his first NASCAR title. He did not lead the series (other than his own personal records) in any major statistic, and competitors William Byron and Kyle Larson ended the year with more race victories (six and four, respectively).
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Chris Buescher celebrates with RFK Racing co-owner Brad Keselowski and crew chief Scott Graves after winning the NASCAR Cup Series FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
RFK Racing Returns to Winning Ways
For a while, it looked like RFK Racing’s glory days were long behind it. Entering 2023, the team was still looking for its first multi-win season since 2017. In 2022, Chris Buscher delivered the team its first win at all since 2017 when he won at Bristol.
But the team made one hell of a comeback this year, with Buescher winning three races (the most for RFK since 2013), and both he and team co-owner Brad Keselowski making the playoffs. Keselowski also finished second twice and came very close to securing his first win since 2021.
RFK still has a long way to go before reaching title contention status again, but 2023 proved to be a breakthrough season towards achieving that goal.
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Daniel Suarez, Chase Elliott, Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin race during qualifying heat race #1 for the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
Racing Returns to North Wilkesboro
It turns out that the legendary North Wilkesboro Speedway wasn’t dead. It was just in a slumber -- for 27 years, that is. Yet in May 2023, the famous 5/8ths-mile short track awoke to the sound of NASCAR Cup Series engines again for the first time since 1996.
Thanks to the efforts of NASCAR, Speedway Motorsports, Inc. and the state of North Carolina, the legendary venue – which was left abandoned following the last race in ’96 – was restored to operational condition.
The track’s first major race weekend in 27 years saw the return of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, as well as NASCAR’s All-Star Race making its first appearance at the facility. Kyle Larson won both races, taking home a $1 million check in the All-Star Race for the third time in five years.
Larson also became the first driver to win the All-Star Race at three different venues, having previously won at Charlotte (2019) and Texas (2021).
“I can't even tell you what it means,” Larson said of his win. “This is my third All-Star win and my third different track. In a historical place like that, you guys and the crowd made this weekend so awesome. We could feel the atmosphere all weekend."
Both the NASCAR All-Star Race and the Craftsman Truck Series are scheduled to return to North Wilkesboro in 2024. Additionally, the track will host two CARS Tour events and a NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race.
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Alex Palou celebrates after winning his second IndyCar championship in the last three seasons. IndyCar photo by Joe Skibinski.
Palou Overcomes off-track Legal Issues to Dominate IndyCar
Alex Palou certainly made headlines this year, for good and bad reasons.
The talk of the IndyCar paddock was of his ongoing contract disputes between Chip Ganassi Racing and Arrow McLaren SP. To briefly summarize these issues, Palou was sued by CGR for breach of contract in 2022 when he stated he would move to McLaren in 2023 -- even though Ganassi had already exercised his option year to keep Palou through 2023.
Eventually, all parties agreed that Palou would continue to race for CGR in 2023, with the assumption he would race for McLaren - either in IndyCar or Formula One - starting in 2024.
However, McLaren sued Palou for damages ranging between $20 million and $30 million for breach of contract when Palou announced he would not be honoring his future contract. Later this season, Ganassi confirmed that Palou will return to his team again in 2024 (although past that remains a bit mirky).
While these contract disputes have been very well documented, Palou never let them affect his on-track performance. He easily scored his second series championship in three seasons, capturing five wins, 10 podiums and two poles. Palou’s performance was so dominant that he became the first driver since 2007 to clinch the title in the penultimate race of the season.
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Shane Van Gisbergen celebrates after winning his NASCAR Cup debut in the inaugural Chicago street race. Photo courtesy NASCAR.
Shane Van Gisbergen Wins First Cup Start in NASCAR’s First Street Race
Before the green flag even waved, the Grant Park 220 was already set to be a historic event in NASCAR history. The race was NASCAR’s first on a temporary street course, with drivers roaring through the namesake park on a 12-turn, 2.2-mile circuit in downtown Chicago.
But it was a driver who was relatively unknown to American race fans that really made the inaugural event a memorable one.
Shane van Gisbergen is a legend in Australia’s Supercars championship, but he had never competed in a NASCAR Cup Series race (or any stock car race, for that matter) until the first Chicago race that took place on July 2. Van Gisbergen drove the No. 91 Chevrolet as part of Trackhouse Racing’s “Project 91” program, which allows drivers from different disciplines of motorsport to try their hand at NASCAR Cup Series racing.
Qualifying an impressive third, van Gisbergen had already proven that his past street course experience in Supercars would make him a contender early on. He ran up front for most of the race and began to challenge for the lead in the closing laps. Van Gisbergen took the lead with five laps remaining and maintained it through an overtime restart to become the first driver to win in his Cup debut since Johnny Rutherford in 1963 at Daytona.
Van Gisbergen would follow up his first win with a 10th-place finish at the Indianapolis road course in August. He will compete full-time in the Xfinity Series for Kaulig Racing in 2024, with additional starts in the Cup Series, Craftsman Truck Series and ARCA Menards Series also planned.
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Kyle Busch takes the checkered flag to win the Pala Casino 400 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. (Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images)
Kyle Busch Slowly Turns from Heel to Hero
Hell did not freeze over, but Kyle Busch has started to get more cheers than boos from fans at the track.
There were plenty of audible cheers when Busch won the second race of the season at Fontana in February, as he won in just his second start for Richard Childress Racing.
After 15 seasons with Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota, Busch moved to RCR and Chevrolet in 2023 when Gibbs chose not to renew Busch's contract.
Busch's move to the Richard Childress Racing camp was viewed as a downgrade by some, as RCR had not been a true championship contender for several years. Yet it only took Busch two races with his new team to score a win.
He later followed up with wins at Talladega in April and Gateway in June. However, Busch was eliminated from the playoffs relatively quickly after he failed to advance from the Round of 12.
With Ty Gibbs - the grandson of team owner Joe Gibbs – taking over Busch’s old ride, some fans felt that the two-time Cup Series champion was being pushed out due to nepotism. Busch has also matured with age, making it ironic that Gibbs and Busch’s former teammate, Denny Hamlin, became the new villains of NASCAR.
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The NASCAR Garage 56 Next Gen Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 took to the famed roads at Le Mans. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
NASCAR and Jimmie Johnson go to Le Mans
While NASCAR celebrated its 75th anniversary this year, the sports car world celebrated the 100th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. To mark the occasion, NASCAR and Hendrick Motorsports entered a Gen 7 Chevrolet Camaro in the race as the Garage 56 entry.
Driving the car was 2009 Formula One world champion Jenson Button, sports car ace Mike Rockenfeller and seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson, who crossed an item off his racing bucket list by competing at Le Mans for the first time.
"My heart is full," Johnson said. "For all the reasons we know – coming here with NASCAR, Hendrick, Chevrolet, Goodyear. Many of the people here working were on different teams that I won races and championships with. There were so many familiar faces, to have this experience was just off the charts. My bucket is full. I’m really happy."
The No. 24 Camaro finished 39th out of the 62 cars entered the race. The car ran 285 laps, which equals approximately 2,413.095 miles -- more than four times the length of the Coca-Cola 600.
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The 2023 NHRA champions (from left): Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle), Erica Enders (Pro Stock), Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel) and Matt Hagan (Funny Car). Photo courtesy NHRA.
After 20 tries, drag racer Doug Kalitta is finally a champ
One of the nicest guys in drag racing finally proved that nice guys don't always finish second.
Even though he finished runner-up four times during the previous 20 years, "Air Doug" Kalitta never claimed an NHRA Top Fuel championship. That is until 2023 as Kalitta held off Leah (Mrs. Tony Stewart) Pruett in a thrilling winner-take-all final round in the season finale at Pomona, Calif., in November.
Kalitta, who has occasionally floated the idea of retiring in recent years, likely has a new burst of energy now, as the now-defending Top Fuel champ will attempt to go for two titles in a row in 2024 and potentially even more crowns in the years to come.
Kalitta will have to worry about the usual Top Fuel regulars in '24, including Steve Torrence, Mike Salinas, Brittany Force, etc., but there's one driver he won't have to worry about for the time being, namely, Leah Pruett, who will step aside this coming season 2024 to focus on having a baby with hubby Tony.
But if Kalitta thinks he will have an easier go of it without Pruett in the next lane, he can think again, as Stewart will replace his wife in the 330-plus mph Top Fuel dragster in 2024. As much of a great season was in 2023 for Kalitta and the entire NHRA support, 2024 could wind up being one of the most epic seasons drag racing has ever seen with the addition of Stewart.
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Tony Stewart finished runner-up in his rookie season in NHRA Drag Racing, competing in the Top Alcohol Dragster circuit. If he ever wins a NHRA championship, Stewart could become the first driver in history to win championships in NASCAR, IndyCar and NHRA. Photo courtesy NHRA.
And, last but not least, it's Tony, Tony, Tony time!
2023 saw the debut of NASCAR Hall of Famer and three-time Cup champ Tony Stewart as a full-time regular on the NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster circuit (essentially the AAA farm system for Top Fuel).
While expectations for a rookie in drag racing aren't usually very high, this IS Tony Stewart we're talking about, and "Smoke" surprised a lot of folks who wondered just how well Stewart might perform in the land of straight-line racing.
But like we said, this IS TONY STEWART, DAMN IT, and he had arguably one of the most spectacular driver debuts NHRA has seen in recent years. Stewart was a contender for the Top Alcohol championship all the way up to the penultimate race of the season, before he ultimately finished his rook stint in second place for the season.
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HEADING INTO 2024:
For probably the last 10 years or so, fans, media and even fellow drag racers have wondered who would eventually replace John Force as the face of NHRA Drag Racing. A lot of names have been floated, and some drivers have shown great promise including four-time Top Fuel champ Steve Torrence, but no one has really stood out from the crowd as a worthy successor to Force as the No. 1 driver in NHRA.
And even though it's been several years since Force won his last Funny Car championship (a record 16th crown, by the way), even at 74 years old (he turns 75 on May 4), Force remains NHRA's most popular driver by a mile (or at least a quarter-mile, in drag racing terms).
But now, with the relatively young 52-year-old Stewart joining the Top Fuel ranks in 2024, NHRA finally has someone worthy of succeeding Force as its face going forward once Force retires -- IF he ever retires, that is.
We don't want to put undue pressure on Stewart to have to go out and win 17 Top Fuel championships in a row, but there's no question almost as many eyes as will be on Force will also be on Stewart -- perhaps even more so than Force.
If NHRA was smart, and once Tony was comfortable in the cockpit and maybe wins, say, four or five races, the sanctioning body should consider having a winner-take-all (or maybe best 2-out-of-3) match race between Stewart and Force, given that their respective rides are both capable of exceeding 330 mph.
Not only would several major sponsors want to attach their brands to sponsoring such a Stewart vs. Force matchup, but NHRA could also potentially make this a pay-per-view battle at, say, $19.95 -- that is, unless FOX Sports ups its ante and offers NHRA, say, $500,000 for exclusive TV rights.
And last but not least, to sweeten the pot even more for NHRA, Force and Stewart, how about a winner-take-all prize of $1 million (or at least $500,000)?
Contributing: Jerry Bonkowski