MOORESVILLE, N.C. — It always draws a bit of a chuckle when someone asks, “So what do you do when the season ends?”
The look on their face is incredulous when they are told, “Keep working.”
That generally draws a follow-up, “But the races are over so there’s no more work.”
Nothing could be further from the truth because the offseason is when the news happens. That’s the time to roll up your sleeves, contact the sources and get to work.
All of this was never more evident than during the first 12 days of the new year when in rapid-fire succession, major news developed.
There was more breaking news during that time than a typical Speedweek at Daytona or Carb Day at the Indianapolis 500.
On Jan. 5, perhaps the biggest story so far in international motorsports unfolded with Michael Andretti announcing General Motors would be his partner in Andretti Global’s bid for a Formula 1 team. GM’s Cadillac brand, America’s iconic luxury and performance brand, will utilize its technology to hopefully power an Andretti Global F-1 team by 2026.
If approved, the new team could take the grid by 2025, but the first year would be run with a different powerplant as GM and Cadillac continue development.
That’s huge news because it’s the first time General Motors would be in Formula 1. GM is one of the world’s largest automakers, and in 2021 it reclaimed the No. 1 position as the largest automaker in the United States, surpassing Toyota.
Of course, Andretti’s bid was met with strong resistance from current F-1 team principals, who don’t want to dilute their share of the massive revenue pool Formula 1 currently generates. Andretti Global is bidding to become an 11th team and existing F-1 owners don’t want to settle for a smaller piece of the pie.
However, an American team owned by Andretti with General Motors as a partner would likely increase the revenue-generating opportunities for that series, which is the pinnacle of international motorsports.
Andretti’s strong bid is supported by FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
This story will continue to develop as Andretti navigates his way through additional obstacles to his bid.
Other news in the opening days of the year included A.J. Foyt Racing revamping its IndyCar engineering department with the hiring of engineer Michael Cannon from Chip Ganassi Racing. Craig Brooks was named team manager.
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing hired former Honda Performance Development vice president and chief operating officer Steve Eriksen as RLL’s chief operating officer. Eriksen was most recently at Chip Ganassi Racing.
Those stories were a warm-up act for even bigger news the following week.
It began on Jan. 11 when Petty GMS Racing was rebranded Legacy Motor Club. The addition of Jimmie Johnson as a team owner led to the name change, although some are puzzled why the operation wouldn’t want to market the names of two seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champions as its owners.
That includes Richard Petty and Johnson, who are partners in the team along with Allegiant Airlines owner Maury Gallagher.
Johnson also announced he would compete in the Daytona 500 and a few select other races driving the No. 84 Chevrolet. Johnson was able to keep a “4” and an “8” in his car number but can’t run the famed “48” because that number belongs to his former team, Hendrick Motorsports.
Johnson also revealed he is still allowed to compete in the 107th Indianapolis 500 in a Honda with Chip Ganassi Racing but hasn’t decided if he will continue with that opportunity.
Then, came one of the biggest days for racing news anyone can remember.
It began with 2014 NASCAR Cup Series champion, 2007 Daytona 500 winner and three-time Brickyard 400 winner Kevin Harvick announcing he plans to retire following this season. The winner of 60 NASCAR Cup Series races took over the famed No. 3 car – renumbered 29 – after Dale Earnhardt was killed in a crash on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500.
Harvick drove with the same relentless intimidation as Earnhardt and achieved stardom, first at Richard Childress Racing and more recently with Stewart-Haas Racing.
Only a few hours later, Kyle Larson’s announcement grabbed the spotlight.
The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion plans to compete in the 2024 Indianapolis 500 for Arrow McLaren Racing.
Hendrick Motorsports is partnering with that ambitious effort as one of the most diverse drivers in racing, who has a huge fan following from the dirt tracks of America to the superspeedways of NASCAR, will become the latest NASCAR driver to race in the famed Indianapolis 500.
All of that news came during the first 12 days of the year, proving again there is no offseason when it comes to news.
This story appeared in the Feb. 8, 2023 edition of the SPEED SPORT Insider.
